Posted on by Jake

Create Your Own Sprint Ringtones

For the past couple of weeks now I’ve been looking off and on about how to make my own ringtones for my Sprint PCS phone. I’ve managed to find some resources that said my Sanyo PM-8200 phone will support polyphonic ringtones. These are essentially just MIDI files and thus can’t do anything more than notation. Nice, but they can hardly compare with the ringtones that are available for $2.50 apiece from Sprint’s site that expire in 90 days. I wanted something of that quality, but without the price or the expiration. So I kept looking. What I discovered was that those fancy rigntones were in a QCP file format. I also discovered a simple command line application, PureVoice that can convert a WAV file into QCP format. Now the only thing I had left to discover was how to get that QCP file to my phone. In looking for that, I discovered a Free Mobile Phone Uploader site that will either send a text message with a link to download your file or give you a Jump Code to allow you to download it.

So now I can have any sound I want in the entire world as a ringtone. Using a little creativity, that can include clips from songs that I downloaded from iTunes for $.99. The basic steps to do that are:

  1. Purchase the song from iTunes.
  2. Convert that file to MP3 format. You can either burn it to a CD then rip it, or use JHymn.
  3. Convert the file to WAV, shorten it to 30 seconds or less. I used Audacity for that task.
  4. Reduce the sound quality to be PCM, mono, 8 kHz, 16-bit. I was unable to figure out how to do that in Audacity, so I simply used the sound recorder app that comes with Windows.
  5. Use PureVoice Converter to convert the WAV file to a QCP file (drag the WAV file onto pvconv.exe).
  6. Upload the QCP file to the Mobile Phone Uploader.
  7. Download it from that site to your phone and assign it like you would any other ringtone.

Update 25-May-2005: Newer phones (like the Sanyo’s that start with “MM”) can use a different, and better sounding, format.
Update 8-Feb-2006: Thanks to Tony, we now know how to make ringtones for free! (Hint: Use walmart.com as step 1).

177 Replies to “Create Your Own Sprint Ringtones”

  5. Hey I get a data error code 901 “Insignificant Memory” but i have 924kb of space left on my phone and the song is only 320kb?????? Do you know what I can do. I am really pumped about making my own ringtones!

  7. I have created the .wav file from Roxio Easy Media 7.5 and converted to .qcp with pure voice and used Mobile PhoneUploader and all seems to work fine. Is there a way to increase to volume of these clips. The sound volume on my Sanyo MM-8300 is much much lower than the Toby Keith clip that came with the phone. I have tried to increase the volume in Roxio but nothing seems to work

  8. hey guy to convert the bitrate and make it mono you could use “cool edit pro 2.0 or 2.1” they’re pretty much the same program. It will also handle all of your conversions except the final one to qcp. its not really a user friendly program so you will need a lil knowledge which you can get just by playing with the program. if you want any mor info or have questions just email me
    at stedman_tones yahoo com (dont know if it will filter that out so i put in in as regular text)

  9. i just got my sprint mm-8300 and im now learning all these steps u got here to upload the ringtones..one problem is that i dont have internet connection on my phone. when i buy the tones, the guy that does it uses something similar to ur method, yet he still gets it to work although i dont have the net connection when the text is sent to my phone.

  10. Tina e-mail sprint about your phone and ask if it will cost you anything to use the internet on your phone. I didn’t know if we had the net on our phones until today. They said that they were giving us the net and stuff for free until jan. 22. I don’t know if that is because we had a few problems with billing or if it is a promotion they are doing now. So just e-mail them, they e-mail you back fast, or at least they have so far. Hope you get the net soon!

  11. I was wondering if anyone has figured out how to make the sound quality better? Mine worked it just did not sound the greatest. It is really cool that you figured out how to do this, I give you major props!

  14. O my amazing stuff man looked for like 2 hours to do something buti find like stuff i had to actualyl set up a darn server apach of course and make my own files and make them direct to the audio file anyways nw all i have to do is get a rebate back for the ringtone i got yesterday lol even thou im new customer and i get 5 buckst o spend im sure i can find something stupif to waste it on, i got the Samsung A740 phone mainly cause it was free and i had 12 bucks on me and yeah ill upgrade the phone next week thursday when iget paid lol i even go thte phone activated when i was working, lol wasnt busy since i work at radio shack and it gets veyr dead at night time lol thnks man again, and were can i get some cool free app’s and other things for this that people made or got

  15. Just wanted to let you all know of a really good upload to phone program
    http://www.rumkin.com I have used most of them out there and this is the fastest one. have never gotten an error when using it. another thing is to convert you .wav file to 8000 and 16 bit mone before you start perfecting it this will improve sound quality …. mine sound better than the ones you can download from sprint.I would really like to get the quality that Jamster has but working hard on that one I kow I will get there soon.also try Dexter to edit your .wav file seems to work pretty good

  16. I have used http://www.allfreetones.com for about 4 months. I find this one to be much better (IMHO), it is free, and is not cluttered with ads, runs blistering fast with no errors. The great thing about it is that it works with all phones using the WAP PUSH method as well as the jump code, alot the these services just use the WAP PUSH for Sprint only.. 🙁

    With this one, you can just enter the 10 digit of any cell phone user and it will send the download link to them whether they are a Sprint user or not. How cool is that! You don’t even have to know what carrier they use.

  17. OOoppss sorry, The adress should have been http://mobile.allfreetones.com

    have used http://mobile.allfreetones.com for about 4 months. I find this one to be much better (IMHO), it is free, and is not cluttered with ads, runs blistering fast with no errors. The great thing about it is that it works with all phones using the WAP PUSH method as well as the jump code, alot the these services just use the WAP PUSH for Sprint only..

    With this one, you can just enter the 10 digit of any cell phone user and it will send the download link to them whether they are a Sprint user or not. How cool is that! You don’t even have to know what carrier they use.

  18. Thanks Jake this is great stuff. I was having problems with the quality being poor until I found out how to tweek the ringtones and thought I would pass the info on. As Dana said, you should convert your file to 8000hz/16bit before you start to tweak it. For the actual adjustments to the wave file I used Adobe Audition. In the “Effects” panel choose “Filters” and then “Quick Filter”. Select the preset “Loudness” and click ok to apply it, select “Quick Filter” again and select the preset “Treble Boost” and click ok to apply it. You will notice the volume is now somewhat louder and more clear but you may have some popping or clicking, too git rid of this select “Amplitude” from the “Effects” panel and choose “Amplify/Fade”. Here you want to select “3dB Cut” from the preset menu. You can leave this setting @ -3dB but I use -2dB (it sounds a bit clearer to me and still gits rid of the popping/clicking), then click ok. Save your wave file and convert with PureVoice. There is one other thing. I feel I get better results when I use the comand line interface and type in the following at the prompt: [b]pvconv -r ffr nameofyourfile.wav[/b]. Hope this helps 🙂

  19. Hey guys… I really need some help here…. when i try to convert the WAV file to QCP file I can’t do it…. Everything that i see says to just click file and convert on PureVoice but there is no “convert” under file… and maybe I’m just computer ignorant but i don’t understand what you mean by drag the WAV file in pvconv.exe… I can’t find pvconv.exe… Someone please help me… I am soooo frustrated….. you can email me at tylerkski@aol.com…. Thanks

  21. Yo I figured out how to do this in all under 30 min thanx to ur directions homie. I use acid pro to do all the editing its so much faster, but I had paid for that in the past anyway so if you don’t have acid pro stick to audacity that works jsut as well. Yea son that’s how I roll now. Bump sprint and 3gforfree wack ass ringtones. I’m doin it on my own. Thanx again pimpin’.

  22. Hey this is a dumb question, but how *do* you shorten a song? I downloaded Pink Floyd’s “Hey You” and I can’t figure out how to shorten it to 20-30 seconds… I am in audacity but don’t know how to use it… Anyone can help me? Please!!

  23. I just have to say thanks! I’ve been thinking for a while that there had to be a better way to personalize my phone than by flushing all my hard-earned money into it… thanks for the phenomenal instructions!!

  26. Hey guys. If you go to places like walmart.com they have free samples of pretty much any song you could want. You can download them (they are mp3) free of charge and it’s pretty much a ready made shortened version of the song. Just convert and send to phone.

    Tony.

  27. Quick question.

    Is there any way for my to take an mp3 and convert it to qcp without losing the vocals, or is it just not possible to get a “real” ringtone on my phone?

    Much appreciation,
    Kyle.

  28. This is so cool. I use mbuzzy.com to make ringtones, but couldn’t figure out how to not load the whole song. Thank you, thank you, thank you for publishing this to the net!

  30. I just wanted to say Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for posting this on the web. I have been trying to figure out how to do this for a while and you just made it so simple. Thanks!!

  32. I can get all these steps down to the point that the ringtone comes to my phone and i can save it as a sound but cant use it a as a ringtone, any ideas what i am missing, thanks

    C

  36. To help w/ the quality, especially songs that are mostly instrumental or harder (like system of a down or even foo fighters) i use nero wave editor and use the “noise reduction” under the enhancement menu, i also usually use the “volume change” tool under the volume menu and up the volume to about 7 on the slider. i know wave editor isn’t free, but if you have nero, it’s worth lookin to see if you have wave editor too

  37. I just got a sprint phone and I have free internet, i know it cost money to download sprint ringtones but does it cost to download them if you make your own??

  39. I did this with my 8300 and its the way to go if you have a compatible phone. Thanks

    gotothissite said,

    February 15, 2006 at 1:38 am

    http://www.sprintusers.com/forum/showpost.php?p=516739&postcount=1

    full instructions found on sprintusers.com

    step one chop up mp3
    step two convert to mp4 (aac)
    step three upload using the sprint user tool to send an sms to your phone where you can dl your ringer…
    on the san 8300 the ringers can be loud as hell to.

  40. Okay Jake is the man, but his steps need more description,

    3. (USE PURE VOICE TO MAKE YOUR RING TONE instead of converting, converting is complicated and makes a lot of problems which takes away step 4) Convert the file to WAV, shorten it to 30 seconds or less. I used Audacity for that task.
    4. Reduce the sound quality to be PCM, mono, 8 kHz, 16-bit. I was unable to figure out how to do that in Audacity, so I simply used the sound recorder app that comes with Windows.
    5. Use PureVoice Converter to convert the WAV file to a QCP file (drag the WAV file onto pvconv.exe). *Jakes fails to mention, when you download the pure voice from his link, don’t forget to download the converter as well, you need one installer and one converter. Download both “QUALCOMM: v2.1.1 for Windows 2000/XP* (README)” and “QUALCOMM: PureVoice Converter 3.1 for Windows (README)” Now Drag the wav file into the “pvconv” located in the “PVConverter3_1” folder. Now it will create a new QCP file which you can upload. If you get the 0 byte file, rename the file with no spaces “Jake isGod” not like “Jake is God”
    6. Upload the QCP file to the Mobile Phone Uploader.
    7. Download it from that site to your phone and assign it like you would any other ringtone.

  42. Hello, can’t remember how i stumbled on to this blog but I’m sure it had something to do with making my own ringtones for my Sanyo 8200 phone.

    I’m a MacUser; is there any hope for an geek like me?

    I have a shareware app called, “Wire Tap Pro,” with which I have captured some DVD soundtrack clips that I would like to turn into ringtones.

    They’re MP3s now. What next?

    Please advise.

  45. i have a sprint phone; it only has those lame damin ass ring tones; i have no internet; and i really want to get some kool ones from the internet! does anyone know what i could do……….

  47. I have a Sanyo MCP-7400, I’m using a USB cable to connect & Bitpim. When I download the ringtones I already have in the phone to my PC, Bitpim says they are “unknown format”, they end in “(name).bin”. I have a sound clip that I converted and want to upload but it’s a .wav file, I can send it to the phone and it transfers ok but still does not show up in my PC Sync folder, nor in my available ringtones. Must be a fairly basic step I’m missing here – anyone else had similar experience? – suggestions?

    Cheers, Steve, NZ

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