Using MiniTones to install MP3 style ringtones

Posted on August 12th, 2008 by Chris Nolan

Thanks to Handquake for this great tutorial for using MiniTones to put MP3 style ringtones on your Palm OS Smartphone.

MiniTones is a freeware application that lets you put MP3 style ringtones on your Palm OS Treo or Centro Smartphone. Using MP3s as ringtones can be space hog but MiniTones has the ability to crop MP3 files to a smaller size to save space. This tutorial is for use with the 700P but equally applies to other Palm OS smartphones.

Needed: MiniTones

Click any image for an enlarged version.

Using MiniTones to crop and install MP3 ringtones

Once you have MiniTones installed, you want to go to your Palm home page and select the MiniTones application.

Select MiniTones from the Applications Menu

When the application opens it will automatically search your device and your expansion card for MP3 files and list them by name.

MP3 File Selection

Select the song you wish to use. If you wish to hear the song before you start working on it, you can select the little play button next to the box. That will allow you to hear what song you will be working with. Choose “Add Selected”

Select the song you wish to use

You have the option to now just add the song in its entirety by selecting “Add”. You also have the ability to “Trim” songs. This gives you the options of only hearing the part you want and keeping file size down to a minimum. For this tutorial we will select “Trim”.

Select Trim to trim the ringtone

This will bring up the “Trim Tone” section of the application.

The Trim Tone screen

As you can see, there is a slider bar representing the entire length of the song. The icon on the left above the slider bar represents where you want the modified ringtone to begin in relation to the MP3 you have chosen. The song I chose starts off fairly quiet for use as a ringtone so I simply crop the first 11 or so seconds off. If I want to hear where the ringtone will start, I just push the play button under the start option.

Selecting where to start cropping the tone

The icon below the right side of the slider bar controls where I want the ringtone to end. I usually just shoot for 45 seconds of actual play time. The song will usually come out to less than 200KB and I can get 10 MP3 style ringtones for less than 2MB of actual device space.

Selecting the end of the cropped section

Once you have the song trimmed the way you want it, select “OK”. The song is automatically added to your Treo’s sound files. If you wish to see it, select your home button. This takes you to the applications page on your device. Select “Sounds”.

Selecting the Sounds application

Alternatively, select the “Prefs” application. Then select “Sound & Alerts”

The Preferences Menu

Select “Manage”. You should see your new MP3 style ringtone.

Your new ringtone in the Manage Sounds panel

Assigning the Ringtone For Incoming Calls

If you wish to assign a ringtone you’ve created to an incoming call, “Prefs” is the place to do it. Once you see the ringtone in your sound manager file, you have the option of assigning it to know incoming callers. Open the drop down box next to “Known Callers” and select your new ringtone from the list available.

Selecting the tone for Known Caller

If you wish for it to be the ringtone for unknown callers too, select is as such. When finished, select “Done”.

Assigning A Ringtone To A Contact: 700P and newer

Using your new ringtone for a specific incoming caller is very easy. Select your you home key and go to “Contacts”.

Select the Contacts application

Select the specific contact you wish to assign the incoming ringtone to, then choose edit.

Choose to Edit the contact

Select “ringtones” and all the possible ringtones will open up. Select one of your converted files.

Choose the ringtone for the contact

Select done. Whenever this contact calls, you will hear the MP3 style ringtone you have selected for them.

Hope this helps.

Share and Enjoy:

Filed under: How-to guides

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Kelsey11490, on August 12th, 2008 at 10:42 pm Said:

This application is GREAT and works perfectly!!

ERAN-, on August 13th, 2008 at 7:03 am Said:

I’ve been using minitones for a year, and like it so much!

Very good tutorial!

JWags, on August 13th, 2008 at 8:32 pm Said:

I have mp3s on my device, but the Minitones doesn’t find them. Help?

robin24k, on August 14th, 2008 at 2:30 am Said:

You need to put the MP3s on your card in the AUDIO folder. That’s the only place that MiniTones or MusicTones will be able to see them.

The comments is not the place to ask questions. Please do that in the forum. Thanks.

msstevens, on August 14th, 2008 at 4:06 am Said:

I’m having the same problem. how do i put my songs in the AUDIO folder?

scoot03, on August 14th, 2008 at 1:29 pm Said:

Not to be objective but w/a card in all I had to do was download to my card & then go to mini tones & there they were.That was w/ 755p & centro, now I’m not sure if mini tones will work w/my 800w, any comments?

robin24k, on August 14th, 2008 at 6:56 pm Said:

Please post it in the Software Applications board of the forum. I would be glad to explain that to you.

ring tones / missing sync - Treo Forum - Treonauts, on August 24th, 2008 at 5:12 am Said:

[...] and convert the MP3 into a ringtone. Here is a link to a step by step list of directions: Using MiniTones to install MP3 style ringtones | mytreo.net __________________ Don’t let your life end without first scoring a victory for mankind! [...]

joanbuyce, on August 27th, 2008 at 6:25 pm Said:

I just got the Centro. How do I know if I have an Audio “card” in my phone? I downloaded a ring tone and just installed the MiniTones to edit it. But, it doesn’t show up under the MiniTones icon screen. any help appreciated!

Umang, on September 12th, 2008 at 1:37 am Said:

how can I apply tones made from Minitones to Alarms? is it possible? if not what are other options. Alarm tone which comes by default are very bad. iam using 680.