Apple rushing to release "ready-made ringtones" - report

[AppleInsider]

Apple is rumored to have struck a deal with the music industry and obtained the right to sell "ready-made ringtones," and company officials are reportedly rushing to have them available for next week's event.

Music industry sources reportedly told CNet that Apple will announce and begin to sell pre-cut ringtones at its press event Sept. 9, if they can be prepped to sell in time. In 2007, iTunes granted users the ability to create their own custom ringtones with certain enabled song. The feature cost 99 cents to select a 30-second segment for ringtone playback on the iPhone.

Given that most individual songs on iTunes sell for 99 cents in their entirety, to charge anything above that for just a section of the song might seem odd. However, consumers in the past have shown a willingness to spend up to $3 on a ringtone. The report did not have a final price on ringtones available, but did say the song clips are expected to sell for "far less than $3."

While the pre-cut ringtone feature is technically new, it will not likely be a large announcement for Apple at its Sept. 9 iPod-centric event. Not only are custom ringtones already available on iTunes, but CNet noted that sales of ringtones dropped 24 percent from 2007 to 2008, likely due to the fact that users have figured out how to make their own from pre-purchased songs.

In another music industry-related announcement expected for Wednesday's event, Apple reportedly began collaborating with major labels months ago on a new project code-named "Cocktail," aimed to spur sales of whole albums. Rumors have suggested the new feature would offer lyrics, photos and supplemental material through a separate application that could be viewed outside of iTunes.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[Intense]

there's a very slightly minor typo in the first paragraph:

"industry and has obtained the right to sell "ready-made ringtones,""

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

Apple is rumored to have struck a deal with the music industry and has obtained the right to sell "read-made ringtones," and company officials are reportedly rushing to have them available for next week's event.

Music industry sources reportedly told CNet that Apple will announce and begin to sell pre-cut ringtones at its press event Sept. 9, if they can be prepped to sell in time. In 2007, iTunes granted users the ability to create their own custom ringtones with certain enabled song. The feature cost 99 cents to select a 30-second segment for ringtone playback on the iPhone.

Given that most individual songs on iTunes sell for 99 cents in their entirety, to charge anything above that for just a section of the song might seem odd. However, consumers in the past have shown a willingness to spend up to $3 on a ringtone. The report did not have a final price on ringtones available, but did say the song clips are expected to sell for "far less than $3."

While the pre-cut ringtone feature is technically new, it will not likely be a large announcement for Apple at its Sept. 9 iPod-centric event. Not only are custom ringtones already available on iTunes, but CNet noted that sales of ringtones dropped 24 percent from 2007 to 2008, likely due to the fact that users have figured out how to make their own from pre-purchased songs.

In another music industry-related announcement expected for Wednesday's event, Apple reportedly began collaborating with major labels months ago on a new project code-named "Cocktail," aimed to spur sales of whole albums. Rumors have suggested the new feature would offer lyrics, photos and supplemental material through a separate application that could be viewed outside of iTunes.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[a_greer]

I will not spend more than $0.50 on a ringtone, I can buy the full song for about $0.99 and use Garageband to make the tone, so why buy? is your time really worth the $2 for the whopping 30 seconds it takes to round trip into GB and export ringtone?

[Dlux]

I think the record labels should lobby congress to pass a law that all ringtones are now illegal, except for the ones the labels sell for $10,000 apiece.

C'mon - the swimming pool needs a refill of Himalayan fog condensate and that stuff is expensive to transport by jet...

[jsewell]

"...sales of ringtones dropped 24 percent from 2007 to 2008, likely due to the fact that users have figured out how to make their own from pre-purchased songs..."

Or perhaps it's that the fad is passing as people realize how asinine it is to use a pop song as a ringtone. One can only hope.

[Takeo]

Song and musical ringtones should be banned anyway.

[Galley]

Marimba is good enough for me.

[universeman]

My theory: people are increasingly texting instead of calling. People who normally would buy a ring tone are thinking again because a larger percentage of beeps and clunks on their phone are SMS alerts, not phone calls. Simple, really. Why buy a ring tone you rarely hear?

[Mac Voyer]

Originally Posted by universeman

My theory: people are increasingly texting instead of calling. People who normally would buy a ring tone are thinking again because a larger percentage of beeps and clunks on their phone are SMS alerts, not phone calls. Simple, really. Why buy a ring tone you rarely hear?

Excellent insight.

I also believe that people have simply broken the code. They know how to do it, even on the PC and on phones other than the iPhone. Every one I know who has a music ringtone tells me they know ways to do it without paying. The same thing is starting to happen with text as more programs are released to get around the charges. I canceled my text plan months ago and have been using a third party app.

[teckstud]

iPods with rinky dink cameras.
iTunes with Blu-ray support yet no Blu-ray hardware.
Ringtones.

Coma.

[vandil]

Any idiot with a Quicktime Pro license can take a DRM-less purchase, crop it down to a ringtone, export the audio to WAV, then use iTunes to convert the WAV to AAC, and then simply rename the file to an M4R file. Takes like 3 minutes unless you are super anal about getting the ringtone cropped to a perfect loop.

Likewise with any FLV file saved from youtube.

[xwiredtva]

I honestly hate the music ones. Can't tell if the phone is ringing or it's the radio your listening to. Although iphoneringpack.com has some worth getting... "Pick up the dam phone!" and the sirens always got my attention.

[teckstud]

Is there any way to get my iPhone to vibrate stronger?

[christopher126]

Originally Posted by jsewell

"...sales of ringtones dropped 24 percent from 2007 to 2008, likely due to the fact that users have figured out how to make their own from pre-purchased songs..."

Or perhaps it's that the fad is passing as people realize how asinine it is to use a pop song as a ringtone. One can only hope.

Agreed, Speaking of 'asinine,' am I the only one that thinks 'high fives' look asinine?

[bigdaddyp]

I noticed on itunes that the John Fogerty album, The Blue Ridge Rangers, had a special digital booklet that would download if you bought the whole album. Is that a preview of the bonus features we can expect?

[rygriffin333]

Just make the ringtone in iTunes in about 60 seconds by changing the start/stop times to a file, encoding an MP3 version, renaming it a .M4r, and importing.

[estolinski]

Originally Posted by bigdaddyp

I noticed on itunes that the John Fogerty album, The Blue Ridge Rangers, had a special digital booklet that would download if you bought the whole album. Is that a preview of the bonus features we can expect?

I bought Wynton Marsalis' From the Plantation to the Penitentiary, and it came with a digital cd insert. It's nothing new as I bought it years ago. But I agree, that has something to do with the new announcement.

[Jozsoo]

Originally Posted by teckstud

iPods with rinky dink cameras.
iTunes with Blu-ray support yet no Blu-ray hardware.
Ringtones.

Coma.

Yeah. Sounds like a yawn festival to me, too. But I hope Apple folks have something up their sleeves!

[cmf2]

Some people bought $3 ringtones because certain cell carriers locked some of their phones to not allow unprotected mp3's to be used as ringtones. Only their DRM riddled mp3 ringtones would work.... I'm looking at you Bell. Funny, they also took a pre-installed map program off my phone because it wasn't time for us Canadians to be exposed to GPS. Glad I'm no longer with them.

[DJinTX]

Originally Posted by rygriffin333

Just make the ringtone in iTunes in about 60 seconds by changing the start/stop times to a file, encoding an MP3 version, renaming it a .M4r, and importing.

Exactly what I was going to say. Since iTunes 8 you can make your own ringtones out of any of your music for free, and it's not very hard and works for both PC and Mac. CHeck out the link and save some money.

http://download.cnet.com/8301-2007_4-10056954-12.html

While I would never pay for a music ring tone, I would like to find some decent non-music tones that don't sound stupid. Who wants a barking dog or a drunk robot sound for their ringtone?

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by Jozsoo

Yeah. Sounds like a yawn festival to me, too. But I hope Apple folks have something up their sleeves!

Me too. Bring out Steve Jobs and his Fab Tab!

[Magic_Al]

Paying for ringtones is like buying from the hotel minibar. What is the theory here, you need a separate use license for the music you already paid for to be a ringtone? RIAA DIAF.

I'm glad Apple only superficially deters the creation of "unauthorized" ringtones, because I've found that soundtrack music works better than pop music as source material, and I'm not talking about themes, I mean bits of dramatic underscore, particularly from action movies, can meet all kinds of functionality criteria for ringtones while being classy and uncommon.

[xwiredtva]

Originally Posted by teckstud

Is there any way to get my iPhone to vibrate stronger?

Contact Moss in IT.

[anonymouse]

Originally Posted by teckstud

Is there any way to get my iPhone to vibrate stronger?

I think you'll void your warranty using it like that.

[dualie]

Sailing
Takes me away
To where I've always heard it could be
Just a dream and the wind to carry me
And soon I will be free

[charlituna]

Originally Posted by a_greer

I will not spend more than $0.50 on a ringtone, I can buy the full song for about $0.99 and use Garageband to make the tone, so why buy? is your time really worth the $2 for the whopping 30 seconds it takes to round trip into GB and export ringtone?

agreed. I would even say 25-30 cents is more than enough.

as for buying the songs. there are some that I don't really like the song but the opening riff is cool enough to be a tone. so if I could buy that bit for the right price, I"m sold

[kotatsu]

One of my main gripes with the iPhone is how difficult it is to customise. I should be able to feed it any MP3 or WAV of my choosing as ring tones and text message alerts. It's just too damn locked down.

And why must people jailbreak their phones just to use icon themes? It can't be that hard to open it up Apple.

[brucep]

Originally Posted by teckstud

Is there any way to get my iPhone to vibrate stronger?

< theme song for this question > i can't git no satisfaction >by the stones >

[SGSStateStudent]

Originally Posted by a_greer

I will not spend more than $0.50 on a ringtone, I can buy the full song for about $0.99 and use Garageband to make the tone, so why buy? is your time really worth the $2 for the whopping 30 seconds it takes to round trip into GB and export ringtone?

I really don't understand why Apple is doing this. It makes no sense to me. Really.

[SGSStateStudent]

Originally Posted by dualie

Sailing
Takes me away
To where I've always heard it could be
Just a dream and the wind to carry me
And soon I will be free

What's this?

[NOFEER]

i wish it includes a ringtone of a Ferrari shifting and honking its horn
i'd like a ferrari horn for my ringtone