How to Create Custom Notification Sounds

Why Custom Notification Sounds?

Default notification sounds are everywhere. When someone's phone dings in a room, everyone checks. Custom notification sounds solve this problem and add personality to your device.

Benefits:

• Instantly know which phone is yours
• Different sounds for different contacts or apps
• Express your personality
• Reduce notification fatigue

Notification Sound vs Ringtone: What's Different?

| Feature | Ringtone | Notification Sound | |---------|----------|--------------------| | Duration | 20-40 seconds | 1-5 seconds | | Purpose | Phone calls | Texts, emails, alerts | | Character | Melodic, builds up | Short, distinctive | | iPhone limit | 40 seconds | 30 seconds |

The key difference: notification sounds must be short. You want a quick "ping" that gets attention without being disruptive.

Step-by-Step: Create a Notification Sound

1. Choose Your Source Audio

Good notification sound sources:

• Sound effects — Chimes, bells, clicks, whooshes
• Musical notes — A single chord, a short riff
• Voice clips — A short word or phrase
• Nature sounds — A bird chirp, a water drop

2. Open the Editor

Go to our Online Editor on any device.

3. Upload and Trim

Upload your audio and trim it to 1-5 seconds:

• 1-2 seconds: Best for frequent notifications (email, chat)
• 3-5 seconds: Good for less frequent alerts (calendar, reminders)

4. Add Polish

• Fade-in: Optional, very short (0.1s) to avoid harsh starts
• Fade-out: Recommended to avoid abrupt endings
• Volume: Make it audible but not jarring

5. Export

Download as MP3 for Android or use our tools to convert for iPhone.

Ideas for Great Notification Sounds

For Work

• Soft chime or bell
• Gentle keyboard click
• Subtle wood knock sound
• Quiet "ping" tone

For Personal

• Funny sound effect
• Pet's bark or meow (very short!)
• Musical instrument note
• Favorite game sound effect

For Different Contacts

Assign unique sounds to important contacts:

• Partner: Something warm and pleasant
• Boss: Something professional and noticeable
• Family group: Something fun and distinctive

Setting Notification Sounds

On Android

1. Copy your sound file to the Notifications folder:
   • Connect phone to computer, or
   • Use a file manager app to move the file
2. Go to Settings → Sound → Default notification sound
3. Find your custom sound in the list
4. For per-app sounds: Settings → Apps → [App] → Notifications

On iPhone

1. Custom tones need to be in M4R format (under 30 seconds)
2. Use iTunes/Finder to sync the tone
3. Go to Settings → Sounds & Haptics → Text Tone
4. Select your custom tone

Easier: Use our iOS app to set tones directly.

Pro Tips

Keep It Short

The #1 mistake is making notification sounds too long. If you hear more than 3 seconds of your notification, it's too long.

Test in Different Environments

A sound that's perfect at home might be too quiet in a noisy office or too loud in a library. Test your notification sound in various settings.

Avoid Similar Sounds

Don't use similar-sounding notifications for different apps. The whole point is to know what the notification is WITHOUT looking at your phone.

Consider Others

Your notification will be heard by people around you. Choose something pleasant and not annoying — you'll hear it dozens of times a day.

Quick Recipe: 3-Second Notification Sound

1. Open our Editor
2. Upload any audio file
3. Find a distinctive 3-second section
4. Select it precisely using the waveform
5. Add a quick fade-out (0.3 seconds)
6. Export as MP3
7. Set as your notification sound

Total time: About 2 minutes!

Start Creating

Ready to ditch those generic notification sounds? Head to our Online Editor and create custom notification sounds in minutes. Free, private, and works on any device!