The Complete Guide to Wireless Ringtones
Cell phones have changed a great deal in the past decade. Given the improvements in the technology behind them, cell phones have quickly become an indispensable part of most of your lives. Besides providing a constant source of contact and information, the little devices and how we choose to use them say a lot about our personalities. So one of the first things anyone does after purchasing a new mobile phone, just after turning it on, is to check out the factory preset ringtones that came with the device. This exercise usually produces a serious felling of disappointment followed by an Internet search about downloadable ringtones.
Searches regarding ringtones typically produce millions of results and any useful information is often buried behind walls spam. So to simplify the process, here is a guide to the best of what the web has to offer for those looking to customize their phone with unique ringtones.
Before you get started, you'll need to think about how you plan on using your phone and its ringtone capabilities. Are you looking for one special ringtone that you plan on keeping for a long time, or will ADD set in after about a week and send you in search of a fresh ringtone? $4.99 may seem a little expensive for a single download, but if you plan on keeping the tone for some time, it would be a waste to shell out $9.99 a month for unlimited downloads.
Is your phone able to access the Internet and what will your carrier charge you each time you do? Some sites allow you to download a ringtone to your computer and connect to your phone by wire. However, many sites require that your phone access the Internet directly. Remember, a 99 cent ringtone can cost you much more if your wireless carrier charges you for Internet access. Ringtones are available in many different ways and knowing the answers to these questions before you start shopping for a service can help you find the right one for your budget and needs.
Free Ringtones
Many sites on the web offer large selections of free ringtones, but keep in mind that many of them also offer premium pay content. Make sure you know which is which as you navigate the free sites. After you have signed up for a free service, it’s still a good idea to watch your cellular bill for unexpected charges. But with a little caution, you should be able to find something you like among the wide range of free sites.
Community based sites like Cellsea, Cellfish, and Zedge offer a wide variety of free music and sound effect ringtones as well as a wallpaper editors and product reviews. These sites require registration, but it’s free. Once registered you'll be allowed to upload your own ringtones as well as access those uploaded by other members.
In addition to the free ringtone library available on the official BlackBerry site, the free content at Tuneusin has become increasingly popular among BlackBerry users. Those seeking hard to find and off-beat ringtones might find just what they want at Crackberry.
is a download client much like Limewire, but is dedicated to providing access to a wide array of free ringtones.
Subscription or Pay for Ringtone Sites
Free sites can provide a lot, but if you encounter problems you might not find the level of customer service you would find with a pay site. Pay sites operate on several levels, but if you have asked yourself those questions about how you plan to use ringtones, you should be able to decide if a one-time download is right for you or if you should opt for a monthly plan. Most pay sites offer both options. But pay sites differ on how they structure monthly plans. Some offer a maximum number of downloads per month while others offer a number of credits per month. On sites using credits, the credit cost per song varies by title. Most sites also offer a premium package of unlimited downloads. You'll also want to make sure your phone model and carrier are compatible, so identify sites that offer specific tone types like Motorola ringtones or Sprint ringtones.
The most common one-time paid and subscription ringtone providers include:
- MTV offers ringtones by single purchase or monthly subscription as well as weekly directories of top ringtones.
- PlayPhone allows you to pay per download or subscribe to a monthly credit-based system.
- Streetunes offers six downloads for $5.99 per month, or 12 for $9.99 per month.
- Ringophone offers unlimited downloads for a monthly fee. $14.99 for 6 months or $19.99 for 12 months.
- Flycell provides a credit based services as well, offering 20 monthly credits for $9.99.
- Jamster offers anything you’ll ever need for your cell phone with a wide variety of payment plans.
- BlackBerry Ring Tone Megaplex is popular for unlimited downloads among BlackBerry users at just $19.95 per year.
- Futonia has an extensive list of artists and offers a year of downloads for $23.88 or three months for $17.97.
- SendMe Mobile offers pay per download or 10 monthly credits for $9.99.
- Ringtone Jukebox keeps it simple at just $2.99 per ringtone. Make sure you check out their test feature to make sure the ringtone will work on your phone model.
- FreeRingers provides unlimited access to 2,000 ringtones for just $7.99 per year.
Create Your Own Ringtones
For those not content to use an existing song or audio clip for their ringtone, or to pay for a ringtone of a song in their music library, there are ways to create your own unique ringtone. A number of websites allow you to upload any mp3 or audio clip and create a ringtone you can then download into your phone. Many of these sites operate on the community model, and also allow you to share the tones you have created with others.
In addition to the web-based options for creating your own ringtone, you may opt for software that allows you to turn an audio file into a ringtone on your computer without uploading your song to the web first. These programs are all affordable and come with a wide range of extras.
As you have undoubtedly discovered, the process of looking for a ringtone service can be daunting. We have tried to filter out most of the noise and provide a look at some proven products and services. With a little forethought and planning, you should be able to find the option that is perfect for you. Have fun.
|
|
 |
|
