How to Make a Free Ringtone (From Any Song or Video)

Making your own ringtone out of any song or sound you like is simpler than it looks, and you don't need to pay for any app or subscription. The real process has two parts: getting the audio as an MP3, and trimming the exact clip you want to hear every time your phone rings. With PullVid you handle the first part in seconds by pasting the link of a YouTube video, a TikTok, or any other supported platform.

This guide covers the whole process no matter where the song or sound comes from. If your starting point is a specific YouTube video or a TikTok sound, we have dedicated guides for making a ringtone from YouTube and making a ringtone from a TikTok sound, with the exact links you need. And if your phone is an iPhone or an Android, making a ringtone on iPhone and making a ringtone on Android cover the final step with the exact menu for each system.

What you need (and what you don't)

Nothing to install. You need: the link to the video or song you want to use, a browser (on your phone or computer), and a few minutes. No paid app, no desktop converter, no account to create anywhere. PullVid handles getting the audio; the final trim is done with a free tool your phone already has or that you can install at no cost.

How to make a ringtone step by step

1. Copy the link to the video or song you want to use (Share → Copy link in the app, or the URL from the address bar).
2. Paste it into PullVid and choose the audio-only (MP3) option. If it's from YouTube, use the YouTube to MP3 converter; if it's from TikTok, the TikTok to MP3 converter.
3. Download the full MP3 to your device.
4. Trim the clip you want as your ringtone (15 to 30 seconds is usually enough) with a free audio-trimming app on your phone.
5. Set it as your ringtone from your phone's sound settings.

It's the same process you'd follow to simply extract the audio from a video: a ringtone is, at its core, an MP3 trimmed to a short clip and set as the phone's call sound.

How long a ringtone should be

There's no universal rule, but practice has settled it: 15 to 30 seconds is the sweet spot. That's enough time to recognize the song or the chorus without it getting repetitive while the call rings, and it fits within the technical limits both iPhone and Android impose on custom ringtones (iPhone cuts off around 30-40 seconds; Android doesn't enforce a strict limit, but a longer ringtone doesn't add anything). Pick the clip with the most hook: a song's chorus, a joke's punchline, or the peak moment of a viral TikTok sound.

How to trim the MP3 (free, depending on your phone)

This is the part PullVid doesn't do: trimming the MP3 to the exact clip. It's an honest limitation — PullVid downloads the full audio, not a trim done inside the website itself — but trimming it afterward is quick and free with the tools your phone ships with or supports:

• iPhone: with GarageBand, Apple's free app preinstalled on most models, which even exports the result straight as a ringtone. Full detail in how to make a ringtone on iPhone.
• Android: many manufacturers include an audio trimmer in their settings, or you can use any free audio-trimming app from the Play Store. Full detail in how to make a ringtone on Android.

Getting it onto your phone and setting it as the ringtone

If you downloaded the MP3 on your computer, transfer it to your phone by cable, AirDrop (Mac to iPhone), a cloud storage service, or by sending it to yourself through chat. If you already downloaded it directly from your phone's browser, the file is already where you need it: in the Downloads folder (Android) or the Files app (iPhone), ready for the next step.

Is it legal to use a song as a ringtone?

For personal, private use — your own phone, your own ringtone, without redistributing the file or publishing it anywhere — it's a tolerated practice in most countries under the same private-copy logic that applies to downloading a video or extracting its audio. What isn't allowed is distributing the MP3, selling it, using it commercially, or uploading it to another platform. If you're unsure about the general legal framework, check our guide on whether it's legal to download videos, which applies the same reasoning.

Common mistakes when making a ringtone

• Picking a clip with no hook: a ringtone plays by surprise; if you don't recognize the song in the first few seconds, it isn't doing its job.
• Making it too long: a ringtone over 30-40 seconds usually gets cut short before you pick up or the caller hangs up.
• Downloading in low quality: always pick the best available MP3 quality; in a ringtone with music, extra compression is noticeable.
• Forgetting to transfer the file: if you downloaded it on your computer, remember to move it to your phone before trying to set it as your ringtone.