| The days of bulky landline telephones has come | | | | from mp3 and WAV files stored in the memory |
| and gone. It was the process by which a user | | | | of your phone can be used. Truetones as they |
| was alerted to an incoming call was through the | | | | are called can make use of pre-existing sound files |
| receiver getting an electrical pulse that activated a | | | | or, by use of onboard programs, can edit and |
| bell or buzzer mechanism. This "ringing" sound | | | | excerpt any selected part of that file for use as |
| became synonymous with the initializing of a | | | | a custom ringtone. |
| phone connection and has become an ingrained | | | | Along with this ability there have been several |
| part of the slang of the language. | | | | websites dedicated to the easy creation of |
| While research has shown that the ring-pause-ring | | | | custom ringtones without needing to have special |
| pattern is the easiest code to hear, modern | | | | software downloaded on the phone. Since its |
| digitized mobile cell phones have taken the | | | | inception in 2005, these sites have increased the |
| incoming call signal to a new level of not only | | | | availability of custom ringtones to just about any |
| practical application but enjoyment as well. | | | | user. |
| The first actual ringtones were put into use in | | | | While there are many free ringtone services to |
| 1998 in Finland. The Harmonium service allowed | | | | choose from, some of them charge for the |
| individualized ringtone sounds to be transferred | | | | privilege of downloading specific sound files. A new |
| directly over the air as part of the call signal. This | | | | element has been added to commercial ringtones |
| new fad became so popular that before too long | | | | as a few musical artists have created songs |
| there were entire libraries of special ringtone | | | | specifically designed to be sold as ringtones for cell |
| sounds that could be accessed and used. While | | | | phones. The rap artist Chamillionaire has gone |
| these early ringtones were still monophonic, they | | | | multi-platinum with the ringtone made from one of |
| did offer a wide variety of sounds and tonal | | | | his songs and has created his own niche within |
| patterns. | | | | some cell phone services. |
| Soon new cell phones acquired the ability to utilize | | | | Ringtones have become a multi-billion dollar |
| multiple ringtones and set different sounds to | | | | industry and with such financial success it is no |
| individual callers as an advanced cue for the user | | | | surprise that unscrupulous people have taken |
| to know who was calling them. While the first | | | | advantage of this popularity. There have been |
| ringtones were monophonic, the popularity of this | | | | several major lawsuits against providers for such |
| cell phone feature soon brought improvements. | | | | tactics as giving a free ringtone without informing |
| With the introduction of Musical Instrument Digital | | | | the customer that by accepting it they are being |
| Interface (MIDI) sequenced recordings gave | | | | signed up to a billable service. |
| melody to the new ringtones. Usually looped in | | | | Most recently Cingular was fined for billing people |
| three to thirty second segments of sound, these | | | | for ringtone service automatically whether they |
| new style ringtones produced recognizable music | | | | were using it or not. With the complexity of the |
| selections and further improved the customizing | | | | new cellular phones and the ability to connect to |
| features to identify individual callers. | | | | the internet with them, there have been a few |
| In the newest cell phones and especially the high | | | | incidences of spyware being downloaded into |
| tech iPhone, actual pre-recorded high-fidelity music | | | | phones through supposedly "free" ringtones. |