One of the first things to remember is that there is no value in downloading ringtones to a cell phone that are not compatible with your make and model of cell phone. It should come as no surprise that there are different types of files that work on different types of phones. After all, look at the many different types of electronic documents that most of us work with each day. All are not created alike. So even if you come across a ringtone that really is a great one, don't waste time and energy saving it on the off chance that someday you will have a phone that will accept the ringtone. There is plenty of time later on to find compatible file types when that day comes along.

Make sure that the ringtones you pick are right for you. What is the point of loading the first movement of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony if you don't care for classical music? Go with something that is more in line with your personality, while still remaining within the perimeters of good taste, of course. You want your choice of cell phone downloads to say something positive about you, not be a point of evidence that your relatives can use to have you committed.

One misconception a lot of people have is that you have to download the ringtone directly to your phone. While you can, that is not necessarily the case. A number of cell phones are manufactured so that you can connect them to your computer hard drive via a USB cable and upload ringtones directly from your hard drive. This is actually a much better system, for two reasons.

First, chances are you can save quite a few more ringtones in a folder on your hard drive than you ever could on your cell phone. Second, the ringtones can be archived on a CDR, if you want to keep your collection safe and free from any type of hardware failure. After all, both computers and cell phones have been known to stop functioning. If you really want to be a serious collector of ringtones, then you want to keep your collection in a safe place. Download to your hard drive, then archive on disk.

While the mechanics of downloading ringtones to a cell phone are very simplistic, the sense of finesse behind what you choose and where you store it make ringtone downloading an art form in and of itself. By keeping a couple of simple ideas in mind, you can become a true artist of the ringtone download genre.