Kim Komando - make your own ringtones!

4 ways to make free ringtones

Remember when phones just rang? It let you know that someone was calling. But it wasn't very exciting. Ringtones are much more expressive. Use a bit of your favorite song. Or use an audio clip that makes you laugh. It's just another way to stand out.

You can buy ringtones for just about any phone. But that's not really necessary. With a little work, you can make your own ringtones. It's easier than you think. You just need the right tools.

WolframTones—The most difficult part of picking a ringtone is finding something unique. Why not let an algorithm do it for you? This site generates a random snippet of music. Choose from more than a dozen musical styles. You can even pick which instruments are used. But the actual clip will be something truly original.

iRinger—This program lets you create ringtones for your iPhone. Simply import any song or audio file. The program will even extract the audio track from some video files. You can then cut the audio down to ringtone length. The ringtone is sent to iTunes. Sync your iPhone and you're done.

MP3 Cutter—Many cell phones use the MP3 format for ringtones. Luckily, most music is available in MP3 format. But a song is usually too long. Pulling out the section you want isn't always easy. This online tool is just what you need. Upload any MP3 file. Select the section you want. Then click Cut. That's all there is to it.

iTunes—You can buy ringtones for your iPhone through the iTunes app. Most cost $1.29. But you can also make ringtones from music in your library. This isn't really a feature of iTunes. You'll have to monkey around with a few files. Don't worry, though. It's not too difficult. I'll walk you through it step by step.


Cost: Free
System:

WolframTones—Windows XP, Vista and 7, Mac OS X

iRinger—Windows XP, Vista and 7

MP3 Cutter—Windows XP, Vista and 7, Mac OS X

iTunes—Windows XP, Vista and 7, Mac OS X