| In just a shot time span of one decade, ringtones | | | | roost till the next format, the real tunes, came |
| have transformed from the monotonous, boring | | | | into existence. |
| and unimaginative imitations of music into real | | | | Due to advancement of technology and the |
| music tracks and natural sounds, sometimes | | | | human desire to aspire for something higher, cell |
| rendered with more clarity than many of our | | | | phone companies came up with such hand sets |
| stereo output gadgets, depending to the quality of | | | | which had most of the features of a music |
| the speakers of the cell phone. This | | | | system incorporated into them. Mobile phones |
| transformation occurred due to the invention and | | | | now were no only a device for communication, |
| implementation of superior quality formats for | | | | but a device for entertainment too. The addition |
| editing the mobile music. | | | | of these features enabled the cell phone to |
| The development of cell phone melodies can | | | | accept real music and recordings, without any |
| roughly be put into four different phases. | | | | distortions, and often with superior quality, |
| The initial stage was that of the monophonic | | | | depending upon the speakers. Here came the third |
| tones, which had a very limited scope due to the | | | | generation of ringtones called true tones or real |
| fact that only a single tone could be played at a | | | | tones or master tones, which quickly spread like |
| given time, but in various pitches. The format for | | | | wildfire to all spheres of ringtone industry. As |
| this kind of tones was the Ring Tone Text | | | | opposed to the earlier formats like monophonic |
| Transfer Language (RTTTL) and suited hand sets | | | | and polyphonic tones, this format could play any |
| produced only by a handful of cell phone | | | | high-fidelity recordings of any music or sound, to |
| manufacturers, especially Nokia. These text files | | | | any lengths. The new format, which came into |
| could be transferred to a hand set in the form of | | | | being in 2004, was gladly accepted by the masses |
| an SMS message. There was also an option for | | | | and there came into existence a massive industry |
| the enthusiast to create his own ringtone by using | | | | of creating and selling ringtones. The industry, |
| an editing device found on the hand sets itself. | | | | mediocre till now, grew to unimaginable lengths. |
| Similar formats like the eMelody, iMelody and MOT | | | | A recent development is the emergence of a |
| were developed at this stage by some rival | | | | fourth format, where formats like MP3, AAC, or |
| manufacturers. | | | | WMA can be used. The latest high end offerings |
| The polyphonic ringtones, which came into | | | | from almost all the leading cell phones can play |
| existence around the year 2001 in Japan, was far | | | | original music from these formats. The best part |
| superior in all aspects to the monophonic ones, as | | | | of this transformation is that enthusiasts can |
| this type could play different types of notes and | | | | create their own ringtones, especially in the MP3 |
| sounds, sometimes up to 40, at one time. Initial | | | | format, by using audio editing software and then |
| offerings of polyphonic melodies used the Musical | | | | transferring them to the hand set using any |
| Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) format. | | | | transfer devices like the data cable. |
| However, this format could play instrumental | | | | From the days when were just sounds produced |
| music, but not the original voices and tracks one | | | | by musical instruments, ringtones have travelled a |
| can hear emanating from the multitude of cell | | | | long distance where they have become part of |
| phones around him. The MIDI system ruled the | | | | the mainstream music industry. |