Mobile phone ringtone
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A mobile phone ringtone is a sound file that is played by a mobile phone. It can be monophonic, polyphonic or a digital sample.
Ringtones are melodic sounds a cellular or cell phone makes when an incoming call or message arrives. Since cellular phones are significantly more sophisticated than most landline phones, ringtones can be personalized to suit the owner's personal taste. A variety of ringtones have appealed to consumers, increasing handsets saleability.
There are a number of reasons consumers use distinct ringtones:
- Distinguish Callers - Advanced feature sets allow for different ringtone sounds to signify different callers.
- Identification - When you are in a meeting and a phone rings you will know if its yours without having to look
- Fun - Although some people find these ringtones 'irritating', they have particular appeal amongst younger phone owners.
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Types of Ringtones
There are typically three different types of ringtones: monophonic ringtones, polyphonic ringtones and digital samples.
Monophonic Ringtones
Monophonic tones are simple tunes, most commonly compatible with today's cell phones. The majority of cell phones can only make a single tone at a time. The monophonic ringtone tune is comprised of a series of sequential tones at different frequencies.
Polyphonic Ringtones
Polyphonic tones are played on cellular phones that have the capability of playing up to 16 separate tones at once. The combination of ringtones creates a harmonic melody. Polyphonic ringtones are more musical than a monophonic ringtone. Newer phones support polyphonic ringtones.
Digital Samples
Newer cellphones can play digital sound samples (for example from an mp3 or wav file) either transferred as a digital file onto the handset or, on some models, by using a built-in sound recorder.
Finding Ringtones & Ringtone Compatibility
There are a number of websites that offer ringtones, graphics or even games to download onto your cell phone. The websites vary in that some allow you to purchase specific ringtones while others offer subscriptions that allow you to download an unlimited number of ringtones. When you locate a ringtone be sure to first ensure that it will work with your cellular model phone and that the site is respectful of the artists copyright. Like any original works, artists receive royalties for ringtones, be sure that the website has the permission to distribute the ringtone.ja:着信メロディ