Before you start, you need the following:
- 1. the phone! - this tutorial is for the LG Chocolate (VX8500 model), it may work with other models of the Chocolate but I have no idea.. you can check your phone’s model # by removing the battery and reading the manufacturer sticker.
- 2. USB data cable - to connect your phone to your computer. you can buy the Music Essentials Kit from Verizon for 30 bucks, or you can do what I did and get the cable for 3 bucks on eBay :P (it came with all necessary drivers)
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3. USB drivers. - these needed drivers come with the music essentials kit, and most sellers on eBay include them with the cable.. but if you didn’t get a cd with your cable you NEED to download and install these drivers in order for your phone to communicate with your computer.
Free Chocolate USB Drivers HERE
(drivers for “MEK Music Essentials Kit”) - 4. BitPim - this is the program we’ll be using to transfer the ringtones to the phone.
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5. AudaCity - this is the audio editing software we’ll be using to create the ringtones.
Download Audacity HERE
Download the Lame encoder
(to export your ringers as mp3 files)
that’s it! now time to make the ringers..
1. open Audacity and open/import an mp3.
2. now edit, crop, fade out, ect your mp3. final audio should be no longer than 30 seconds!
3. assuming you’ve installed the lame encoder, edit the output settings by pressing Ctrl+P.
3a. on the File Formats tab
3b. go down to MP3 Export Setup, now change the bitrate to 64. (see below)
4. now export the ringtone by clicking File in the toolbar and click Export As MP3…
BAM! you’ve just made your first custom ringtone. congrats. now it’s time to put that motherfunk on your phone.
5. Install the USB drivers BEFORE connecting the phone to the computer.
6. Connect your phone to the computer via the USB cable.
7. Assuming you’ve already installed BitPim, open the program.
8. It should be set to automatically detect your phone, but if not, go to Edit in the toolbar and on the dropdown menu click Detect Phone.
9. Now open the ringers on the menu tree (see below)
10. Once inside the ringer folder, drag and drop your mp3 ringer that you exported in step 4 into the ringer folder.
11. You’ll get a popup to convert the file, use the settings shown below, then click Convert.
12. After you’ve converted the mp3, click ok. now you’ll see this screen below with your ringer in it.. we’re almost done!
13. All that’s left is to send the ringer to your phone by clicking the button (shown below)
14. check the Ringtone box & click Add. then OK.
Your phone will dial a code when you transfer your ringtone, it DOES NOT charge you!
15. enjoy your new custom made FREE ringtone! if it doesn’t show up in your ringers on the phone, you may have to powercycle the phone (remove battery & put it back in).
to import/export wallpapers & images, it’s pretty much the same steps as above only with “images” folder. same thing for full songs, just use the “music” folder.. videos (youtube, myspace, ect..) on the other hand are a bit more tricky.. i’ll write up that tutorial soon :)
For those who have “access blocked by provider” issues with bitpim, please read below.
- Newer phones have a different version of firmware (V05 & V06).
- To find out what version firmware your running on your phone, go to
Menu >> Settings & Tools >> Phone Info >> SW Version >> now right at the top of the list you should see “SW Version”, now right below that you’ll see what version your running.. T85VZ… you’ll either have an 04, 05, or 06 at the end, that’s the version number!
Solution 1: Uninstall Bitpim, then download & install the latest bitpim-test (beta). Then refer to Krans’s comment for further instructions
Solution 2: This involves flashing lower versions of firmware onto your phone (which can brick it!) so I’m kinda hesitant to post it, however, I will type it up if people are still having problems with solution 1.
How do I just transfer the full songs to the phone?
it’s gonna be the same steps as above only with the “music” folder. just drag & drop.
I can put full songs on the music folder, but how come I can’t find them in “my music” on my phone or play it with the mp3 player? Do we have to buy the memory card for that? I can put mp3s and use them for “sounds” and “ringtones” but not “music”. thanks for the help!
Ok, when you put a song on your phone you have to update your library then. In order to do this, go to Menu>My Music>Sync Music. This will update your music library. Good luck.
Ok, I have a few questions:
1. Am I saving the USB drivers on the comp or on the phone and if the former is the case, do I have to save it in a specific location on my computer?
2. Does the driver have to follow the manufacter of the cord or just the phone?
I have the LG 9900 (enV). I’m using an LG usb cord. I’m having issues with Bitpim recognizing my phone. None of the Comm ports I chose seem to recognize my phone. What can i do?
nevermind, i got it!
can i use a full song for the ring tone instead of croping it? or can it only be 30sec?
Works GREAT! you da man!
is there a cord for the EnV to connect to the computer?
You can use a full song, bur remember the ring will only last for 30-60 seconds and the ringtone cannot be played via the music player, so you may as well save the disk space and crop the file.
Can you transfer the music file I made to a mini disk i bought for my phone instead of using the USB cord?
I was able to make one ringtone, but aftewards when i try to convert the ringtone in the bitpim an error keeps popping up saying:
BitPim version: 0.9.10-official
An unexpected exception has occurred.
Please see the help for details on what to do.
Traceback (most recent call last):
File “guihelper.pyo”, line 158, in _busywrapper
File “ringers.pyo”, line 456, in OnConvert
File “ringers.pyo”, line 582, in mp3convert
File “conversions.pyo”, line 240, in converttomp3
File “conversions.pyo”, line 38, in shortfilename
UnicodeEncodeError: ‘ascii’ codec can’t encode character u’\uc9d1′ in position 48: ordinal not in range(128)
Variables by last 8 frames, innermost last
Frame _busywrapper in guihelper.pyo at line 160
args = (
method =
kwargs = Keys []
{}
Frame OnConvert in ringers.pyo at line 456
i = 341
self =
_ =
Frame converttomp3 in conversions.pyo at line 248
ffmpeg = ‘C:\\PROGRA~1\\BitPim\\helpers\\ffmpeg.exe’
mp3file = ‘c:\\docume~1\\michelle\\locals~1\\temp\\tmpd1ykmo.mp3′
inputfilename = u’C:\\Documents and Settings\\Michelle\\Desktop\\IVY 1\uc9d1 - 07. A ha…mp3′
channels = 1
samplerate = 22050
bitrate = 64
Frame shortfilename in conversions.pyo at line 38
x = u’C:\\Documents and Settings\\Michelle\\Desktop\\IVY 1\uc9d1 - 07. A ha…mp3′
yeah i have no idea what’s going on with that?! i’ve read around in some forums that if your mp3 is too large in file size, it doesn’t work. is it under 30 seconds long?
yes, it was under 30 seconds
Every step worked except for the last one. When I click to put it on the actual phone, this message pops up:
Access to the file/directory has been blocked on this phone by the phone provider.
I’m assuming that Verizon is trying to force its customers to buy ringtones from its store, but I don’t want to do that. (I mean. I’ve already gone and bought the cord and everything, right?)
How are you supposed to get around that?
I wasted $ and hours trying to do the USB/LG Chocolate rigamorole with my Mac. A MUCH easier and cheaper way to do your own ringtones is to go to http://www.mytinyphone.com, make your ringtone, save it to your desktop, and then email it to your phone (sevendigitnumber)@vzwpix.com. Save as a ringtone, and you’re done.
um.. is there a way to delete the ringtone after it’s in the phone? i’ve tried deleting it, but after it shows it’s deleted, it’s still there, and doesn’t play.
you just have to take the battery off, then put it back on :)
thanks alot really usam coooooooooooooooooooooool it’s work fine
cooooooooooool man it’s work 100%
Thank you! Works great!!!!!
how do you use the mp3 player on the phone??
Same way as the Vx8100??
What if i am useing a mircro sd usb adapter kinda like a flash drive just switchable memory instead of the transfer cable cuase the this thing
is so much faster than useing the phone =] thank you
Alright to any of you who do not wanna buy the music essentials get the flash adapter for the microsd car or a sd adapter crop file convert to 64 bit drop it in my sound useing your sd card and just send it to yourself save as ringtone blam done and over with since the adapter and 2gb card will only run you little over 50 dollars on newegg.com your all welcome =D
I have the Cherry Chocolate. The model# is VX8500R and it works very well!! Thanks!