Rather than spending an inordinate amount of money buying a range of different ringers, it may be much more convenient and cost-effective to make your own Nokia ringtones instead. This may seem like a daunting task for the uninitiated, but the creation of custom ringtones is actually a lot easier than you may think.
What You Need
Before you can make your own Nokia ringtones, you need to make sure that you have the right supplies on hand. This will vary somewhat based on the exact Nokia cell phone that you have and its particular features, but this should work with the vast majority of modern Nokia handsets running on some version of the Symbian operating system.
For instance, the Nokia E71 smartphone is powered by Symbian S60 3rd Edition and is serving as the point of reference for this guide. The specific instructions may be slightly different for different phones, but the general idea will be much the same.
First, you'll need the phone itself. Ideally, it is a phone with an expandable memory card slot, since this is the easiest way to transfer the ringtone to the phone from the computer.
Second, you'll need the aforementioned memory card. Most contemporary Nokia phones will come with a microSD memory card slot. In addition to the memory card, you will also need a card writer/reader on your computer.
Third, you'll need your source audio file. This can be a favorite MP3 song from your collection, assuming that it is DRM-free, or any other audio file in WAV or MP3 format.
Fourth, you'll need audio manipulation software. One of the best software packages for making ringtones is called Audacity and it is available as a free download through SourceForge.net. It is a cross-platform sound editor, with versions available for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux/Unix.
How to Make Your Own Nokia Ringtones
Whether you want to make some festive ringtones for the holidays or you want to make use of your favorite musical genre, it is very easy to make your own Nokia ringtones. The process is largely identical to making ringtones for a Samsung or any number of other modern phones. The exact steps, as mentioned, may vary slightly, but the overall process is much the same.
To make custom ringtones for your Nokia cell phone, follow these steps:
- Open Audacity (or some other audio editor)
- Open your source MP3 file in the program
- Use the mouse pointer to highlight the portion of the track you'd like to use as a ringtone (a 20- to 30-second clip is usually perfect for a ringtone)
- Choose "Export Selection as MP3" under the "File" menu (you may need to download an additional "Lame MP3" codec for this to work)
- Choose where to save the resulting MP3 file
And that's it! Most contemporary Nokia phones are capable of using MP3 files as ringtones, so you can make as many free ringtones as you'd like. The one caveat is that some carriers may "block" this function on your phone, so if you run into trouble, ask your wireless carrier if this is the case. All unlocked and unbranded Nokia phones should work without any trouble.
Saving Ringtones to Your Phone
Now that you know how to make your own Nokia ringtones, you'll want to save these ringtone MP3 files on the phone itself. The one option is to use the ringtones straight off of the memory card and this is the most convenient way to do it. Alternatively, you can go into the file manager application on the phone to copy the MP3 file from the memory card to the phone's internal memory.
The process for saving ringtones to your phone is largely the same as saving free games, wallpapers, and other similar types of content.
- Insert the cell phone's memory card into a card reader on the computer
- Copy the new ringtone MP3 to the memory card in a folder of your choice
- Install the memory card back into the phone
- Go into the "Settings" or "Contacts" menu on the phone and choose the new ringtone
And you're done! Enjoy your new custom ringers.
