It isn’t unusual to go to a public place, such as a supermarket, and hear a chorus of competing musical samples. Some are just tones in a sequence, while other samples are actual radio versions of popular songs. Of course, all of these are ring tones for cell phones. When cell phones were still in their infancy, a person could get five or six different ringing options. Now, there are thousands of ring tones available, suitable for every taste and budget.
A person’s choice of ring tone will depend on what kinds of file types her cell phone supports. Some older phones only support the old monophonic tones, which play one note at a time, but the next generation included polyphonic varieties. Compatible phones for polyphonic ring tones reproduce the tones in harmony. These are usually longer than monophonic ring tones, and many titles are available.
The newest cell phones have MP3 technology, and so can play actual song samples, which sound like the song does on the radio. The MP3 ring tones are extremely popular with younger people and add a unique sound to the phone.
A person may decide to use ring tones that come with his cell phone, or he may decide to purchase extras. Additional ones can be purchased online through the phone’s manufacturer, the person’s service carrier, or other sources. Ring tones are downloaded onto the phone, and the user can choose the new tone from the menu.
In the beginning, ring tones were simple tunes, with some specific to the phone’s manufacturer and some one-note renditions of classical music or public domain tunes. These cost the manufacturers nothing in licensing fees, so they were popular. People wanted more titles to individualize their phones, however, and manufacturers began offering a wider variety of options.
Almost any tune is available as a ring tone. Selections run the gamut, including classical, pop, heavy metal, soul, country, rap, jazz and swing. Most universities even have their fight songs available as well. All a person needs to do is to log on to the web site that offers the file and download the ring tone she wants. Most are fairly inexpensive, so it’s a nice way to personalize a phone.
