Mobile phone ringtones are a fun way to customize a cell phone. That customization has become a multi-million dollar industry, and the most popular ringtone options are excerpts from songs or movies which have been converted into ringtones.

One type of ringtone is the melody of a song played by software in your mobile phone. These ringtones (sometimes called MIDI ringtones) are the ones you hear playing a recognizable theme, but are electronic versions of popular tunes, not the songs themselves.

The second type of ringtone is a portion of the actual song. These ringtones, often called “true sound” ringtones or “TruSound,” can be snippets of any audio source; a movie, popular song, even a passage from a sound effects CD. The sound file is converted to the right format and made available for download.

Mobile phone services often offer free ringtones for download as an incentive for you to try customizing your cell phone, and there are many free MIDI ringtone sites on the Internet offering thousands of files. But how do you get the ringtones from the Internet to your phone? Much depends on the setup of your particular cell phone and your mobile phone service, but here are some standard options:

Your Cell Phone Provider
Sprint, Verizon, and other mobile phone service providers sell ringtones that can be sent directly to the phone, and you can also download ringtones to your computer. If you have downloaded ringtones to your laptop, Mac or PC, transfer the ringtones to your phone using a USB cable from your computer to USB-capable mobile phones. If your cell phone has a slot for a microSD card or a regular SD card, you can save the file onto the SD card, insert the card into your phone, then transfer the ringtone using the mobile phone menu.

Third Party Ringtone Download Sites
Third party ringtones are downloaded to your computer and transferred the same way as described above. Some ringtones may not be compatible with your make or model cell phone, so when buying or downloading free ringtones from third-party sites, make sure the tones are compatible with your particular phone. Some users report problems when using ringtones in combination with wireless headsets; if you don’t hear a custom ringtone when using Bluetooth headsets, don’t assume the ringtone itself is to blame. You may not be able to hear your custom ringtones until you disengage the wireless headset.

Make Your Own Ringtones
Some websites and mobile phone services offer a feature that lets you create your own ringtones. You can convert your own voice, snippets of your own music, or other audio sources to a format compatible with your cell phone. Some of these services are free; others are included as a perk in a ringtone subscription or purchase offer.

No matter which ringtone choice you prefer, check to make sure the ringtones are compatible with your phone and whether they expire. Ringtones sold by mobile phone services often expire after a year, requiring you to renew for a small fee if you want to keep using the ringtone. If your favorite ringtone is suddenly gone from your cell phone, you may need to pay and download again.