A method and apparatus for storing a media file in a device (e.g., a cellular phone, PDA, or alarm clock) and demarcating a portion of the stored media file as a ringtone, without storing the demarcated portion as a separate media file in the device. Thereafter, in response to detection of an alert at the device, the demarcated portion of the media file may be played out as an alert. The stored media file may be an audio file such that the ringtone is an audio ringtone, a video file such that the ringtone is a video ringtone, or an audio-video file such that the ringtone is an audio-video ringtone. Demarcating the portion of media file may include defining a ringtone start point and a ringtone end point. The ringtone start point and end point may be associated with distinct time stamps or data pointers.