How to download a song as a ringtone on your phone

Whether it’s your favorite song or a tune that makes you smile, setting it as your ringtone can make your phone feel more personal. The good news: You can download a song and turn it into a ringtone in just a few steps. Our Asurion Experts help millions of people make the most of their tech, from speeding up a slow phone to recovering deleted files. Here’s their guide to downloading a song as a ringtone on your phone.

1. Choose your song

Pick the song you want to use. Make sure you have permission to download it—either from a music store, subscription service, or a legal free source.

2. Download the song to your phone

If you’re using:

iPhone®: Purchase or download the song in the Apple Music® app.

Android™: Download from Google Play Store™, YouTube Music™, or another music app. Make sure the file is saved to your device’s internal storage—not just in the cloud.

3. Trim the song to a ringtone length

Ringtones usually last 30 seconds or less. Many phones have a built-in editor in the ringtone settings, but you can also use free apps like GarageBand® (iPhone) or MP3 Cutter™ (Android) to shorten the track.

4. Save and set your ringtone

On iPhone: Open Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone, then select your custom tone.

On Android: Go to Settings > Sound & vibration > Phone ringtone, and choose your new tone from the list. If the song doesn’t appear, move it to your phone’s “Ringtones” folder and try again.

5. Test your new ringtone

Call your phone from another device to make sure it works as expected.

FAQ

How long can a ringtone be?

Most phones limit ringtones to 30 seconds. Longer files may be automatically shortened or not appear in your ringtone list.

Can I use a song from Spotify or Apple Music as a ringtone?

Not directly—most streaming songs are protected by copyright. You’ll need to purchase and download a copy you can legally use.

Why isn’t my custom ringtone showing up?

The file may not be in the correct format (like MP3 or M4R) or in the right folder. Try converting the file and placing it in your “Ringtones” folder.