Telephone Songs

Back in the old days, before ring tones, people used the touchpad on their phone to create music. Here's a list of telephone songs playable on a touch tone phone. [ via J-walkblog ]

Happy Birthday To You

1 1 2 1 6 3- 1 1 2 1 9 6-

1 1 # 9 6 3 2- # # 9 6 9 6

Graffiti Ringtones

Digit devised an interactive installation, Motoglyph for the Miami's M3 Festival - sponsored by Motorola, reports near near future via del.icio.us/tag/technology.

"The installation comprised of three glass panels within the MotoGlyph unit, each possessing its own unique library of sounds. Guests were invited to create their own unique digital signature or illustration upon the wall from which the variables of the marks and strokes were translated into the author's own sound and animation.

Users were then able to go to the MotoGlyph website where they could download an MP3 of their unique ringtone to their mobile phone."

Related mobile graffiti stories:

-- Wave Messaging - By waving the Nokia 3220 camera phone from side to side, the LED lights of the Nokia Xpress-on FunShell light up to "write" a message that appears to float in mid-air.

-- Airtexting - In March 2003, the WSJ reported from CeBIT about a phone called Kurv, made by Kyocera Wireless Corp which featured airtexting. To airtext, you type in a text like 'call me' then wave it back and forth in the air. As the phone moves, a row of blinking red lights along the top of the phone leaves the phrase trailing behind it."

-- And an article from Wap.com (no longer online) several years ago, featured a California company called Neoku.com which developed a platform called haikuhaiku. The article described a form of mobile graffiti, using a cell phone as a paint spraycan, "by waving it into the air to form a word, the text would appear onto the screen of a person passing by"

Dazed & Confused and Tennents lager create T magazine

Dazed & Confused has teamed up with Tennents lager to create T magazine, the first in a series of bi-annual collector's magazines that will 'Celebrate the Song', featuring artists from Muddy Waters to Mike Skinner, according to Brand Republic

"With the advent of MP3 playlists, internet radio and mobile ringtones, T magazine aims to capitalise on the power of individual songs and will take an irreverent look at all aspects of the song and songwriting, past present and future".

Pre-paid Ringtones - ToneGuys Ringtones integrates DuoCash payment solution

Visitors to Tone Guys can now purchase ringtones, graphics, and games for their cell phones with DuoCash, according to a company press release.

The “micro-payment” solution removes the need for an online credit card transaction. Instead, web purchases are made with DuoCash enabled phone cards that are available at thousands of retail locations across the USA.

ZaptoPhone

Unwired Appeal announced the launch of ZaptoPhone, a mobile entertainment service designed to easily enable websites to offer their photos, graphics, sounds, and music files to cell phone users. Websites can begin using the service by simply following the instructions on zaptophone.com, reports Phonecontent.com.

"ZaptoPhone uses easy to implement Zaptags allow graphics, photos, sound, and music files to be sent directly from the site to virtually any cell phone in the USA."

"We were kicking around some ideas on how to help new independent bands promote their music as ringtones," recalled Stephen Nye, director of business development at Unwired Appeal, "when it quickly became apparent that managing such a diversity of files from a large number of bands just wasn't realistic. So we came up with the idea of simply letting the individual websites host and manage their own content and we developed Zaptags that are inserted in their web pages to identify their files and make them accessible to cell phones."

The ZaptoPhone service now supports audio/visual content in standard file formats (MP3, MID, GIF, and JPEG).

Does a Ring Tone Indicate Sentiment?

If mobile phone ring tones are any indication of sentiment, revolt-weary Kashmiris have plumped for Pakistan over India, reports Reuters.

A growing number of people in Indian Kashmir are choosing Pakistan's national anthem as the ring tone on their newly allowed mobile phones, the Times of India said on Tuesday.

"Students in Muslim-majority Kashmir, where India is struggling to quell a 15-year revolt, told the newspaper they had received the anthem from friends in Pakistan and had passed it on to others.

This does not mean Kashmiris want to be part of Pakistan, people just feel closer to it," the Times quoted Ali Mohammad, a taxi driver in the summer capital Srinagar, as saying. "

How to avoid getting run over by electric cars: Ringtones

REM frontman Michael Stipe has taken a refreshing break from the time-honoured rock star pastime of pontificating on world hunger and political injustice to address a far more pressing matter - how to avoid getting run over by electric cars.

Stipe's solution to this perambulatory nightmare is as brilliant as it is simple: said vehicles must play ringtones to warn perdestrians of their approach. [The Register]

Listen to the "breast enlarging" ringtone

Peter Rojas talked Engadget's Tokyo correspondent into downloading the breast enlarging ringtone to his phone and record it for us as an MP3 so we could heard what it sounded like.

Click here to listen.

And something to look foward to, "the company behind it also has plans for ringtones that'll cure baldness, make you more attractive to the opposite sex, and quit smoking".

Nokia sees red in radio handsets

Music fans will give an instant verdict on the latest hits when Nokia launches handsets with an interactive Visual Radio service next year, reports The Times Online.

"Virgin Radio is the first British station to sign up to the service, which brings the “red button” digital television functionality to radio.

Listeners will be able to make instant purchases of polyphonic ringtones of records being played when the touch-screen Nokia 7700 handset arrives in Britain next year. Radio stations will send advertisements directly to listeners' phones."

s()nic object ringtone collection launches during the "Ecoute" exhibition at the Centre Georges Pompidou

s()nic object, the music label dedicated solely to original mobile phone ringtones, launches its first collection during the exhibition Ecoute at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, from 22 September 2004 to January 17 2005.

During the exhibition, sonic( )bject will display a mobile telephone in a glass case. This telephone will ring, randomly choosing its sound from the sonic( )bject collection. A diverse range of sounds (instrumental or non-musical, noise or pure vibrations, timbres or melodies …), these ringtones become true "sonic objects", which arrest and intrigue the public.

The collection can be found on the web site www.sonicobject.com, which contains over 200 original ringtones, created by 17 contemporary designers.

The ringtones of the collection can be bought for 3 euros (+2 SMS). After payment by sending an SMS, the ringtone is automatically downloaded to the mobile phone.

To cater to the multitude of technical formats, an artificial intelligence system, specially conceived and developed by sonic( )bject, chooses the best format for each ringtone and for each mobile phone model to achieve the best sound quality. The mobile phone must be compatible with "sampled sound" ringtones and the subscription of the user must allow WAP connections.

The authors of the ringtones are professional sound designers, sound artists, contemporary, classic or electro-acoustic composers from the worlds of jazz, electronica and vocal art. Each author conceived, composed and produced between 8 and 25 ringtones. They are Dominique Besson, Jean-Jacques Birgé, Roland Cahen, Brian Clevinger, Vincent Epplay, Alexandre Gherban, Pascale Labbé, Luc Martinez, Joachim Montessuis, papadad, Didier Petit, Hélène Sage, Antoine Schmitt, servovalve, Bernard Vitet, Wild Shores, Hervé Zénouda...

sonic( )bject was founded by Antoine Schmitt, artist and Adrian Johnson, entrepreneur. sonic( )bject is a music publisher that has chosen to put in place a streamlined platform, assuring maximum distribution of revenue to the artists. On-line purchasing, electronic payment, minimum operating costs, word-of-mouth marketing, sonic( )bject offers an alternative business model for the composers and for the public.

The breast enlarging ringtone

A member of the Aum Shinrikyo cult in Japan (that unleashed deadly sarin gas on the Tokyo subway system nearly 10 years ago) has started selling a ringtone that he says will make your breasts grow larger just by listening to it. Via Engadget.

"It's a technique involving subliminal effects,” that's like “positive brainwashing.”

The tune has already had more than 100,000 hits at 300 yen a pop since Tomabechi put on a web site, reports The Inquirer.

You can keep abreast of the story in The Daily Manchuri.

FREE REM!

REM are previewing their forthcoming album 'AROUND THE SUN' online now, reports NME.

The veteran band have partnered with social networking portal My Space to offer fans the chance to listen to tracks from the album for free.

The preview also provides links to iTunes clips, ringtones, photographs, wallpaper and tour dates.

"We expect many more deals like this in the future," DeWolfe continued. "It's a new way for indie and major labels to get their music out to the masses, and we believe it will work out well for the labels, MySpace and for music fans," reports Reuters."

Labels set to cash in on ringtones

The U.S. market for ringtones is set to double this year, with a sizable portion of that flowing for the first time into labels' hands, report Variety via unwired.cc.

"New report from mobile media tracking company Consect finds that the U.S. market for cell phone rings based on hit songs is growing faster than any other region this year, projected to increase by 100% to $300 million.

But it remains behind other markets, with Western Europe on track to generate $1.5 billion and South Korea alone set to take in $500 million for ringtones, while Asia as a whole will make $1.8 billion.

U.S. continues to lag other markets primarily because the domestic cellular market has been slower to develop advanced networks capable of transmitting data and new handsets that can play back complex ringtones.

In good news for music labels, Consect estimated that 15% of ringtones sold in the U.S. this year will be so-called "master" ringtones that include original recordings by artists. Those types of ringtones generate royalties for labels and artists, unlike polyphonic or Monophonic ringtones created on a keyboard that make royalties only for music publishers.

Based on a standard 50/50 split with carriers, labels will likely generate $22.5 million in gross revenue this year, with much significantly more going to publishers."

Sprint's «Blingtones»: Hip-Hop Beats

Following the wave of specialized Hip-Hop ringtones, Sprint PCS has just launched a new category dubbed blingtones featuring original tracks from Hip-Hop producer, reports sohh.com.

"Sprint users will get the chance to personalize their mobile phones with exclusive beats produced by Rockwilder ,Hi-Tek ,J Dilla and DJ Twinz . In addition to exclusive ringtones, Sprint also plans to offer BlingPix, which includes screensavers featuring symbols, signs and art favored in urban culture".

M3 Ringtone Composer

I just received an e-mail from Irene Jepsen, a ringtone composer from Denmark.

Irene's selection of original mp3 ringtones are for sale and can be sampled on her Website.

Anyone interested in contacting Irene Jepsen, can send a message to jensenogjepsen@stofanet.dk.

Mobile phones with built-in MP3 players to become mainstream by 2008

Demand for mobile phones with built-in MP3 players is projected to hit 350 million units worldwide by 2008, up from 40 million estimated for this year, according to the Industrial Economics and Knowledge Center (IEK), report DigiTimes.

"Unlike camera applications in phones, a built-in MP3 player can easily overcome both size and technology barriers, said IEK.

Taiwan makers will attempt to differentiate their products by starting development of mobile phones that include both MP3-player functionality and videophone capabilities, the research organization suggested."

PC-to-Handset Music Transfers Not End of World

Ringtones will probably die off within a couple of years, especially if at the press of a button on the handset, one can transform a music track into a ringtone clip, reports Mac News World.

"But this is not necessarily a bad thing -- sales of ringtones will be replaced by the much more profitable sale of real tracks".

Club Nokia silences ring tones

Nokia, the world's largest supplier of mobile telephones, is to stop selling ring tones, graphics and java-based games in a move that reflects the changing balance of power in the mobile industry, reports The Miami Herald.

"The Finnish group has provided the products for downloading through its Club Nokia website since 2000 but the service has met with resistance from network operators who feared the handset maker was trying to compete for user revenues.

This has become an increasingly thorny issue as operators have attempted to increase their own income from non-voice services and build loyalty among subscribers.

Club Nokia has had little impact in the market for ring tones, globally estimated to be worth between $1.5bn-$3.5bn, but it has become a symbol of where the line should be drawn between operators and hardware suppliers.

Nokia denied the company ever wanted to challenge the operators. ''The intention was to be a market maker to show Nokia owners what they could get for their new colour and java phones,'' it said.

''Now there are thousands of providers and we don't need to do market making. We didn't see it as a core business for Nokia,'' the company said."

The Source Goes Mobile

Veteran Hip-Hop magazine, The Source, has partnered with ringtone provider Hudson Entertainment for their foray into the mobile phone space. The Source's catalog presently contains over 100 songs entirely dedicated to Hip-Hop ringtones. via Sohh.com.

Preferred Voice One Of The First To Offer A Managed Ringback Service For Wireless Carriers In The U.S.

Preferred Voice becomes among the first companies to publicly offer a managed ringback service to U.S. wireless carriers. via Moco News.

Company press release: "Preferred Voice, Inc a leading provider of personalization services, today announced Rockin' Ringback, its new network-based service that enables users to choose an audio file that callers will listen to while the phone is ringing.

PVI's ringback service provides wireless carriers with a new way to increase average revenue per user (ARPU) and decrease churn while providing advanced customization and personalization services for subscribers. PVI's ringback service is compatible with any phone and across any network - wireless or landline."

Ringtones Will Become an Even Bigger Business

Some say mobile ringtones have no future. Matthew Maier for Business 2.0 couldn't disagree more.

"And it's not just because ringtones have been one of the wireless industry's most successful data services. Consumers spent nearly $3.5 billion last year to download 30-second polyphonic renderings of popular songs.

However, the ringtone market already faces challenges that could hamstring its long-term prospects. While the wireless and music industries have been slow to react, each has finally realized the potential of mobile devices as music platforms and is gearing up to grab its piece of the pie.

[...] Moreover, just as Napster led to the creation of online music stores by exposing consumers to new ways of distributing and sampling music, applications that encourage the sharing of content for mobile devices can only create exciting new mobile data opportunities."

Everyone Wants a Piece of the Ringtone Pie

Every day that people in the music industry spend fighting over who will get how much from ringtone licensing fees, they're losing money -- literally millions of dollars, reports to Eric Lin for TheFeature.com. A must read article.

[...] "While writers, performers, labels and distributer squabble over who gets how much, there is a greater threat to the lucrative ringtone business looming. Once handsets can do double duty as music players, why would users pay for a ringtone when they will already have the full track on their handsets?"

A must read article.

Global Music Sales Down 7.6 Percent

Global sales of recorded music fell for a fourth consecutive year in 2003, according to figures released Monday by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, reports the Associated Press.

"The IFPI attributed the decline to three main factors:

-- CD burning and illegal downloading;

-- competition for consumer spending from DVDs and cell phones;

-- and economic uncertainty, particularly in Latin America and Asia.

The IFPI said all three issues "began to show signs of a turnaround in early 2004."

Record Co. ringtone sales slow

Mobile Tracker reports on a WSJ article on how record companies are not seeing the profits once forecasted for ringtone sales. However, it may not be the business itself, but the legalities:

"That snafu shows how new technology is once again snarling up the music business. The ringtone market, once seen as the industry's next cash cow, has become a dizzying free-for-all, stymied by nightmarish contractual disputes, conflicting technical requirements and the old specter of piracy. Losing out could be a big blow to an industry that most recently missed the opportunity to control the sale of music online".

The market for ringtones in the US is about $300 million according to the article. While that may seem large (and certainly can keep a few people employed), the market in Japan is $1 billion, despite the much smaller population of Japan.

Read also Rafat Ali's take take on the WSJ article and yesterday's post linking to Reuters: "Ring tones slow to rock U.S. market".

Billboard To Launch Ringtones Chart In US

[...] As interest heats up, the trade magazine Billboard, in conjunction with Consect LLC, a consulting company, plans to soon launch a chart tracking ringtone sales.
WSJ via MocoNews. net.

Ring tones slow to rock U.S. market

With a possible billion-dollar windfall at stake, U.S. music companies are eagerly awaiting the full-blown development of the market for ring tones.

But the U.S. appetite for ring tones has not developed as quickly as in other markets, and no company has emerged to do for ring tones what Apple Computer has done for digital downloads with iTunes, reports News.com.

"U.S. firms spent $81 million last year on building mobile music services--including the marketing of ring tones--according to market research firm Frost & Sullivan.

But that's a fraction of the marketing money spent in Europe and Japan, where companies last year invested $1.15 billion and $720 million, respectively."

Microsoft Sees Music Opportunity in Cell Phones

U.S. software giant Microsoft is aiming to get its audio and video software into mobile phones before it is beaten to the 650-million-handsets-a-year market by rivals like Apple, reports Reuters.

"Microsoft has quietly made preparations to make its media software available to chip and handset makers, enabling consumers to play music they have saved in the Windows Media format on their PCs on their handsets.

With Microsoft's media technology built into cell phones, consumers could buy music at Internet stores which use Microsoft's Windows Media format to encrypt and protect tracks. "The sales numbers (of mobile phones) are staggering. It's obvious that it's our goal to sign up all major handset makers," Huggers said.

Analysts have said that handsets will eventually put the dedicated portable music players out of business, because bigger memory means consumers can store their music on their phone.

Ringback tones: a sound investment for European operators, says Ovum

According toOvum via Moco News, the analyst and consulting company, the outlook is good for the European ringback tones market. The opportunity is not as big as in Asia, but operators should go for it as it represents a valuable addition to the existing portfolio of personalisation services.

"Ovum forecasts that revenues will remain small this year at around $16 million in Western Europe, reaching a respectable $721 million in 2008. That is around 30% of total global revenues from ringback tones."

Wippit begines mobile music downloads

Innovative UK digital music distribution service, Wippit, has begun beta testing a new wireless song download service, reports MacWorld.

"The service will let music fans download full-length audio and video tracks to their mobile devices. It will also offer truetones, polyphonic and monophonic ringtones and wallpapers.

Wireless Wippit currently allows customers to search for MP3's to download to their PC with a simple SMS message or to bill any downloads direct to their mobile phone. The latest incarnation is completely mobile phone-based".

Dobson Debuts SmartSkins

SmartSkin technology, the innovative concept in phone personalization developed by WildSeed, has finally found a carrier to call home, reports Rafat Ali for Moco News.

"Dobson Cellular Systems announced that 23 SmartSkin interactive accessories are now available at 60 Dobson Cellular One stores in the carrier's 16-state service area.

The snap-on interactive SmartSkin faceplates come with preloaded content such as games and screensavers and will retail for between $20 and $40".

Related article: - Wildseed's Wildcard: Teen