What are Ringtones?

Ringtones are melodic sounds a cellular or cell phone makes 
when an incoming call or message arrives. Since cellular phones 
are significantly more sophisticated than landline phones, 
ringtones can be personalized to suit the owner's personal 
taste. A variety of ringtones have appealed to consumers, 
increasing handsets saleability.


Why use Ringtones

There are a number of reasons consumers use distinct ringtones. 

1) Distinguish Callers - Advanced feature sets allow for 
   different sounds to signify different callers.

2) Identification - When you are in a meeting and a phone rings 
   you will know if its yours without having to look.

3) Fun - Lets face, having a cell phone with personality and 
   character is appealing to general consumers.


Types of Ringtones

There are typically two different types of ringtones: monophonic 
ringtones and polyphonic ringtones. 


Monophonic Ringtones

Monophonic tones are simple tunes, most commonly compatible 
with today's cell phones. The majority of cell phones can only 
make a single tone at a time. The monophonic ringtone tune is 
comprised of a series of sequential tones at different 
frequencies. 


Polyphonic Ringtones

Polyphonic tones are played on cellular phones that have the 
capability of playing up to 16 separate tones at once. The 
combination of tones creates a harmonic melody. Polyphonic 
ringtones are more musical than a monophonic ringtone. Newer 
phones support polyphonic ringtones. 

It is likely that future cell phones will be capable of 
producing musical ringtones of CD quality.


Finding Ringtones & Ringtone Compatibility

There are a number of websites that offer ringtones, graphics 
or even games to download onto your cell phone. The websites 
vary in that some allow you to purchase specific ringtones 
while others offer subscriptions that allow you to download 
an unlimited number of ringtones. When you locate a ringtone be 
sure to first ensure that it will work with your cellular model 
phone and that the site is respectful of the artists copyright. 
Like any original works, artists receive royalties for 
ringtones, be sure that the website has the permission to 
distribute the ringtone. Sites that we've found helpful in 
finding ringtones and determining compatibility are:

Ringtones Central - http://www.ringtones-central.com
Free Ringtones Online - http://www.free-ringtones-online.com


Ringtone Composition

Frequently consumers will wish to compose personalized 
ringtones. Occasionally, cell phones can be programmed with 
ringtones by entering a series of buttons. Software is also 
available that allow consumers to create their own melodic 
ringtones. The software runs on a computer, and once the tune 
is perfected it can be transferred to the phone via a data 
cable. Suggested ringtone composition software can be found at: 

Ringtone Software - http://www.ring-tone-software.com