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.
it works like a charm every bit of it Thankx for this tutorial
Um… my phone is LG chocolate TG8500F and that isn’t anywhere in the list. So… it couldn’t detect my phone! >
Eek! I mean TG800F! >
Crap, i dont know why they dont have my phones model name.
When i go to BitPim Settings it never detects my phone and i ahve a TG800F chocolate from fido, so i have no idea how to get connected with my phone with BitPim PLEASE HELP.
Thanks
if some1 knoes the answer to this help me to cuz i have a telus chcoclate phone and it only shows the verizon version on the install wizard thing??
Well it seems there are many people out there with this problem. I too now have this problem as the send button stopped working on my phone. When I brought it in they said “There’s nothing we could do for it so here’s a new phone. Yeah that’s cool I got a new phone, now the slider is not worn out and everything seems a little smoother, like when you reinstall windows.When I got home I started the ritual of putting my ringtones on the NEW phone and I got the blocked message I have heard so much about. Let’s just say it put me in a bad place. There is a reason for it, and yes it sucks. If you have the firmware version T85vzv05 or newer, it may be different with other companies, I have Verizon, but if it ends in 05 or 06 then you are out of luck. Bitpim will only work on Ver. 04 and earlier versions. Some people can still email them, though they sound like crap. For some reason when you do that it converts it somehow. I haven’t tried it yet but I think the only way to get YOUR ringtones on YOUR phone is to get a micro sd card. Damn those money hungry corporate assholes. Personally I think what I pay them a month is enough. I should be able to put anything on their that I like. Especially considering that I bought the cd or got the song from a music site, if I want to snip the song and put it on my phone, that should not be a copyright issue. I have already bought the song and am using it for my own phone. AHHH enough rambling. Hopefully this has helped you. Sorry for the bad news.
For those who have “access blocked by provider” issues with ringtones
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Go to http://www.bitpim.org then go to the download site SourceForge, you need to download the Test version of Bitpim 9.15 and i think the other two files with it as well there should be 2 files including the main setup.exe file. Uninstall your previous version of BitPim if it is really old otherwise just run it.
Ok now once you’re up and running the first thing you need to do is use BitPim to read the numbers from your phonebook to BitPim, this is supposedly going to put the phone in DM (download mode), next try writing the numbers (especially if you have old ones saved) back to the phone. If and when both of these are working you should be good to go, make ringtones the same old way and send them over.
I did this last night, got my old numbers back and once again have custom ringtones. TAKE THAT VERIZON! heh anyway hopefully this helps everyone get out of this unnecessary mess.
I retract my last statement. I’m not sure I get it, but it works. For some reason getting it in DM mode makes it work. Now let’s kick back and make some ringtones, some good ringtones. Thank you Krans!!!
what is the sourceforge website and where do i download bitpim 9.15? does anyone have exact links!?
it works!!!! THANKS!!
i need some assistance. what can i do if the phone doesnt get detected by BitPim?? are there any other softwares that would work???
Thanks sooooooooooo much… my LG cherry chocolate is now hooked up with my own ringers!!!!
thanx to krans for informing us on how to get past the phone blocked message. also the tutorial was very easy thanx 4 the help
shit i hav’nt even tryd but shit it look like it wrk
krans i get everything you wrote down but the writing back the numbers that i dont get pls help me
Hey, does can anyone give me details on how to delete a ringtone that I put on my phone. Thanks!
is the quality better on these then if you email your phone the ringtone?
i’ stuck at number 3 help
i’m stuck at number 3 HELP
well damit this seems to work but i mean i just cant get my phone detected and i have an LG chocolate 8500 and i dont know what to d, how can i get it detected whats the right port. plz help me
nothing for us poor mac users yet huh? my work pc works fine but all my good tunes are on my mac. if anyone can find me some drivers that will work for mac let me know. it would be much appreciated.
THIS WORKS 100 PERCENT! NOW MY COUSIN CAN STOP BITCHING FOR ME TO GET HER RINGTONES =]
thank you so so so so very much for showin us how to get passed access denied..i was soo angry for about 3 hours..and i finally got to this page..and now im so happy! i just got my new fone today bc i lost my old one..wow..was i just gunna raiiisssee hell wit verizon..i hate them as is! THANK YOU SO MUCH!
IT WORKS!!!! I have version T85VZ06.
Big props to Drew.
Audcity downloaded fine..but wouldnt let me open LAME with it it said it coudlnt find it but I extracted the file and everything.. then the BITPIM wouldnt download it says set up files are corrupt please obtain new copy of program..i dont know wat to do
in regard to the mac comment:
i’ve been using a macbook to put mp3 ringtones on my LG VX8500 and haven’t had a problem with it at all. the only software i’m using is bitpim, which is available in .dmg format. audacity is also available for mac use, so you really shouldn’t be having any trouble getting this to work.
I’ve also got bitpim to work flawlessly on ubuntu :) thanks for confirming it on a mac.
Thx a ton it works great!
i have a ringtone showing up on my phone that doesn’t play & can’t be erased. i’ve tryed erasing it then turning off the phone & takin out the battery but i cant remove it. can you tell me how to get it off?
omg!! thanks sooo much kran you are a life saver…. i was soo desperate i was gonna have to buy ring tones sine the verizon ringtones hella sucked!!! thanks so much!!!
It is easy to get around that, click on file system, then on the right side click on the + symbol the click on brew then on 16452 then click LK… in LK you will MR right click on choose file new or new file, find your new ring tone, select it and choose OK. You will see the transfer. Now remember after you transfer a new ringtone you must power your phone off then back on for it to show up in your ringtones so you can select it. :) Enjoy
hey does anyone know if verizon will charge for this in any way?
Need help badly. I have a lg-vx8600 with verizon service. I downloaded the bitpim test, ran the program and I’m getting the following message “LG-VX8600 on com 7, the phone is not responding while manipulating the filesystem”. Can anyone help me with this?? Thanks.
like for accessing the internet or whatever?
No, trying to add ringtones using bitpim
Trying to put ringtones on my phone
How do I put videos on my phone?
hey well, i got the program, i just dont how to make the ringtone, is their a tutorial one how to crop, fade in, etc?
Do you need the verizon drivers to use a Mac. Drew said he has it working but without the drivers (which I can’t find) I didn’t think it would work. Anyone want to give me a run down on this so I can get some cool music on my phone. My PC doesn’t have any music on it so I am stuck and still have the lame default ringtone :( sad panda.
my computer wont detect my phone, it used to ding when it connected, but now nothing happens.
help?
You forgot to mention to normalize the ringtone otherwise it probably will not loud enough.
One can also use the following site, it’s much easier.
http://www.makeownringtone.com
Go into device manager and detect hardware changes. It should show up then.
I have LGVX8550 and unable to download ringtones; get across this site and download latest version of Bimpim and drivers.. now it works fine… no need to buy for download.. This is really a cool site …Thanks to my friend ….
do the drivers work for macintosh? I tried downloading one and it didnt? if so what should I do?
I just got my LGVX8500. After reading several customer reviews I was affraid I couldn’t dowload my own ringtones and pictures. With the help of this site I was able to do it even without the USB cable but through bluetooth. Thank’s this is a great site.
The ringtones will not delete after trying to erase them and removing the battery….help would be much appreciated!
everything works except that in the end when i try to send the ringtone to my phone, a pop up says “failed to auto-detect the port to use. i couldn’t detect any candidate ports.” what can i do??
i cant find my model number in the list and my company isnt in the list either, is there nothing i can do?
I have v06 sw on my phone. I downloaded the drivers, but my computer doesn’t even detect my phone. I can’t begin to understand what the problem is…
THANK YOU!!! Lots of work you put into this, and it is very much appreciated. Great job!