How to Set Your Melody on Xiaomi: 5 Proven Ways to Use MIUI

Why are Xiaomi’s standard tunes not good for users?

Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO come with a set of standard tunes that quickly become boring. The typical Mi Tune, Marimba or Over the Horizon sounds are heard on every corner, whether in the subway, office or cafe, creating confusion: when you hear a familiar signal, you instinctively grab your phone, even though someone else's phone is ringing.

Also, factory ringtones often don't match the user's style: retro gamers want to hear 8-bit tunes from Mario or Tetris, music lovers want to hear excerpts from favorite tracks, and gamers want to hear soundtracks from Genshin Impact or Cyberpunk 2077. Fortunately, MIUI allows you to set custom sounds without root rights or complex manipulation. Even on newer versions of firmware (MIUI 14/15), the process remains intuitive.

But here's the catch: not all audio file formats are supported by the system, and misconfiguring can cause notifications to crash, such as a track that is too long will be cut automatically, and a file with a bitrate above 320 kbps can play with distortions. In this article, we'll look at the unique limitations of MIUI for tunes and show you how to get around them.

What sound formats does Xiaomi support?

Xiaomi’s official documentation indicates that ringtones and notifications are suitable for files in the following formats:

• 🎵 MP3 — The most universal version, supported by all models.
• 🎵 M4A (AAC) — Provides better quality with smaller size.
• 🎵 WAV — No losses, but takes up a lot of space (recommended for short sounds).
• 🎵 OGG — It is rarely used, but theoretically compatible.

Important limitations:

• ⚠️ Maximum call melody duration is 30 seconds (the system will cut longer automatically).
• ⚠️ For alarms and notifications, the limit is 10 seconds.
• ⚠️ Bitrate should not exceed 320 kbps, otherwise lags are possible.
• ⚠️ The file name should contain only Latin characters (Cyrillic will cause an error).

If your file does not meet the requirements, it can be converted using free services:

• 🌐 Audio-Converter – an online tool for changing the format.
• 📱 MP3 Cutter (Android) – a pruning and conversion app right on your phone.
• 💻 Audacity – Professional PC Editor (supports volume normalization).

Method 1: Installation of the melody through standard MIUI settings

This is the simplest method that works on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones with MIUI 12-15.You don’t need third-party apps or root access.

Step-by-step:

1. Download the audio file to your phone (for example, via Telegram or browser).
2. Move the file to Ringtones (for calls) or Notifications (for notifications), which are in the root directory of internal memory. If they don't exist, create them manually.
3. Open Settings → Sound and vibration → Call melody.
4. Your file will appear in the list – select it and save the changes.

Download audio file in format MP3/M4A|Rename the file in Latin (for example, "my_tune.mp3")|Move the file to the Ringtones folder|Check the duration (max. 30 ring-in)

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What to do if the file is not displayed?

• 🔄 Restart your phone - sometimes MIUI Not immediately scanning new files.
• 📁 Check that the file is in Ringtones, not in the subfolder.
• 🔊 Make sure the file volume is sufficient (some tracks are quiet by default).

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Pro), the Ringtones and Notifications folders are hidden. To see them, turn on the hidden files in any file manager (e.g., in Mi File Explorer, click on the file manager). ⋮ → Show hidden files).

Method 2: Using the Zedge app for custom sounds

Zedge is one of the most popular apps for downloading ringtones and wallpaper, and its advantage is in a huge database of sounds, broken down into categories: movies, games, musical genres, funny sounds and even ASMR. The app is free, but it contains ads.

How to set a tune through Zedge:

1. Download Zedge from Google Play.
2. Open the app and select the Ringtones section.
3. Find the sound you like (you can search for keywords like “Among Us” or “lofi”).
4. Click on the track → Set as ringtone → Choose Phone ringtone, Notification or Alarm.

Zedge's pros:

• 🎶 More than 1,000,000 free sounds.
• 🔍 Easy search by tags and categories.
• 📥 Ability to download sounds for offline use.

Cons:

• 📢 Intrusive advertising (can be turned off by $2.99/month).
• 🔒 Some sounds require registration.
• 📵 The sound quality varies (noise files are encountered).

💡

In Zedge there is a hidden feature: if you hold your finger on the track, the option “Edit” will appear – there you can crop the beginning / end of the melody directly in the application.

Method 3: Installation of a melody through a file manager (for experienced ones)

This method is suitable for those who prefer manual tuning, and it is especially useful if you want to use tunes from system applications (for example, sounds from Mi Music or Google Play Music).

Instructions:

1. Open a file manager (e.g., Mi File Explorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Go to the folder where your audio file is stored (such as Download or Music).
3. Select the file → press ⋮ → Copy.
4. Go to the root directory of internal memory and find the media → audio folder. If you don't have one, create it manually.
5. In the audio folder, create subfolders: ringtones for ringtones, notifications for notifications, alarms for alarms.

Put the file in the folder you want.

Restart your phone and select the sound in the settings.

⚠️ Note: On some firmware (for example, MIUI Global for the European market) folder media/audio It can be protected. If you can't create folders inside it, use the method. 1 method 2.

Method 4: Using ADB to set system sounds (advanced)

This method is suitable for installing tunes in system partitions, which allows you to use them even after resetting, requires a computer and basic knowledge of working with ADB.

What you need:

• 💻 Computer with installed ADB Tools.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times press to unlock the developer mode, then Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🎵 Prepared audio file in format OGG (Recommended for system sounds).

Step-by-step:

adb push my_ringtone.ogg /sdcard/


adb shell




su




mount -o rw,remount /system




cp /sdcard/my_ringtone.ogg /system/media/audio/ringtones/




chmod 644 /system/media/audio/ringtones/my_ringtone.ogg




mount -o ro,remount /system




exit




exit

Advantages of the method:

• 🔒 The sound will become systemic and will not disappear after resetting.
• 🎛 You can even replace the standard sounds (for example, Mi_Tune.ogg).

Risks:

• ⚠️ Wrong commands can damage firmware.
• ⚠️ Root rights are required (in some models, this will void the warranty).

Method 5: Creating a Melody from Video (YouTube, TikTok)

If you want to make a ringtone from a snippet of video (for example, from YouTube, TikTok or Instagram Reels), use online services or mobile applications.

Instructions:

1. Download the video to your phone (e.g. via Snaptube or yt1s.com).
2. Cut the desired fragment (you can use CapCut or InShot).
3. Convert video to audio using: 🎵 MP3 Video Converter (Android), 🌐 Online-Convert (web version).

MP3

M4A

Method 1

Examples of popular sources for ringtones:

• 🎮 Games: soundtracks from Genshin Impact, League of Legends, Minecraft.
• 🎬 Movies/series: themes from "Game of Thrones", "Strange Affairs", "Star Wars".
• 🎵 Music: The Weeknd, Billie Eilish or Daft Punk.
• 🤣 Memes: sounds like "Brother, what are you doing?", "It's a kicker!" or "Ahh, potatoes!".

💡

For TikTok-video, use the service ssstik.io - it downloads videos without watermarks.

Problem Solving: Why is the melody not set?

If you followed the instructions but the sound never appeared in the settings, check out the following points:

If the problem is not solved, try:

• 🔄 Reboot the phone.
• 📲 Update MIUI Up to the latest version (Settings) → The phone. → Updating the system).
• 🛠 Reset the sound settings (Settings) → System system → Resetting settings → Reset the sound settings).

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi tunes