Formats
MP3 vs OGG Ringtone File Formats
OGG is technically better at the same bitrate. That is not usually the deciding factor for a ringtone.
Published · Call Ringtone editorial
If you compress the same recording to MP3 and to OGG Vorbis at 64 kbps, the OGG file will generally sound closer to the original. For a ringtone, that advantage matters less than you would expect.
What actually differs
| MP3 | OGG Vorbis | |
|---|---|---|
| Android support | Every version | Android 2.3 and later |
| iOS support | Playback only, not as a ringtone | None without an app |
| Desktop support | Universal | Good, occasional gaps on Windows |
| Quality at 64 kbps | Adequate | Noticeably better |
| Licensing | Patents expired in 2017 | Open from the start |
Why a ringtone rarely needs the better codec
A ringtone plays through a speaker roughly the size of a fingernail, usually while you are reaching into a bag. That speaker rolls off below about 500 Hz and above about 12 kHz, which is exactly the range where the codecs differ most. The difference that shows up clearly on headphones mostly disappears on the device that will actually play it.
What matters more than the codec
- Mono instead of stereo. Halves the file with no audible loss on a phone speaker.
- Sensible bitrate. Between 64 and 96 kbps mono is plenty. Higher is wasted.
- Normalized level. A quiet file cannot be fixed by turning the phone up, because the ceiling is the speaker, not the volume slider.
- A short fade at the end. Prevents the click you hear when a file stops abruptly.
The practical answer
Use MP3. It works everywhere, converts to M4R for iPhone without a detour, and at 80 kbps mono the quality difference against OGG is not something you will hear through a handset. That is why every file in this library is MP3.
