How can I change some of the system sounds?

As far as I'm aware, themes are still in the works. While you can select a theme in the sound settings, you can't create or install any new ones. If you still really want to change the sounds, replace the corresponding files in /usr/share/sounds/ubuntu/stereo.


The sounds are in /usr/share/sounds/ubuntu/stereo. Those files are in .ogg format.

Just replace them with yours with the same name and extension.

Warning : make sure you do a backup of this directory before you start to change.


Since 15.10 the files are now in a folder like (in GNOME) /usr/share/sounds/gnome/default/alerts/*.ogg (there are other sounds/* folders).

Unfortunately adding more files does not change the list in the Sound application, that list is stored elsewhere -- you will have to copy and rename the existing files.

.
├── alsa
│   ├── Front_Center.wav
│   ├── Front_Left.wav
│   ├── Front_Right.wav
│   ├── Noise.wav
│   ├── Rear_Center.wav
│   ├── Rear_Left.wav
│   ├── Rear_Right.wav
│   ├── Side_Left.wav
│   └── Side_Right.wav
├── freedesktop
│   ├── index.theme
│   └── stereo
│       ├── alarm-clock-elapsed.oga
│       ├── audio-channel-front-center.oga
│       ├── audio-channel-front-left.oga
│       ├── audio-channel-front-right.oga
│       ├── audio-channel-mono.oga -> audio-channel-front-center.oga
│       ├── audio-channel-rear-center.oga
│       ├── audio-channel-rear-left.oga
│       ├── audio-channel-rear-right.oga
│       ├── audio-channel-side-left.oga
│       ├── audio-channel-side-right.oga
│       ├── audio-test-signal.oga
│       ├── audio-volume-change.oga
│       ├── bell.oga
│       ├── camera-shutter.oga
│       ├── complete.oga
│       ├── device-added.oga
│       ├── device-removed.oga
│       ├── dialog-error.oga -> dialog-warning.oga
│       ├── dialog-information.oga
│       ├── dialog-warning.oga
│       ├── message-new-instant.oga
│       ├── message.oga
│       ├── network-connectivity-established.oga -> device-added.oga
│       ├── network-connectivity-lost.oga -> device-removed.oga
│       ├── phone-incoming-call.oga
│       ├── phone-outgoing-busy.oga
│       ├── phone-outgoing-calling.oga
│       ├── power-plug.oga -> device-added.oga
│       ├── power-unplug.oga -> device-removed.oga
│       ├── screen-capture.oga -> camera-shutter.oga
│       ├── service-login.oga
│       ├── service-logout.oga
│       ├── suspend-error.oga
│       ├── trash-empty.oga
│       ├── window-attention.oga -> dialog-warning.oga
│       └── window-question.oga -> dialog-warning.oga
├── gnome
│   └── default
│       └── alerts
│           ├── bark.ogg
│           ├── drip.ogg
│           ├── glass.ogg
│           ├── sonar.ogg
│           └── sonar_old.ogg
├── GNUstep
├── sf2
│   ├── FluidR3_GM.sf2
│   └── TimGM6mb.sf2
├── sound-icons
│   ├── at -> cembalo-6.wav
│   ├── beginning-of-line -> glass-water-1.wav
│   ├── canary-long.wav
│   ├── capital -> percussion-10.wav
│   ├── cembalo-10.wav
│   ├── cembalo-11.wav
│   ├── cembalo-12.wav
│   ├── cembalo-1.wav
│   ├── cembalo-2.wav
│   ├── cembalo-3.wav
│   ├── cembalo-6.wav
│   ├── chord-7.wav
│   ├── cockchafer-gentleman-1.wav
│   ├── cymbaly-1.wav
│   ├── electric-piano-3.wav
│   ├── empty-text -> gummy-cat-2.wav
│   ├── end-of-line -> violoncello-7.wav
│   ├── finish -> trumpet-1.wav
│   ├── glass-water-1.wav
│   ├── guitar-12.wav
│   ├── guitar-13.wav
│   ├── gummy-cat-2.wav
│   ├── hash -> percussion-28.wav
│   ├── klavichord-4.wav
│   ├── left-brace -> pisk-up-cink.wav
│   ├── left-round-bracket -> pisk-up.wav
│   ├── left-square-bracket -> guitar-13.wav
│   ├── message -> cymbaly-1.wav
│   ├── percussion-10.wav
│   ├── percussion-12.wav
│   ├── percussion-28.wav
│   ├── percussion-50.wav
│   ├── piano-3.wav
│   ├── pipe -> pipe.wav
│   ├── pipe.wav
│   ├── pisk-down-cink.wav
│   ├── pisk-down.wav
│   ├── pisk-up-cink.wav
│   ├── pisk-up.wav
│   ├── prompt -> prompt.wav
│   ├── prompt.wav
│   ├── right-brace -> pisk-down-cink.wav
│   ├── right-round-bracket -> pisk-down.wav
│   ├── right-square-bracket -> guitar-12.wav
│   ├── start -> xylofon.wav
│   ├── trumpet-12.wav
│   ├── trumpet-1.wav
│   ├── violoncello-7.wav
│   └── xylofon.wav
└── speech-dispatcher
    ├── dummy-message.wav
    └── test.wav

10 directories, 104 files