Audacity

This page will show you how to create a ring tone file  in Audacity.  I use Ubuntu Linux, and will use that in this tutorial.  Audacity should work simular on Windows.

Install Audacity

In Ubuntu you only need to do

sudo apt-get install audacity  
 

Load the source sound file into Audacity

Make the file a one track mono file

Assuming you have a stereo file you will need to make it a single track.  To do this you need to select the option for the loaded track (the down arrow button on the left hand side of the window with both tracks in it in Audacity)

<Image of track loaded in with track menu displaied>

and then select the "split track" option

<" with split track select>

then you will have to seperate track for the stereo file.

< " with two seperate tracks >

then you can delete the track you don't need.

< " with one track >

(Sorry I don't know how to combine tracks ? or much else.)

Export the file

Work around Audacity bug

Done, file ready to load!

*** Yes *** you can make a the audio file with Audacity.
Open your music file, select the part you want, and copy it, make it only one track (sorry I don't know how to combine two tracks to one track, I don't know Audacity that well, I just figured out how to do this).  Then goto File -> New, change the "Project Rate (Hz)" to 22050.  Then paste your music, then goto File -> Export and select the correct format "WAV (Microsoft 4 bit MS ADPCM)" and save the file.
There is a bug in Audacity, you may end up with a file longer than you wanted.  You should be able open Audacity and drop your music file in, cut off the empty dead air and then re-save the file.

How to load the ring tone on your phone.

This page gives some details about  how you might load a ring tone to your phone.  http://excastle.com/blog/archive/2007/10/07/50369.aspx