What format is Android message tone?

What is an Android Message Tone?

An Android message tone is a short audio clip that plays when you receive a notification from an app on your Android device. It allows you to customize the sound you hear for incoming messages, alerts, and notifications.

The main purpose of customizing your message tone is personalization. Setting a unique tone for different apps or contacts allows you to identify who a notification is from without having to look at your phone. It brings more personality to your device.

Message tones first gained popularity in the 1990s and early 2000s when mobile phones allowed users to set custom ringtones and message tones for the first time. Early phones often had simple preset options like beeps, chimes, or electronic melodies. As phones advanced, users could upload audio files as custom tones. Popular songs, funny sounds effects, and audio clips became message tones. Today, endless customization options exist (Source).

Default Android Message Tones

Android devices come pre-loaded with a set of default notification tones that can be used for messaging apps, email, calendar alerts and more. These system notification sounds are stored in the /system/media/audio/notifications/ folder on Android devices and can vary slightly between phone manufacturers and Android versions.

Some of the most common default Android notification tones include:

Pixiedust – A playful, magical tone

Stellar – A futuristic, echoing tone
Pattern – A cheerful, upbeat tone with musical beats
Spell – A mystical, enchanting tone

Chimey – A friendly two note chime
Crystal – A clear, crisp single chime
Delight – A rising, then falling digital chime

Elegant – A electronic tone reminiscent of a glockenspiel

These default notification sounds can be easily set for any messaging app or alert on Android. Users simply go into the app’s notification settings and select their desired tone from the list of defaults. The tones are embedded into the Android OS and do not need to be downloaded separately.

While Android offers a wide selection of built-in tones, many users still prefer to download custom tones or create their own to stand out or represent their personality. The default tones provide a universally familiar set of sounds that users can always fall back on if desired.

Downloading Custom Message Tones

There are a few different ways to download custom message tones for your Android device:

You can download custom tones from the Google Play Store or other Android app stores. There are many apps available that offer free or paid tone packs to choose from, like Zedge, Notification Sounds, and more. Simply search for “notification tones” and browse the selection until you find tones you like. Then download and install the app to access the tones.

Another option is to download custom Android tones from various websites online. Many sites offer free notification tone packs and individual MP3 files to download. For example, sites like NotificationSounds.com have hundreds of tones to choose from. Just be sure to download tones in a compatible audio format for Android like MP3.

When downloading from websites, pay attention to the audio format being offered to ensure it will work on your Android device. MP3 and M4R formats tend to be the most widely compatible. Also be cautious of copyrighted material or tones you have to pay for unless you verify it’s through a legitimate source.

Once you’ve downloaded any custom tone files from apps or websites, you’ll need to move them into your Notifications folder on your Android device. Then you can access and set them as your custom notification tone.

Creating Your Own Message Tones

You can create your own custom notification tones for Android by editing audio files using audio editing software. Here are some tips for creating great custom Android tones:

Use audio editing software like Audacity to edit audio clips down to 30 seconds or less. This is the maximum length for Android notification tones. Trim an existing song, record a short audio clip, or generate custom tones.

Save your custom tone as an MP3, M4A, WAV, or OGG audio file. These are the supported audio formats for Android tones.

Check the sample rate – aim for 44.1kHz or 48kHz for best quality. Use 16-bit or higher audio depth.

A simple melody or sound works best. Pick something that will stand out from your other notifications. Consider adding fading in/out to avoid harsh starts/ends.

Listen to your tone on your Android device before setting it. Make sure it sounds clear and is audible even in noisy environments.

Creating your own custom notification tones lets you assign unique sounds to your apps or contacts. With some audio editing knowledge, you can make tones that perfectly match your style.

Supported Android Audio Formats

Android supports most common audio formats for ringtones and notification sounds. The recommended formats are MP3, WAV, and OGG due to their widespread compatibility across devices. According to Android’s developer documentation, the following audio formats are supported:

MP3 – The most widely supported audio format on Android. MP3 files should be encoded at 44.1 kHz using constant bit rate (CBR) for best compatibility.
WAV – An uncompressed audio format that is natively supported. Use 16-bit or 24-bit depth and 44.1 kHz sample rate.

OGG – An open source compressed audio format. Recommended settings are 16-bit depth and 44.1 kHz sample rate.
MIDI – MIDI files with .mid, .xmf, and .mxmf extensions are supported.
RTTTL/RTX – Ringtones Text Transfer Language formats with .rtttl and .rtx extensions.

OTA – Over-The-Air provisioning formats with .ota extension.
iMelody – Files with .imy extension.

For optimal compatibility, MP3 and WAV formats encoded as described above are the best choices for custom notification tones and ringtones on Android devices.

Setting a Custom Message Tone

Setting a custom message tone on Android is easy. Here are the steps:

1. Open the Settings app and go to Sound & vibration or Notifications.

2. Tap on Default notification sound or Default text tone.

3. Select My Sounds to choose from custom tones you’ve added.

4. Tap the plus icon to add a new custom tone.

5. Select a song or audio file from your phone storage or SD card. The file must be in a supported audio format like MP3 or WAV.

6. Pick the part of the song you want and tap OK.

7. Go back and select your new custom tone.

You can also set custom message tones for specific contacts:

1. Open the Contacts app and select the contact.

2. Tap the menu icon or Edit contact.

3. Tap Ringtone and select the custom tone to use for this contact.

Now you’ll hear your chosen tone whenever you get a message from that person! Setting custom tones is a great way to personalize your Android phone.

Troubleshooting Message Tones

If you find that your custom message tones are not working properly on your Android device, there are a few troubleshooting steps you can take:

First, check that your device’s volume is turned up and it is not in silent or vibrate mode. Go to your device’s Settings > Sound and make sure media volume is turned up.

Next, check that you have properly set the custom tone as your default. Go to Settings > Sound > Default notification sound and confirm the tone is selected. If not, choose it from the list.

Try restarting your device, as this can clear any glitches that may be preventing your custom tone from working correctly.

If your messaging app is not playing notification sounds at all, go to its settings and confirm notifications are enabled and sound is turned on. You may need to grant notification access for the app under Settings > Apps & notifications > (app name) > Notifications.

Additionally, check for app updates for both the messaging app and any ringtone maker apps you used. Updates can sometimes resolve notification sound issues.

As a last resort, clear the cache and data for your messaging app. This erases any corrupted data that could be interfering with sounds. Just be aware it will also reset your app preferences.

If you are still unable to get custom notification tones working after trying these troubleshooting tips, it may be an issue with the sound file itself. Try using a different file format such as .mp3 or downloading a new custom tone to see if that addresses the problem.

Sources:

https://www.theedadvocate.org/10-ways-to-fix-notification-sound-not-working-on-android/

Message Tone Apps

There are many apps available to help customize and manage your notification sounds and ringtones on Android devices. Some of the most popular options include:

Zedge

Zedge is one of the most popular apps for finding a wide variety of ringtones and notification sounds. It has a large library of user-created content to choose from. Pros of Zedge include its large selection and active user community. The downside is there are ads and some concerns over copyrighted material being shared.

Ringtone Maker

Ringtone Maker by Xiaoji Li allows you to turn music files, videos, and other audio into ringtones. You can customize and edit the audio clips. Pros are it’s free, easy to use, and offers lots of customization options. Cons are it contains ads and has limited sharing options.

GarageBand

GarageBand is Apple’s full-featured music creation studio. While more complex than other apps, it allows you to create fully custom ringtones from scratch. Pros are total creative control and no limits. Cons are it requires more time investment to learn and use.

There are many great options for finding, customizing and managing your notification tones on Android. Consider your priorities like customization options, simplicity, price, and library size when choosing the best app for your needs.

Message Tone Design Tips

When designing a custom message tone, there are some best practices to follow:

According to How to Design a Pleasant Notification Sound, the tone should be neutral and only use a couple notes from the same key. This will make it pleasant but not too distracting. The tone should be distinct enough to grab attention, but not annoying or abrasive.

It’s important to test the tone across various devices according to How to design notifications from scratch. The tone may sound different on phone speakers compared to headphones or car stereos. Volume, bass levels, and EQ can vary. Listen to the tone in different environments to ensure it is clear and audible in all cases.

Consider how your custom tone will fit in sonically with the default notification sounds on the target device. You want it to stand out but not clash. Listen to built-in tones for inspiration on length, tempo, instrumentation, and style.

Finally, follow platform guidelines for supported audio formats and file size. Test on actual devices before finalizing your tone.

Innovations in Message Tone Technology

Notification sounds and message tones have come a long way since the simple beeps of earlier mobile phones. As smartphones have advanced, so too have the options for customizing your tones. Here are some of the key innovations shaping the future of message tones:

New trends in notification sounds are focusing on more musically diverse and subtle tones. Rather than loud or jarring sounds, many newer message tones feature short instrumental melodies or ambient tones inspired by nature. There is also a trend toward contextual tones that change based on factors like the contact, app, or type of notification.

The future outlook for custom tones is very promising. As cited on the Pond5 website, new notification sounds will likely continue getting more futuristic and high-tech. Both iOS and Android are making it easier to set not just custom tones, but separate tones for every app or contact. Machine learning may even enable phones to choose situationally appropriate tones automatically.

New file formats like MIDI also open possibilities like composing your own notification melody or adjusting the pitch and tempo of premade tones. While preinstalled options used to be limited, the sheer variety of downloadable tones will only get larger. As phone speakers improve as well, audio quality and personalization of tones will reach new heights. Overall, innovations in this space are giving users far more customization and control over these auditory signals.