This newspaper article contains some good information about free ringtones:
http://www.nola.com/entertainment/t-p/index.ssf?/base/living-6/1151213144224210.xml&coll=1
"No-cost ringtones come to those who hunt"
For the diligent, 'free' really does mean free
Sunday, June 25, 2006
By Steve Woodward
Newhouse News Service
Quote:
'Web sites that promise free ringtones are almost always the last places to find truly free ringtones.
The fine print usually reveals that the ringtones are "free" only if you sign up for monthly subscriptions to a ringtone service. Other sites charge fees ranging from 99 cents to more than $2.49 for each ringtone you upload to your cell phone, noting that you can keep them for "free" after they're uploaded.
But don't be discouraged. There are several ways to get truly free ringtones.
First, you can find a Web site that offers them. Second, you can edit songs from your own digital music library and upload them. Third, you can find published ringtone codes and punch them into the phone yourself, using the keypad. And fourth, you can compose your own ringtones.
The only limits are the phone itself. At the least, you'll need a WAP-enabled phone that allows you to access Web sites. (WAP stands for wireless application protocol, the cell-phone equivalent of the protocol that allows computers to browse the Web.)
In addition, some phones are capable of handling only synthesized monophonic or polyphonic ringtones. More advanced phones can accept real, nonsynthesized sounds such as .mp3 and .wav files. Check your owner's manual or the manufacturer's Web site to determine your phone's capabilities before downloading ringtones.
Freebies on the Web
Yes, there is a free lunch. It's available at the following Web sites:
-- ContentCellphone: www.contentcellphone.com
-- Free-Ringtones.ie: www.free-ringtones.ie
-- Free-Ringtones.eu.com: www.free-ringtones.eu.com
-- FunForMobile: www.funformobile.com
-- The Unlocker.co.uk: www.theunlocker.co.uk
-- AllRingtones.biz: www.all-ringtones.biz
-- The FreeSite.com: www.thefreesite.com/Mobile_Phone_Freebies
Edit your own ringtone
Several ringtone software packages enable you to edit your CDs and .mp3 files on your computer into ringtone-size snippets, which can then be uploaded to your phone.
A great place to start is CNET (www.download.com). Type "ringtones," select "Software" from the pulldown menu and click "Go." The search will return more than 70 ringtone-related programs, some of which are free.
Another good place to start is TopTenReviews (ringtone-software-review.toptenreviews.com), which discusses what to look for in ringtone software. The site's 2006 Ringtone Software Report provides an easy-to-read chart that compares 10 packages ranging in price from $17.99 to $113.58.
Free Downloads Center offers a variety of shareware and freeware for ringtones. Go to www.freedownloadscenter.com and search for "ringtones."
Another interesting site for free software is MonkeyBongo (www.monkeybongo.com), which offers the entire range of software needed to create, edit and upload ringtones.
If you already have a sound file waiting to be uploaded from your computer to your phone, go to Mobilatory.com (www.mobilatory.com/send-to-phone). The site has a free program that enables users to send such files via the Internet.
Another good Web site that offers free uploads is WapDj.com (www.wapdj.com).
Let fingers do the uploading
Some cell phones have a built-in keypress function generally known as a ringtone composer or melody composer. The function allows you to key in a numeric code that the phone translates into a tune.
By far the most common keypress format is known as RTTTL, or ringtone text transfer language.
Originally designed for Nokia phones, RTTTL codes for thousands of songs can be found for free on the Web. The codes then can be converted into a format compatible with other manufacturers' phones with converter software or with About.com's free Universal Ringtone Converter (cellphones.about.com/library/bl_rc2.htm).
You can hear a preview of the ringtone a couple of ways on your computer before punching the code into your phone. One way is to use a software package such as Coding Workshop Ringtone Converter, a shareware program that can be downloaded for a free trial on www.download.com. Another way is to use a Web site such as cellringtones.com (www.cellringtones.com/toneplayer.php).
Here are some Web sites with free RTTTL files:
-- Ringtones.lt: This Web site (www.ringtones.lt) offers a variety of keypress and RTTTL codes.
-- Polyphonic Ringtonez: Polyphonic (www.polyphonicringtonez.com) provides free ringtones for Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, Motorola, Panasonic, Siemens and Sharp mobile phones.
-- Free Nokia Ringtones: This Web site (www.free-nokia-ring-tones-4u.com/index.php) offers free keypress and RTTTL codes.
-- Taming the Beast: This site (www.tamingthebeast.net/ringtones/ring-tones.htm) offers free RTTTL and keypress codes.
Compose it yourself
Fortunately for wannabe ringtone composers, more and more software is becoming available to help them turn their handsets into the ultimate personal statement. Most software packages on the market are low-cost, and a few are even free. But they vary widely in their ability to help users easily compose their own simple tunes, write complex 16-track works or create their own DJ-like mixes of already recorded music from CDs or digital sound files.
Here's a look at two free programs that could help you create the winning ringtone.
-- MidiEditor, a free composition program from MonkeyBongo (www.monkeybongo.com). A user can choose from more than 100 synthesized instruments and sounds, from glockenspiels to bird tweets, to create up to 16 tracks of MIDI-format music. The finished file can be uploaded to your phone as well as downloaded to your computer.
-- Ringtone DJ, also free from MonkeyBongo, enables you to download .mp3 files and add tracks, creating sound mixes like a DJ.
Other good composers are available among the ringtone editing programs listed above.'