Android Ringtones and Notification Sounds

One of my favorite things about the Android operating system is the number of customization options available. One of the things I love to change is the sounds my phone makes, and this guide goes how you can make your own custom notification sounds and ringtones.

1. Introduction
2. Do You Use Custom Ringtones or Notifications on Your Phone?
3. Things to Consider When Choosing Your Sounds
4. Where to Find Sounds
5. What Audio Formats You Need to Use
6. How to Use Audacity to Edit Sound Files
7. How to Move Files to Your Phone
8. How to Enable Your Custom Sounds on Your Phone

Do Not Use Long Sound Files for Ringtones

Use a small part of a song for ringtones. Do not use a sound file longer than about 20 seconds because you will not hear the whole file. If you use short noises as your ringer, the audio will be repeated many times.

Short Sound Files Work Best for Notifications

As for notification sounds, I would keep those short and about two or three seconds long. Remember that you will hear this sound a lot so I wouldn't pick something thing that will get annoying after a while.

An Example Sound I Used for Notifications

One of the sounds I use is the Xbox 360 achievement unlock noise as my notification sound. It is a very short sound, but it is very memorable to me, and I love it. You can find a sound file of this noise in this blog post if you are curious.

YouTube Is a Great Source

You can use audio from any file, but I mostly search YouTube for specific sounds. Chances are if you want part of a song, TV show, or video game you will find a video with these sounds on there.

I will show you later how to crop audio files you don't worry about how long the video is. Find a video that has the sound you want that is clear to hear and sounds good.

Website to Convert Audio Files from YouTube

Here is a link to a useful website that converts YouTube videos into audio files you can download.

There Are Other Good Sources

You don't have to use YouTube though. I am just suggesting this as a free option that most people will be able to access.

You are only limited by what you are willing to do and how long it will take. For one video game sound I recorded some game play with Open Broadcast Software (OBS). I then did some editing to isolate the sound I wanted.

Android Supports Multiple Audio Formats

The Android operating system supports most modern audio file formats, and you can use MP3, WAV, and OGG files.

Default Format Is OGG

The default audio file format used for Android is OGG, so I convert files to this format, but the other two will work.

You Can Convert Audio Files

There are many ways to convert audio files to other extensions, and I use Audacity myself. Audacity is a free open source audio editor, and I use it to shorten and save files.

How to Convert Audio Files

Saving files as a different file extension is easy as clicking export and choosing the option you want.

How to Crop Audio Files

You probably will want to crop the file first though. To do this you use the mouse to select the part of the audio track you want to crop, and then cut it. You can then paste it into a new audio track and get rid of the original track.

You most likely will need to listen to the audio file to find the part you want to get it isolated.

Transfer Audio Files to Your Phone

Once you have your saved and formatted how you want all you need to do now is transfer the file to your phone.

How to Connect Your Phone to Your Computer

Connect your Android phone to computer. Assuming you have a recent operating system, your computer should automatically install the driver files needed to do this and connect it. Your phone should show up on your computer.

Change Your USB Connection to File Transfer

However, depending on your phone, it may be only connected as charge only. My phone does then when I first plug in it. I must swipe down on the notification menu and select the transfer files option. Then the file system shows up on my computer.

Once you find the right folder, you need to move the audio files to it so your phone can use them.

Find the Audio Options

The last step is to go into the Android options and select the notification and ringer sound select options.

The Options May Be in a Different Place

This may in a different place or look different depending on your phone manufacturer and Android version. I wrote this guide using Android 7.0 Nougat and an LG V20 phone.

On my phone, these settings are under audio. At that point, I can see the options to change both.

You Can Change Notifications in Apps in as Well.

Some applications let you change the notification sounds as well. For example, my default texting application Signal lets me do this.