IPhone ringtones
I only heard a quick mention of ringtones for the new iPhone. It seems to me that since my music is already on the thing it should be easy to select any darn song i want as a ringtone. Does anybody know if this can be done? moreover, why not set specific ringtones for certain incoming callers? You know, Frank Zappa's 'The torture never stops" for when the wife calls...kidding.
Comments
I only heard a quick mention of ringtones for the new iPhone. It seems to me that since my music is already on the thing it should be easy to select any darn song i want as a ringtone. Does anybody know if this can be done? moreover, why not set specific ringtones for certain incoming callers? You know, Frank Zappa's 'The torture never stops" for when the wife calls...kidding.
An iPod phone that can't use iTunes music for ringtones is almost a contradiction in terms. Gotta figure Apple just told Cingular that to be allowed to sell the magic phone was they would just have to forgo control of ringtones and wallpaper since seamless integration with the computer was part of the deal.
I'm actually hoping that Apple forced a lot of concessions like this, since if the iPhone is successful it might hasten the demise of some of the more egregious carrier practices.
The answer is 'No'. Sounds like something they should be able to remedy. A simple addition to Address Book to choose a song for a person should be doable. Likewise for calander events etc. Seems real obvious.
Unfortunately, according to this: (via MacRumors) http://www.macwelt.de/news/messen/342764/index2.html (German)
The answer is 'No'. Sounds like something they should be able to remedy. A simple addition to Address Book to choose a song for a person should be doable. Likewise for calander events etc. Seems real obvious.
That sucks. Has to be a Cingular thing, no technical or business reasons for Apple not to allow that. Or does the RIAA consider ringtones to be "public performances" of copyrighted material that would require a different licensing scheme?
Actually, now that I think about it, I bet that's it.
1. Actually this first point may encompass more than just ringtones. The iPhone is not a finished product. An unfinished product was announced and up to this point (MWSF) Apple has had time to finalize 90ish % of the product. What parts, functions might they have selectively chosen not to completely finish? Probably the ones where Cingular and Apple may want integrate features. ie, ringtones. So whether it's small technicalities such as ringtone format or more in depth things such as how the phone might be able to reach Cingular's website and download Cingular rintones to store and use on the iPhone. I'm sure there's a whole set of little integration items on the table being worked on now that the iPhone isn't so secret. Ringtones are just one of them.
2. Regardless of whether my 1st point turns out to be what's true or not, keep in mind that Apple treasures it's image. Yes I'm saying ringtones has an impact on cellphone image, and I don't mean the image it has to to the owner. I mean the image it will transpire to all the persons within listening range when an iPhone rings. Not everyones musical tastes are equal, and sometimes some musical tastes annoy others to the point where they really do look like these faces
No ring tones because of the music industry. Apple would have to pay them for the use.
Exactly. There's gold in them thar ring tones. If we were to use the music we already paid for to ring the phone then how would greedy music companies take more of our money
No ring tones because of the music industry. Apple would have to pay them for the use.
While iTms music as ringtones would be nice, I just hope that they leave a backdoor for uploading WAV/MP3 files...that is what I do now...want a great and cheap ringtone? record a cowbell, cut out any breaks in the ringing and loop it...free, easy and effective...sounds like an old on-the-wall phone to boot!
That sucks. Has to be a Cingular thing, no technical or business reasons for Apple not to allow that. Or does the RIAA consider ringtones to be "public performances" of copyrighted material that would require a different licensing scheme?
Actually, now that I think about it, I bet that's it.
There is as three way cat fight going on between the carriers, labels and performers over weigher ringtones are recordings or performances. The outcome determines who gets paid what and how much. Apple avoid the fight by not allowing iTunes recordings to be used as ringtones.
If this isn't possible on the iPhone it will be an error!
However, we won't really be able to answer this until the phone is released...
There is as three way cat fight going on between the carriers, labels and performers over weigher ringtones are recordings or performances. The outcome determines who gets paid what and how much. Apple avoid the fight by not allowing iTunes recordings to be used as ringtones.
So is the idea that, although I may have purchased the rights to listen to the song, a ringtone represents a "public performance"?
I would think that if I want to use a song I purchased as an alert tone on a handheld device that would be within my fair use. Nobody tries to restrict or charge me if I play me radio on the street, right?
I realize there is a ton of money involved, hence the restrictions, but has anyone challenged the underlying reasoning? Is there even any underlying reasoning, beyond "there's money to be made, so we should make it?"
I should note that using iTunes songs as ring-tones strikes me as a different beast than marketing some version of copyrighted material as ring-tones per se. That is, how the money is divided up when I download a midi version or a short clip of a song from a carrier with all the restrictions that make it only a ringtone and unusable for other purposes.
The difference being that my iTunes library has already been payed for, which presumably gives me the right to "personal" use however I see fit.
So I guess the legal question would be whether or not a ring-tone is public or private.
So is the idea that, although I may have purchased the rights to listen to the song, a ringtone represents a "public performance"?
I would think that if I want to use a song I purchased as an alert tone on a handheld device that would be within my fair use. Nobody tries to restrict or charge me if I play me radio on the street, right?
I realize there is a ton of money involved, hence the restrictions, but has anyone challenged the underlying reasoning? Is there even any underlying reasoning, beyond "there's money to be made, so we should make it?"
I should note that using iTunes songs as ring-tones strikes me as a different beast than marketing some version of copyrighted material as ring-tones per se. That is, how the money is divided up when I download a midi version or a short clip of a song from a carrier with all the restrictions that make it only a ringtone and unusable for other purposes.
The difference being that my iTunes library has already been payed for, which presumably gives me the right to "personal" use however I see fit.
So I guess the legal question would be whether or not a ring-tone is public or private.
These are the issues being fought over and it is not settled yet. The labels and performers want to interpret each different use of a song as a separate performance and get paid accordingly. Remember these are the same people who tried to make you pay royalties every time you sold a used CD.
Radio and Internet performances are public performances. The fees are paid by the stations. You pay the fees by listening to the commercials.
Me, I'm in the nose-bleed seats drinking beer, aware that the participants see me as nothing but an open wallet. I'm just watching to see how bad I'll get screwed.
If you can play your music on an iPod attached to one of the many boom box devices in a crowded park, then why can't you use your songs as a ringtone? Makes no sense.
I think if the RIAA could figure out how to charge you for that they would. Ring tones have the kind of centralized distribution that allows them to extract their tariff.
would be nice if there was a widget that allowed u to select a 30 second portion of one of your mp3 files in ur ipod to use as a ringtone.
I think Garageband works just fine.
I think Garageband works just fine.
theres no garageband on the iPhone