If you’re using an Android phone you have several ways of purchasing and downloading new tunes, but Google Play Music is often one of the easiest options given that the app is preinstalled on many phones. Here we show you how to set a Google Play Music track as your Android ringtone. Also see: Best Android phones 2015.
There are two methods of achieving this. If your phone has an SD card follow the first method; if it doesn’t then you’ll need a PC or Mac on which to download the file and should follow the second method. See all Android tutorials.
Set a song from Google Play Music as your ringtone – SD card
Step 1. We’ve gone into detail on how to download music to an SD card in Android, but here’s a quick recap: with your SD card inserted, launch Play Music and click on the three horizontal lines at the top left. Choose Settings. Now scroll down and under Storage location choose External. Now find the tune you want to use as your ringtone and click on the downward arrow icon to download it to your SD card (we advise first connecting to Wi-Fi if you have a limited data contract). Note the time and date you downloaded the track as this will make it easier to find on your phone.
Step 2. In order to find that song on your SD card you will need a File Manager. If one isn’t preinstalled on your phone, head to Google Play and search for and download a free File Manager app. Our HTC Desire Eye has one preinstalled. Launch the File Manager and select SD card. Browse to Android > data > com.google.android.music > files > music. You’ll see that the files here are unhelpfully stored with a number as their filename rather than the song name. It may be that the file you just downloaded is the only one in the folder; if not, look for the most recent file – you can always click on it to listen in and check it is the correct file.
Step 3. Having found the correct file, tick the check box beside it and look for an option to Copy. Tap this, then return to the File Manager home screen and browse to Phone storage > Ringtones. Hit Paste to copy the file into this folder.
Step 4. Now when you open Settings, Sound, Ringtone, you’ll find this file at the top of the list.
Set a song from Google Play Music as your ringtone – PC or Mac
Step 1. If you don’t have an SD card for your phone you’ll need to download the track from Google Play Music to your PC or Mac, then transfer it to the ringtones folder on your phone. In your PC browser head to play.google.com/music and select My Library, Songs.
Step 2. Find the track you want, then hover the mouse over it and click the three horizontal dots that appear. Choose Download. Choose the link to download directly, then click Download now. Note that you get to do this only twice for each song. The MP3 file will be moved to your downloads folder.
Step 3. Connect your phone to the PC or Mac using a USB cable. If you’re using a Mac as we are you’ll need to use Android File Transfer in order to view the phone as an attached storage device. Using Windows Explorer or Android File Transfer click to view the phone’s Internal storage and open the Ringtones folder. Now simply drag and drop the MP3 file into the Ringtones folder.
Step 4. As before, upon browsing to Settings, Sound, Ringtone, you should now find this file (here correctly named) in your Ringtones folder.
For advice on how to select only part of the song to use as your ringtone see: How to set any song as a ringtone on an Android phone: Plus how to create custom ringtones.
Where next? Visit Android Advisor.
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Author: Marie Black, Editorial Director
Marie is Editorial Director at Foundry. A Journalism graduate from the London College of Printing, she's worked in tech media for more than 17 years, managing our EMEA and LatAm editorial teams and leading on content strategy through Foundry's transition from print, to digital, to online - and beyond.