Cell Phone Ringtones Give Music Industry Another Headache

Alien54 writes "Xingtone's desktop software allows you to create mobile phone ringtones using digital audio files on your computer. As seen here, The software evokes the same ``oh wow, oh no'' reaction from the labels that greeted the original Napster. The fear is that people will make 30 second long ringtones out of popular songs, thus compounding the file-sharing problem while robbing the music industry of a new source of revenue. Many users find the technology quite cool. IANAL, but current copyright guidelines seem to permit fair use of "Up to 10% of a body of sound recording, but no more than 30 seconds". All of which should make for an interesting legal debate. I can hear the gnashing of teeth already."

Comments

Headache?

[MP3Chuck]

The only headache I forsee is having to listen to everyone's favourite song every time a phone rings.

But how is taking a snippet of a song and putting it on my phone any worse than taking an entire song and putting it on my computer? Obviously the record companies want people to pay for ringtone-specific clips, but I see nothing wrong with this software.

Dude, seriously...

[Anonymous Coward]

*MUST* the RIAA get paid for *EVERY* time someone does anything *REMOTELY* connected to the shit music their labels pump out? I mean, DAMN. Can't they just let it go!?

*sigh*

- GNU/Anonymous Coward

Re:Dude, seriously...

[AgntOrnge]

I think them trying to soak the max out of everything isin't so much greed as they have no idea how to make money anymore so they insist on leeching every idea that they don't come up with right now. I still believe that if they provided the delivery means that the consumer wants and a product that they actually want, we wouldn't have to deal with this crap every 6 months.

Overpriced

[Synesthesiatic]

Cell ringtones were way overpriced anyways. You're basically paying a buck for some bleeps and bloops someone hammered on a midi-keyboard in ten minutes.

Some people already own the music, or can buy the actual song for the same price. Why pay twice?

We don't protect business models from other ones

[LostCluster]

The fear is that people will make ringtones out of pirated songs, thus compounding the file-sharing problem while robbing the music industry of a new source of revenue.

That's not the real fear. The real fear is that people will make ringtones out of the CDs they already have. That process is nothing more than format shifting, trimming, and then playback when a particular event happens to the phone. Uhm... there's no laws against that process.

The record industry is a bit worried because this had appeared to be a new business model for them... but if the software to make a good enough ringtone is easy enough for the average consumer to do on their own, then consumers don't need to pay to re-buy a track they already have if they want it as a ringtone.

Sorry, this business model was dead on arrival. Please try again.

More Noises?

[Tezkah]

Ugh, stupid cell phones. While this is a neat idea, I keep mine on vibrate, just because I know how annoying a music ringtone is when its someone elses.

Re:More Noises?

[djplurvert]

I call bullshit.

1) It is your responsibility to select a phone that has a vibrate feature that works as you need it too.

2) If you are SOOO important that you can't miss a call or two then spending the money to get the proper phone shouldn't be an issue. For normal people, missing a call or two should override being inconsiderate of others.

3) If you must recieve a call when others might be bothered with your dumbass ringtones then get the damn thing out, put it on lights only mode, and sit it in front of you. Now you won't miss that oh so important phone call.

4) Finally, there is a BIG, and I mean BIG distinction between someone who occasionally let's the phone ring audibly with the STANDARD ringer vs someone who leaves their phone on audible all the time so others can hear how coooool their ringtones are.

Stop making excuses for your rudeness. When your phone goes off in a theatre, classroom, library, or any place where people expect a certain noise restraint you are being inconsiderate. There is no legitamate reason, not even the fabled doctor and his dying patient, for your RUDENESS!!!

plurvert

Short answer: NO

[nurb432]

No they cant let it go.. they DO want every time, they DO want pay per listen..

Its their business model.. ( or at least what model they want.. )

Ya, they suck.

Re:fair use

[BiggerIsBetter]

Since when? Fair use applies to all people.

Reality Check

[djplurvert]

Since ringtones have become popular I've noticed that fewer people choose the vibrate option. For those of you with ringtones get a clue, your ringtones are NOT cool! Everytime I hear one I just roll my eyes. Everyone thinks that they have the one tone that is soooo cooool that nobody will mind listening to it. People fail to realize that others don't want to be interrupted by random snips of ANY music played on a crappy speaker.

Perhaps if the RIAA managed to get some draconian measures enforced to charge you a royalty fee everytime your dumbass ringtone went off you'd switch back to vibrate. I hate the RIAA, but honestly, I hate ringtones more.

plurvert

Re:So

[linzeal]

People should have to pay for long ringtones. Jesus H Christ, they are annoying as fuck.

Re:I don't have a ringtone to be cool

[Powercntrl]

I agree, there's so many people pissing and moaning about ringtones... Is this a site for geeks or grumpy old men? "Turn that music down!!! You damn kids and your pop tunes are making my ears bleed!"

If you want to be a stick in the mud and people's choice of ringtones really bothers you, don't go out in public. There's always a chance in public you'll hear or see something you find offensive. Two guys might be holding hands, someone might say "fuck", you may hear a 30-second midi rendition of a pop song's chorus. The shock, the horror.

I choose to use ringtones because it's entertaining TO ME and it's not the same old "beep beep beep". If that really bothers you that much, don't worry - you're not someone I'd want to associate with anyway.