As early as 2000, the German company Siemens had developed a phone that could also play MP3 files, but due to memory constraints phones that played digital sound files as ringtones appeared only in 2003 (for example, Nokia’s True Tones format). At present, most newer handset models feature the capacity to play sound files as ringtones, which are typically limited by a maximum length of thirty seconds like other ringtones. Numerous file formats are used for this purpose instead of MP3 files, which are still typically too large to download efficiently via mobile. For the most part, sound file ringtones (sometimes called “ringtunes” or “mastertones”) involve low–grade, highly compressed files that only use the small phone speaker’s 300 to 3000 Hz frequency range. Although sound file ringtones account for only a small percentage of global ringtone sales, the strongest ringtone markets (Europe and East Asia) have been slightly boosted by the appearance of sound file ringtones. For example, the Japanese ringtone market, which in 2003 alone was worth US$900 million or between a quarter and a third of the year’s global ringtone sales, witnessed US$66.4 million worth of sound file ringtone (or chaku’uta) sales [11].
Perhaps a stronger threat to the profitability of the ringtone industry lies in the development of strategies and technologies by consumers and companies to create ringtones at inexpensive prices. Ringtone piracy by small companies and individual users, in the manner of MP3 files, is rampant worldwide, particularly in Asia — where music piracy in many forms is widespread [34]. In this case, ringtone Web sites are selling ringtones based on copyrighted material at low prices without paying licensing fees to music publishers or record labels. With the appearance of the sound file ringtone, the potential for free duplication of ringtones seems limitless, as it could easily follow the MP3 model of peer–to–peer distribution. Despite the much–vaunted ability of the cell phone to monitor and control individual transactions — which is not equally true of Internet activities — some software companies are creating products for combining peer–to–peer file sharing with ringtone creation [35]. Furthermore, even legal enterprises have produced technologies that threaten ringtone consumption. Xingtone, a company founded in early 2003 and based in Los Angeles, has produced a downloadable computer program that allows an individual to transform any sound file (from a CD or an MP3, for example) into a sound file ringtone. After a consumer pays the one–time fee of US$15 for the software, she can easily produce ringtones for her phone without any further cost. Brad Zutaut, the CEO and co–founder of the small company, has stated repeatedly (with the support of the Recording Industry Association of America) that the program falls under the domain of fair use in copyright law. Beginning his enterprise from the impulse of wanting to make ringtones that were not commercially available, Zutaut argues that ringtones, which are merely data transfers, should not be so expensive and that “ring tones are not going to save the music industry” [36]. The company seems to have been successful and has pioneered music promotion deals with record labels like Disney’s Hollywood records and the independent Artemis Records (whose band Sugarcult released a single from its album via ringtone in partnership with Xingtone). More recently, Xingtone has received financial support from Siemens to expand its operations [37]. Although Zutaut has stated that the company has a three– to five–year window, it is unclear whether Xingtone will be bought out by a major media or entertainment conglomerate — whose business interests might seem to conflict with those of the company [38]. Other companies such as ToneThis (also from LA) have followed Xingtone’s lead and are producing similar software packages [39]. Since the software in question has appeared recently and only affects sound file ringtones, it remains to be seen whether it, or pirated versions thereof, will have an impact on global ringtone sales or prices. It certainly is the case that piracy generally eats into ringtone sales — for example, an estimated 90 percent of ringtones in Malaysia are pirated — and the recording industry is attempting to forestall further declines in profits by eradicating what it refers to as a piracy “epidemic” [40].
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As described above, the commodification of the ringtone has occurred in several stages. These stages provide the outline of a model for ringtone development, whereby functional tones become: 1) monophonic ringtones or simple melodies; 2) polyphonic tones (MIDI synthesizer music); and, 3) digital sound files (True Tones or other company–specific formats, and ultimately MP3 files). These developments in the ringtone have not progressed uniformly around the world. Instead, particular convergences of national legal systems, consumer preferences, and the interests of local wireless firms and handset manufacturers have led to differing rates of acceptance for each type of ringtone, as well as ringtones generally. For example, the high rates of cell phone use in Asia have led to particularly enthusiastic adoption of both older and newer forms of ringtones. South Korea is a striking case. Seventy percent of the population owns cell phones, the ring–back tone was pioneered there, and mobile music sales (estimated at 400 billion Won or US$336 million in 2003, increasing 400 percent in one year) seem to be quickly replacing recorded music sales (193.5 billion Won or US$162.4 million in 2003, declining 30 percent in a year). When Ricky Martin’s new Spanish language album was about to be released in May 2003, the South Korean director of Sony (Korea) Yang Beom–joon, released the album six days ahead of schedule in ringtone form. This precipitated a rush of downloading in which over 100,000 downloads of album-track sound file ringtones and related materials occurred in a few weeks. In Japan, the massive mobile music market (estimated at US$900 million in 2003) seems to be saturated with polyphonic ringtones and has been steadily shifting to sound file ringtones. In Europe, many of the older cell phone markets (as in the U.K., Spain, France, Germany, and Italy) are focused on polyphonic ringtones and seem less inclined to switch to sound file ringtones. Paradoxically, regions that have been slower to adopt mobile telephony, as in Central and Eastern Europe, are adopting the newest technologies and thus seem to be more amenable to sound file ringtones. The U.S. market has been generally slow to adopt ringtones, although they seem to be popular within particular ethnic communities — African–Americans seem to have been among the more avid consumers of ringtones, a tendency perhaps reflected in the presence of cell phone references in hip–hop and R&B, as have been Latino/as [41]. The fragmentation of the mobile telephone market, incompatible networks, the delay in providing 3G services, and the bill structure of calling (American cell phone users pay to make and receive calls) are all factors in hindering cell phone use in the U.S., which predictably correlates with ringtone consumption. Moreover, the U.S. demonstrates a resilient culture of computer and Internet use, making rare the use of services like text messaging (which have become significant cultural phenomena elsewhere) [42].
The monophonic ringtone and composer programs that appeared a few years ago gave rise to an even more curious phenomenon. Within the past couple of years, one could easily observe the proliferation of Web sites and chat groups listing hundreds of song titles, each with instructions for inputting monophonic ringtones into different phone formats. Such sites were divided according to language and existed for ringtone enthusiasts interested in particular music genres or repertoires from all over the world, especially those from regions with prominent mobile phone use. Hence, one could find particular Web sites devoted to monophonic ringtones of Japanese anime music, Canto–pop melodies, Bollywood film songs, Hollywood film scores, Western classical tunes, American TV shows, and the like. Some Web sites merely listed song after song in the relevant genre, often dividing them up according to handset manufacturers (who each have different coding languages for ringtones). In other cases, a single song would be posted, with the melody translated into several different manufacturers’ coding languages and listed in a column below the song title. On discussion groups, one might find participants asking each other how to code a particular favorite song or how one would translate a particular set of instructions from one handset maker’s coding language to another’s.
There are several reasons why music of the Western classical tradition became prominent in early monophonic ringtones. According to Keith Nowak, a spokesperson at Nokia, after hitting upon the ringtone concept the company wanted to use public domain melodies to avoid potential legal problems. This explanation has certainly been promulgated in the press as the most salient factor in the selection of default ringtones [77]. And in examining default ringtone selections, one does occasionally note the presence of Souza marches and familiar Tin Pan Alley tunes (like Albert von Tilzer and Jack Norworth’s “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” of 1908) or other public domain materials not necessarily conceived of as “classical music” among the classical selections. Another reason some have argued has as much to do with the residual distinction value of Western classical music as elite or sophisticated, associated with the upper class. Certainly this explanation bears some merit as well. From their inception in 1975 to as late as 1990 (and even later in the U.S.) cell phones were associated with elite and “yuppie” lifestyles, and cell phones continue to play a significant role in these class strata. One psychiatrist classified ringtone choices according to personality and class types, arguing that “traditional, conservative and cerebral types,” especially those “belonging to an older age group who like the idea they are sophisticated,” are prone to choose classical music ringtones [78]. But these explanations seem inadequate. For one, the preset melodies did not typically vary between countries or regional markets, except in minor ways [79]. Although such changes would inevitably raise manufacturing costs, they are eminently possible, leading one to wonder why manufacturers did not pursue such strategies to tailor their products to their target markets [80]. Moreover, with the cell phone emerging as a mass market item in the 1990s, the residual class distinctions of the handsets themselves seem to have given way to a recognition that, at least within the developed world, anyone can own a cell phone [81]. 2ff7e9595c
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