Smash The Tones

Mark Frauenfelder for TheFeature.com reports on Smash The Tones, "a nifty site that lets you easily add MP3 ringtones to your phone.

"Just pick a song on your computer, upload it to the site and enter your mobile phone number. You can do some basic editing (like having the ringtone start ten seconds into the song). The song will be sent as a text message attachment to your phone. It's a nice way to skip the ridiculous fees carriers and music companies charge for ringtones when you already own the music." (Thanks Fahreen!)

World's First MP3 Mobile Phone in October, 1999

Seong-ju Lee for Telecoms Korea has published a series of articles on mobile phones with built-in MPS players:

-- World's First MP3 Mobile Phone in October, 1999 - It was found out that a mobile phone with a built-in MP3 player, the biggest hit in the Korea's mobile phone market this year, first appeared in the Korean market four years ago. However, the phone disappeared from the market due to low popularity at that time.

These first-ever MP3 mobile phones, sold in Korea and the U.S., recorded sales of 30,000 units in Korea. However, no further models were developed.

Samsung Electronics emphasized that the company had applied sophisticated design technology and component integration to make the unit a super-slim 19 mm and super-ultra 94g.In addition, the MP3 mobile phones were powered by a standard battery. The MP3 player function was designed to be very energy-efficient, and up to 11 hours of music could be played on a single battery charge.

-- A Dozen of New MP3 Phones Heat Up the Year-End - December will be the final round for Korea's handset makers to compete to boost MP3 phone sales.

December will be the final round for Korea's handset makers to compete to boost MP3 phone sales.

Pantech&Curitel are planning to release 5 new models: 3 models are toward SK Telecom and 2 are for KTF and LG Telecom, respectively.

Samsung Electronics is to bring out 3 to 5 new releases as well as one with 1.5GB HDD.

LG Electronics is preparing 2 to 3 models for this month.

Motorola also joins the tournament by adding 1 model.

-- Exclusive: LG Telecom Boycotts Samsung to Support LG Electronics - LG Telecom has boycotted Samsung Electronics' handsets to help LG Electronics raise MP3 phone sales, according to Telecoms Korea Research Team Sunday.

Samsung Electronics launched 17 MP3 phones this year but not a single model was sold to LG Telecom. There is concern that LG Telecom's behavior is depriving consumers of the right to choose.

MP3 players in mobile phones to lead trend by 2008

The Industrial Economics and Knowledge Center (IEK) forecasts the market for mobile phones with built-in MP3 players to hit 350 million units worldwide by 2008, up from the estimated 40 million units this year, reports Telecom Global Sources.

"Also according to IEK, in an effort to diversify their products, Taiwan makers will be developing mobile phones that will include both MP3 player and videophone functions".

Free MP3 Ringtone Now at MonsterTones.com

For a limited time, US mobile users can test their cell phone and receive a free MP3 ringtone or polyphonic ringtone at MonsterTones.com.

In their own words:

"Our goal is to provide you with the largest selection of ringtones on the net. Each week we add new ringtones, extending our database that includes rap ringtones, video game ringtones, rock ringtones and more."

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.

European Download Services Go Mobile

The ability to download complete tracks directly over cell-phone networks to mobile phones is becoming a reality in Europe, according to Reuters via Moco News.

"O2 Music, the music arm of U.K.-based international telecom operator mmO2, has started offering songs for download in Germany and the United Kingdom.

The emerging trend of selling full-length songs directly to mobile phones in Europe has been triggered by better understanding and cooperation between mobile phone operators, handset manufacturers and record labels.

"This is a very important development," says Beth Appleton, new media and business development manager at independent label V2 Music in London. "Call-back tones have been successful in South Korea (news - web sites); real tones are popular in Japan and are about to take off in the United States. But the offering of full downloads and videos has been driven by European companies."

Mobilkom Austria offers free mobile MP3 downloads

Austrian mobile operator Mobilkom Austria has launched the A1 Music Zone, bringing music, news, ring-tones and MP3s to mobile phones, according to
DMeurope.

"Included in the portfolio are music-related general news, music charts and gossip, ringtones and tips on up-coming CD releases. The service is also offering MP3 files from new artists, which can be downloaded for free".

Music industry emits static on MP3 phones

Roiled by technology that allows consumers free access to Internet music files, the entertainment industry wants to lower the sound on MP3 mobile phones, reports The Korea Herald.

"The music industry is demanding that the new phones only be capable of playing music at radio-level sound quality, but MP3 phone makers oppose the restriction.

Today Samsung Electronics was expected to unveil its MP3 Anycall phone. But yesterday, instead of anticipating entry to a hot market, the world's No. 3 cell phone maker was enmeshed with record producers and government officials over the operational features of the phone and decided to delay the launch.

Between 2000 and 2003, MP3 players along with pirate copies of compact discs and tapes have nearly cut in half the value of Korea's music recording market.

When LG Electronics, the fifth-largest mobile phone maker in the world, and Samsung Electronics announced plans to release MP3 phones this year, alarm bells went off at groups claiming music copyrights, such as the Korea Association of Phonogram Producers and Korea Music Copyright Association.

In a nation where more than half the population carries a mobile phone, the potential for downloading illegal music files is huge in Korea.

In an MP3 player market where 95 percent of songs are illegally downloaded, an MP3 phone that can play only paid music files is unlikely to appeal to consumers".

Xingtone Brings Its Wireless Software To CDs

Xingtone, has hooked up with Artemis Records to put its wireless software on a soon-to-be released CD from music artist Sugarcult, reports Wireless Week.

"Some 50 different handsets from various major U.S. carriers will support the Sugarcult music and artwork, according to Xingtone.

New music is all about new discovery, and ringtones are a powerful way to capture new listeners' attention," says Brad Zutaut, president of Xingtone. "Artemis is carving yet another path that the rest of the music industry will have to follow."

Tone This: Real (MP3) Music For Your Phone

Xingtone and MyPhoneFiles have competition with ToneThis, a small startup based in Los Angeles founded by 3 students with time on their hands, who have just launched a service that allows customers to wirelessly transfer music, sound effects and voice from their desktop computers onto their cellphones.

Users can create their own cellphone content from their personal music collections, instead of choosing from a library of songs provided by the cellphone company.

Instead of charging per download, the service offers unlimited use for a one-time fee of $14.95.

Traditional cellphone ringtones known as “Polyphonic ringtones” are not capable of playing voice or music and sound very computer-like / robotic. ToneThis targets next generation cellphones that support “PureVoice ringtones” that allow music, sound effects and voice to be a cellphone ringtone.

Related articles:

P2P ringtones

Napster-Like services popping up for the downloading of cell phone content

Real music as a ringtone

Primetones.com Let's You 'Create Your Own MP3 Ringtones

Now everyone with a phone can be an MP3 Content Developer and Publisher. Anyone can create their own MP3 Ringtones thanks to Primetones product line which includes interactive tools enabling mobile users to post MP3 audio to their blogs from any phone. [ PR Newswire ]

P2P ringtones

Brad Zutaut, president of Xingtone, is quoted in The New York Times saying: "Ring tones are not going to save the music industry. People have stopped paying $15 for albums. How are they going to start paying a dollar for a 30-second piece of bing-bing-bong?"

Zutaut believes what he says as he sells software that allows users to turn digital music files they already own into ring tones for their own cellphones for free, and share with others on Xingtones. The software currently suports Sprint PCS Vision enabled phones (Samsung, Sanyo, Hatichi, LG). Will this be the next ringtone Napster?

Napster-like file sharing sites for cell phones

An article in the WSJ questions whether cellphone entertainment, which is just starting to pick up in the US, will be plagued with the same problems as the recording industry online, too many freebies.

Already, several Napster-like file sharing sites have popped up allowing for the downloading of mobile content, such as MyPhoneFiles.com or Xingtone.com, where "users can create their own cellphone content from their personal music collections".

Real music as a ringtone

Reuters reports on a small California company called Xingtone.com which has developed software which converts MP3 files to ringtones and enables users to make thier cell phone ring with any piece of real music or any voice or recorded sound. A favorite tune can play as a ringtone or someone's voice message can play for instance, "answer the phone!". For now, the technology works with the following phone models: Samsung A500, Samsung N400, Sanyo 4900 and Sanyo 5300, but more should be compatible soon.

What's left to be seen is how the music industry will react to this technology which goes way beyond polyphonic ringtones, already a great improvement over the existing metallic tunes we are used to, sounding more like a small orchestra with several different instruments and sound effects. Click here to listen to a polyphonic ringtone.