Ringtone Cartoon

Cartoon published in The Times Online.

Missed the concert? Get the ring tone

The London Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1904, has become the first orchestra to record and sell ringtones, reports the The Times Online.

The orchestra has created tones for 54 well-known classical themes that can be downloaded onto a mobile telephone, including renditions from Tchaikovsky, Verdi, Beethoven and Vaughn Williams.

All tunes are samples of the orchestra's recordings, either as a realistic “true tone” sound, or simplified “polytone” or “monotone” adaptations.

The commercial venture is the latest money-making enterprise for the orchestra, which began its own label in 2000.

If you can make classical music everyone wants on their telephone then that is excellent,” he said. “We want to make classical music part of life. Even if we make a loss we feel it will have been worth it.” - Clive Gillinson, the orchestra's managing director.

Related:

-- The Royal Opera of London offers ringtones Themed around particular operas and ballets. Along with a text messaging campaign, the Royal Opera aims to broaden the appeal of opera and ballet and attract younger people.

Tough rules for ringtone sellers

UK Firms that flout rules on how ringtones and other mobile extras are sold could be cut off from all UK phone networks, reports the BBC.

"The rules allow offenders to be cut off if they do not let consumers know exactly what they get for their money and how to turn off the services.

Many ringtone and other mobile content sellers started using a new tactic to squeeze more cash out of customers.

This tactic involved signing people up for a subscription to give them, for instance, several ringtones per week or month instead of the single track they thought they were getting."

Orgasm ringtone

There really is such a thing and you can download it here. As good as "When Harry Met Sally"

In 2002, a recording of an orgasm was featured on a compilation album of mobile phone ring tones. It's still listed at Touch Shop - 177 ringtone recordings intended for use with MP3-enabled mobile phones. Also includes animal call-signs, conversations between artists Gilbert and George, a sample of Mozart, a ringtone for soothing new-born babies...

Related:

-. Jenna Jameson "moantones"

-- moantones.com

-- «moantones»

The first ringtone movie?

Louiza Vick's short film "The Life of a Ringtone" recently won the best student film award USC's School of Cinema-Television in Atlanta, reports the Daily Trojan Online via Ringernews.com.

"The two-minute saga shows what it takes to bring a ring tone from someone's imagination to another's cell phone".

The movie opens with Murcia humming the tune. Then it cuts to a young man writing the music notes. Then he's playing the tune on the piano. After that, a soundboard appears inside a recording studio, with the volume bars shown peaking.

The film is part live action and part 3-D animation. The last scene is an animated cell phone, with the screen of the phone filling the movie screen and reads: "You got a ringtone."

Mobile and digital music businesses convene at MIDEM

With optimism in the air, more than 9,000 of the world's key players from across the music industry are expected to arrive in the French Riviera resort of Cannes -- over three percent more than last year -- for the MIDEM, which opens Sunday and runs until January 27.

This year will also see many more movers and shakers from the new technology and digital online music world, eager to snap up musical content for the increasingly popular new services that range from ringtones and wallpaper to video clips and play stations.

The big names of the cellphone world will be joined by software colossus Microsoft, underscoring a major convergence of the music and technology worlds." [via News.Designerz.com].

Hypertag to hand out national and rugby anthem ringtones to fans

Mobile operator O2 has teamed up with technology company Hypertag to hand out national and rugby anthem ring-tones to fans at the 27 February England vs Ireland game in Dublin. How cool is that? [via Netimperative]

"The O2 teams will be working at the airport to target incoming England fans and also at the ground itself to target both groups of supporters.

England supporters will be given the national anthem whilst Ireland fans will be supplied with Ireland's call, the official Irish rugby anthem."

Related article: Wearable Hypertags used in field marketing at music and sporting events.

Gay community goes mobile with m-Qube

PlanetOut will team with mobile technology company m-Qube to bring lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender content to wireless phones, including including news, ringtones, images, games and access to community-themed information services and event calendars, according to RCRNews Wireless.

"m-Qube also said it will deliver mobile content from the hit series "The L Word" on a new mobile storefront from the cable channel Showtime. The sho.com wireless store (only accessible from within the US) offers music from the lesbian-themed series as well as cast photos and the show's logo".

Downloading background music as ringtones

As part of a movement designed to improve the shopping experience, Sprint Corp. said it is overhauling many of its company-owned retail outlets, according to RCRWireless News.

"The redesign was done with the help of Los Angeles-based Richard Altuna, whose impressive client list includes Pottery Barn, Gap, Origins and the NBA store.

"The changes include implementing in-store repairs for select handsets, new software that allows store staff to more quickly assess and manage handset issues, a designated host to greet and assist customers as they enter the store and complete redesigns of select locations".

And relevant to this column "Sprint also said the stores will incorporate "significant atmosphere enhancements," including background music that customers can download as ringtones".

'Sweeten Your Tone'

Three Candy companies have launched a marketing hoopla with ringtone overtones across the country, according to a press release.

Popular recording artists Ryan Cabrera and Vanessa Carlton are to headline a private event, hosted by candy companies Swedish Fish, Sour Patch and Chiclets.

One song from Carlton's live performance will be converted into a one-of-a-kind cell phone ringtone for the audience.

The candy companies will also host "Sweeten Your Tone" events at malls in ten major cities across the country -- including Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Boston and Chicago.

My favorite part

High-tech "candy machines" will dispense ringtones to consumers who stop by with a Swedish Fish, Sour Patch or Chiclets proof-of-purchase over the two-month promotional period, which began January 17.

Also of note:

The Swedish Fish website offers visitors a "fish for ringtone" game - which I didn't play - Firefox doesn't like Flash.

Song Sharing for Your Cell Phone

The recording industry is hoping to enlist millions of new distributors -- its listeners, according to Business2.0.

"EMI and Sony are considering services that blend file sharing with viral marketing. Called super-distribution, the technology lets users download digital content to their cell phones and forward it to friends.

"Have a hip-hop MP3 you like? Send it to your pals, who get to hear it once for free. For a few bucks, they can keep it and share it again. Fans become evangelists, and labels get another bite at the $30 billion digital-music pie. "A friend's recommendation far outweighs an ad," says EMI senior VP Ted Cohen.

Trials with Vodafone and TeliaSonera will begin this spring in the United Kingdom and Finland.

The carriers and labels still have to work out thorny issues such as digital rights management and revenue splits. But by the time this hits the States, as early as 2006, everyone should be singing the same tune."

Jack Bauer-"24"-CTU ringtone

CTU's desk phones have a distinctive ring, which of course now exists in a cell phone version.

So if you are a fan of the popular TV show "24", you can download the CTU ringtone from here.

Success of Plain Mobile Music Downloading Services Questionable, Says Berlecon Research

The predicted success of mobile phone music downloading is questionable, according to a research report by Berlecon Research, via Tekrati.

"According to the Berlecon analysis, when looking beyond ringtones, music downloading is currently at the centre of attention. Therefore‚ the mobile music strategy of most European mobile operators is mainly directed towards the downloading model.

Mobile music downloading, however, has some limitations, that make its long-term success as a profitable business model questionable. Berlecon Research advises that other approaches to bringing music to the mobile phone exist and are equally -- if not more -- attractive to users than downloading.

As mobile music downloading is a low-margin business, Berlecon does not expect the mobile phone to become the most attractive distribution channel for music. Instead, it holds a significant potential as a marketing channel.

The Berlecon Research brief, "Mobile Music: More than Downloading - Alternatives to the Dominant Model and their Implications", helps companies to shape their strategy for the mobile music business.

Surround Sound From Your Cell Phone?

"As more functions and features — digital music, games and even TV or other video content — make their way onto mobile phones, improving the audio quality has become a notable goal for the cell phone industry.

ABCNews reports on a British startup company demonstrating what could be the next step up in cellular sound - surround sound - based on the science of "psychoacoustics." The article explains in great detail how it works:

"Engineers at Sonaptic Ltd have developed a new set of chips and software that can reproduce 3-D sound that seems to encompass the listener. The technology, says Sonaptic's managing director David Monteith, is based on the science of "psychoacoustics."

"It's a digital process of using complex algorithms and calculations to trick your brain into believing it is hearing sounds from all around," says Monteith.

To achieve this sound effect, psychoacoustic designers study the mechanics of human hearing. "They look at the shape of the inner and outer ears, how the head and skull conducts sound, and how all this is interpreted by the brain," says Monteith". [...]

Related articles on surround sound:

-- Cell phones get surround sound - The Sonaptic technology is based on the science of "psychoacoustics," which essentially studies precisely how sound waves interact with the ear in order to create sound effects.

-- Mobile Operators Seek Higher Sound Quality - Japanese mobile operators are taking phone sound systems to the next level with stereo-quality songs that can be fully downloaded and edited, as well as surround-sound systems that trick users into hearing a bell ringing behind them or a ball whizzing by.

-- Surround Sound on your mobile - QUALCOMM and QSound Labs have licensed technology to integrate audio enhancers into mobile chips enhancing the quality of streaming audio, music playback, ringtones and online gaming services.

-- Phonic Surround-Sound Ring Tone Service for Mobile Phones - Dwango Japan, developer of wireless applications and technology for users of next-generation mobile devices, "will be launching a ring tone delivery service for mobile phones on June 11, offering melody and voice ring tones in 3D-phonic sound.gaming.

-- Stimulating Mobile Experiences - Dual speaker technology will create live surround-sound with the phone's 3D polyphonic speaker system.

Caller IDs: Cellphone users can personalize 'ringbacks'

Chris Marlowe for the Hollywood Reporter has written a wonderful article on ringback tones.

"Few people give it much thought, but the ringing they hear when placing a phone call is just a sound effect to reassure them the connection is going through. There's no reason besides heritage for that sound to be a ring. And thanks to "ringbacks," there's no reason for it to stay that way.

Ringbacks let mobile consumers change that sound for one of their own choosing. For example, Arnold Schwarzenegger could opt for constituents to hear Twisted Sister's We're Not Gonna Take It - his campaign song - before he or his aide answers the call.

Verizon Wireless made its first foray into this field in November, with a rollout limited to Sacramento and San Diego. Gregg Yacovone, director of marketing for the Verizon Wireless West Area, said that it was so successful that Verizon this week will expand its Ringback Tones option throughout throughout other States with plans to make the service available to its 42.1 million nationwide customers by the middle of the year.

Unlike ring tones, ringbacks reside on the network so they can be used with any mobile phone and sound similar to an FM radio.

So far, only Warner Music Group and Sony BMG are participating in ringbacks, but all major labels are confirming interest and licenses with their artists and sub- labels."

Telephony, Thomson & Craighead

Telephony allows gallery visitors to dial into a wall based grid of 42 Siemens mobile telephones, which in turn begin to call each other and create a piece of 'music.'

Each phone has been individually programmed with a different ringtone, which played en-masse, create various harmonic layers all of which are based in some way on the popular and prevalent, NokiaTune. The more people who dial into the work (whether inside or beyond the gallery walls) the more complex and layered the audio becomes.

A piece of anodyne 'elevator' musac also plays into the space as a kind of background layer, and is also an improvisation on Nokiatune.

From Mobile Audience via Clippings via near near future

Related article on the work of artists Thomson & Craighead

-- Original Tones

"Gran Vals", by Francisco Tarrega - which inspired the (annoying) Nokia tune

Slow day today for ringtone or music phone news, so here's something from the vaults, and lovely to listen to, "Gran Vals", or the original music that inspired the standard ringtone for Nokia, better known as the (annoying) "Nokia tune".

It's probably the most often played piece of music in the world but few people know what it is.

The famous Nokia ringtone is actually a 13 note rendering of Francisco Tarrega's masterpiece, "Gran Vals". Tarrega was a 19th-century Spanish musician considered by aficionados to be the father of the modern classical guitar.

Click here to listen to original rendition by Francisco Tarrega.

Exclusive Ringtones in new Barbie phone

A new barbie phone will launch in the Spring, for under $ 50.-. It will come with 30 minutes of airtime, three stick-on faceplates -- so a girl can dress up her phone with a leopard-colored sticker to match her purse, for example -- nine exclusive wallpapers, and relative to this column, three exclusive ring tones. [via Business Week and YPulse]

cf related post in Textually.org

Moco News has a ringtone!

After launching their wonderful wallpaper, favorite MocoNews has their own ringtone! In their own words "thanks to all-round nifty dude Claude Bossett".

The link to hear the elegant piano-music-ringtone-with-a-twist is www.appliedideas.net/m/moc.mp3, and you can download all his MocoNews stuff free to your mobile at this WAP address: appliedideas.net/m/moc.xhtml.

The above image is their new wall paper. I can identify Stacy, Rafat, James, one might be Claude Bossett and who is the fifth? Rafat, James, help!

I can't think of any thing cooler than a blog having it's own ringtone or wallpaper. Can you?

Sony Ericsson Creates Walkman Phone

More on Sony Ericsson's plans to use the Walkman brand mobile phones featuring digital music players.

The company said that the first Walkman Sony Ericsson music phones will be announced in March and will allow users to transfer existing CD collections to their phones via a PC.

The Walkman-branded phones will support the most popular digital music file formats and services.

The devices will work with Sony's Connect music download service, which will open online digital music purchasing to mobile phone users in various countries around the world. The service currently offers over 800,000 music tracks from major labels and independent artists. [via Newsfactor Network]

Previous article: - Sony Ericsson launches Walkmans

Crazy Frog Ringtone to be released as UK music single

Many popular songs have been turned into mobile phone ringtones, but the tables have been turned and a ringtone is set to be released in the U.K. as a music single in April, according to IT World.

The distinctive "Crazy Frog" ringtone is described on the crazyfrog.co.uk Web site as sounding like "someone pretending to make race car noises" and has been downloaded 1 million times.

A group calling itself Pondlife took the ringtone and turned it into a song called "Crazy Frog Chorus," which will be released in the U.K. by Tug Records on April 4.

Related stories on the "Crazy Frog":

-- The Crazy Frog mobile phone ringtone - Adverts for the Crazy Frog mobile phone ringtone have played hundreds of times on certain TV channels over the past few weeks; it has earned an estimated £10m, and according to the company selling it, is the most successful ringtone in the world.

-- Ringtone Frog's Genitals Deemed OK for British TV - Despite complaints from 60 people, Britain's advertising regulators said on Wednesday there is nothing inappropriate about the genitals of an animated frog whose high-pitched squeals are sold as a mobile phone ringtone.

Click here for more "ringtone firsts"

The Music Phone Is Already Here, Sendo Says

As three of the world's top six mobile phone makers announced music-playing phones at this week's 3GSM wireless trade show, Britain's privately held Sendo said it was the only handset maker that could already show a model, reports Reuters.

"Sendo's X2 smartphone with a built-in music player that can deal with almost all digital music encoding formats, will be available in April at 99 pounds ($187) for pre-paid subscribers, said Hugh Brogan, the chief executive of the Birmingham-based company.

Nokia and Sony Ericsson joined Motorola this week in announcing they would tap the online music revolution with phones that could play several digital music formats. No designs were unveiled, however.

So far, Motorola is the only handset vendor to announce it will have an iTunes player for its future music phone, dubbed ROKR. Nokia would support Windows Audio as well as open standards, and Sony Ericsson would support only open standards.

The handset has been designed to offer music quality similar or better than portable digital music players and has dedicated buttons to play, pause, stop and skip tracks."

Related article on Sendo's X2 smartphone, "the first phone that makes playing music truly as simple as making a call".

Ring Back Tone at TeliaSonera Finland

TeliaSonera Finland, the largest carrier in Finland, rolls out a new ring back tone service, "Sonera Theme Music" (Tunnari)

With the ECT Ring Back Tone Application, mobile customers can choose various songs, jokes or other sounds played to the person who calls them, while they also hear the familiar ring back tone.

The service works regardless of who calls. All Sonera mobile phone customers can use the service. The new service including a complete demonstration of the web interface can be seen at www.soneraplaza.fi/mobiili/kuvataanet

Bleep.com launches a new tool for the creation of custom real music ring-tones

This is the third article in a just a few days on yet another "create your own ringtone" service/application, so I'm opening a new category, "Make / Mix your own ringtone(s)".

This times, it's UK-based independent music site Bleep.com which is launching a new tool for the creation of custom real music ring-tones.

The online tool 'MYORMR – Make Your Own Real Music Ring-tone', developed by FasPay Mobile Technologies, allows the user to edit and create the exact ring-tone they want working directly from the original song on the Bleep.com site, reports DMeurope.

"The service enables the Bleep.com customer to work directly from the music on the site and create a ring-tone from the exact segment of the song they want to hear."

Other "make your own ringtones" or "mix your own ringtones" applications

-- Tooki Ringtones - turn your humming into a ringtone

-- Magix allows users to create their own ringtones from existing music files.

-- SSEYO miniMIXA allows amateur DJs to create mixes with their cellphones,

KTF Launches 1.5GB HDD Music Phone

KTF announced Wednesday the launch of a premium music phone «SPH-V5400», the world first 1.5GB-HDD phone.

It can store more than 500 MP3 files while ordinary MP3 phones can offer memory capacity enough for only a dozen.

The handset is the first in Korea to be equipped with a built-in FM transmitter so than external audio system tune to FM frequency can play MP3 files stored in the phone, the mobile carrier explained.

Those who purchase the premium music phone are provided with 220 MP3 files including latest hits, pop and classical music."

by Seong-ju Lee for Telecoms Korea

Wearable Hypertags used in field marketing at music and sporting events

Musical Event: Gigs in Dublin's ‘The Point' venue

Mobile marketing and live music are coming together in another new campaign for O2, where Hypertag's new wearable tags are being used to hand out ringtones to fans at a series of Westlife gigs in Dublin's ‘The Point' venue.

A team of field marketers at the events are sporting wearable Hypertags and working the queues at the events. They are handing out two free Westlife ringtones and driving visitors to the O2 ‘Experience Zone' where they have the chance to win a back stage pass.

This is one of the first campaigns using the wearable Hypertags, allowing O2 to build on their association with music and maximise the impact of their O2 ‘Experience Zone'.

Sporting Event : Rugby: England v. Ireland Six Nations game

Wearable Hypertags will also be used by teams of field marketers for the England v. Ireland Six Nations game. O2 teams will be at the airport to greet incoming England fans with the British national anthem as a ringtone, and at the ground itself to target Irish fans with ‘Ireland's Call'.

To find out more about Hypertag interactive poster or field marketing campaigns visit www.hypertag.com

Ringing endorsements

The Chicago Sun-Times publishes this week's top downloads from Billboard as well as a good round up of ringtones services offered by the different US operators:

T-MOBILE: The company recently launched a feature called ringback service.

CINGULAR: Cingular gives users something called Super Tones, which incorporate voice, sound and real music tones.

U.S. CELLULAR: With ToneMaker, customers can make their own original, custom ringtones.

SPRINT: By teaming up with some of the country's hottest DJs and rappers, Sprint recently rolled out BlingTones, offering consumers original master recording ringers.

AT&T WIRELESS: Now part of Cingular, AT&T helped revolutionize the mobile music industry with the mMode Music Store. It lets customers browse, listen to and purchase digital music tracks from a library of about 750,000 songs -- all right from the handset.

VERIZON: Customers with phones enabled for the "Get It Now" features have the option of voice ringtones called Ringtalker. Customers can browse through talking ringtones and sound clip categories, such as funny quotes from a family member, crazy characters and sexy voices.

MP3 downloads and songs streamed to mobile phones.

MotorFM is determined to transform radio in Germany, and it thinks it has the tools to do it: MP3 downloads and songs streamed directly to mobile phones. By Jason Walsh for Wired.

"The first step has seen MotorFM, launched Feb. 1, abandon on-air commercials in favor of generating revenue from MP3 downloads and targeted sponsoring of its programming. The next step will be streaming audio directly to 3G cell phones and letting listeners pay for downloads by SMS text message."

The number of songs currently offered is small -- dwarfed by iTunes and Napster -- but MotorFM aims to continually add to its library."

HipHop SupaStar

Now thru April, the public can vote via text messaging for one of 10 unsigned HipHop SupaStar finalists to win a rap contest and record with Sony artist Xzibit (also a judge). (Thanks Nina!).

Hip Hop SupaStar has found ten voices they feel represent the voice of the Hip-Hop movement, vote for the one that you feel is ready to change the game and bring it with the kind of freshness and originality that Hip-Hop represents.

Hip Hop SupaStar, presented by Cingular and Sony Ericsson, is about innovation. "We want that sound that stays true to the core of Hip-Hop but still takes it to the next level."

Sony Ericsson launches Walkmans

Sony Ericsson has announced it will sell music-playing mobiles under its Walkman brand and will work closely with Sony Connect and Sony BMG, its music division, on content, reports the BBC.

"The company will unveil further details of its Walkman mobile in March.

It made the announcement at the 3GSM World Congress mobile phone trade fair held in the French town of Cannes.

Music by Sony BMG artist Natasha Bedingfield was played over a phone connected to loudspeakers at the event. "