Custom Ringtones...Is This Site Legit? [Archive]

Ksyrup

05-23-2006, 06:52 PM

Anyone used this site?

hxxp://mobile17.smashsworld.com/

You send them an MP3 or pic, and they turn it into a custom ringtone or wallpaper for your phone. You have to give them your cell phone number, but I've heard from other people that it is legit. What say you?

Hurst2112

05-23-2006, 07:36 PM

it's probably less legal than allofmp3.com

Ksyrup

05-23-2006, 07:37 PM

I have no clue about legality. I mean, I could create my own ringtone if I had the technical know-how. Is that illegal, especially when I can't even buy the ringtone I want?

Hurst2112

05-23-2006, 07:38 PM

check your PMs :D

Hurst2112

05-23-2006, 07:42 PM

Well,

In theory, polyphonic ring tones (MIDI) would require a mechanical license. I am not sure on the length of the sample laws.

Any reproduction of acutal copyrighted material is illegal to sell without permission. This would include a 15 second ringtone of a song.

panerd

05-23-2006, 07:43 PM

I would like to know also. I would love to have a Curb Your Enthusiasm ringtone. Could you fill me in on the problems of legality?

A better question... where can I get a Curb ringtone for a sprint phone?

Hurst2112

05-23-2006, 07:47 PM

I make my own tones. I have tried sending them to tmobile customers. They can't accept mp3 files. Veriozon customers can but you have to change the suffix to make the phone think its not an mp3. I don't know about sprint. I would imagine it would be possible but you have to find out how. I have cingular and it's as easy as sending a text.

I imagine that site has the knowledge of how to send stuff to all carriers.

It is illegal though. As illegal as downloading mp3s you didn't pay for.

Hurst2112

05-23-2006, 07:48 PM

dola:

the thing i don't like is that they ask for your number. That means that they could spam the shit out of your phone via texts.

Ksyrup

05-23-2006, 07:51 PM

Yeah, the spamming is what I'm worried about. There is no payment here, though - it's all free.

Actually, that's not quite true. You can get these totally free if you wait. If you make a donation, you jump to the beginning of the line.

Ksyrup

05-23-2006, 07:53 PM

It is illegal though. As illegal as downloading mp3s you didn't pay for.

If I'm sending them a 12 second clip of an MP3 I burned off of a CD I own, and all they're doing is putting it in a phone-ready format, I'm not sure the illegality is that cut and dried. Any more than if I ask you to do it for me.

Hurst2112

05-23-2006, 08:02 PM

they are profitting from a copyrighted piece of material. That is illegal anyway you slice it (unless you have permission to sell it).

Where is the company located?

Hurst2112

05-23-2006, 08:03 PM

dola:

Actually, are you PAYING for this? I guess I assumed you were. I didn't look at the site real close.

Hurst2112

05-23-2006, 08:08 PM

dola dola:

Looks like it's 'free' because of the ads.

Not sure of the law then (if they aren't charging). They are still making money off of copyrighted material (via ads) so I guess it still may be a sticky situation. Still, I wouldn't want to give them my phone number.

RPI-Fan

05-23-2006, 08:11 PM

panerd

05-23-2006, 08:13 PM

RPI-Fan

05-23-2006, 08:15 PM

I found an MP3 of the Curb Theme on the internet, but I have to admit I have zero technical knowledge of cell phones. Can anyone refer me to a site that describes how to do this that doesn't ask for your phone number to send you garbage?

Keep posted on this. I'd love a Curb theme as well as a Seinfeld theme (Seinfeld would be even better IMO).

oliegirl

05-23-2006, 08:18 PM

I use 3gupload.com for my ringtones, I pay $6.99 for 6 months and get unlimited "regular" ringtones and a certain amount of "premium" ringtones that are the actual clips converted to an mp3 format.

Hurst2112

05-23-2006, 08:21 PM

I have a Hanna/Barbara sound FX cd. You know, that noise of running in place and taking off? That's my text notifier. :D Also use the Jetson's ship taking off.

Ksyrup

05-23-2006, 08:22 PM

I would guess distributing music is illegal.

P2P file sharing is free and it is illegal.

But they're just "distributing" back to me a song (or more accurately, a 15 second clip) I gave them in the first place. They're not giving me access to a song I didn't already have. They're just putting it in another format.

RPI-Fan

05-23-2006, 08:28 PM

But they're just "distributing" back to me a song (or more accurately, a 15 second clip) I gave them in the first place. They're not giving me access to a song I didn't already have. They're just putting it in another format.

I'm not all that knowledgable or worried about it.

But if I were a record company lawyer I would ignore the whole cellphone thing and use this logic:

Transferring music via a p2p client is illegal.

Ergo Sending mp3's via email, to website owners is illegal.

Again, I don't know much about it but that's the first thing that jumped to mind.

caspanky

05-23-2006, 08:31 PM

I've used the site a couple times, and it's worked just fine for me. I've not gotten any spam texts, or calls or anything. Actually, thinking about it, I'm kinda due for a new ringtone anyway. Now the hard part, deciding what to use.

Neuqua

05-23-2006, 08:36 PM

I use 3gupload.com for my ringtones, I pay $6.99 for 6 months and get unlimited "regular" ringtones and a certain amount of "premium" ringtones that are the actual clips converted to an mp3 format.

I'm going to check this website out. I don't like the ones available at tmobile.com because they are cut so short.

panerd

05-23-2006, 08:57 PM

Keep posted on this. I'd love a Curb theme as well as a Seinfeld theme (Seinfeld would be even better IMO).

My research...

Here's a message board conversation (http://www.stanthecaddy.com/cye/discuss-11345-cye-theme-tune-midi.html) that links to the mp3 I discussed and then talks about a bunch of shit I don't understand.

Here is a British site (http://classicringtones.com/content.php?name=samples) that has a somewhat decent polyphonic ringtone. (It isn't as good as the real thing and it doesn't look like it does business with American phones)

I can find the information, but I just don't know what to do with any of it. The best bet would be using one of the sites that this thread is about, but I am not the biggest fan of doing things that I am aware are probably not legal. (And truthfully I am more scared about the spam then the law on this one)

JeeberD

05-24-2006, 06:57 AM

Here's a fairly easy way to create ringtones out of MP3s or WAVs for Sprint phones. I've used it many a time with no problems...

hxxp://www.sprintusers.com/free-ringtones.php

Passacaglia

05-24-2006, 12:43 PM

Try www.howardforums.com -- tons of cellphone/ringtone info there.

I use Audacity to edit my MP3's to a shorter clip. Only thing is, I have to save the file with a .midi at the end of the name (as Hurst said, so it thinks it's not an MP3). Then I use BitPim and a USB cable to transfer the files to my phone. Learned how to do all this from Howard Forums.

Terps

05-24-2006, 01:06 PM

Try www.howardforums.com (http://www.howardforums.com) -- tons of cellphone/ringtone info there.

I use Audacity to edit my MP3's to a shorter clip. Only thing is, I have to save the file with a .midi at the end of the name (as Hurst said, so it thinks it's not an MP3). Then I use BitPim and a USB cable to transfer the files to my phone. Learned how to do all this from Howard Forums.

I do the same except I use GoldWave for editing. My phone accepts the .mp3 extension though.

I wish I knew about the Howard Forums site about 4 or 5 years ago when I got my first cell phone because I taught myself how to do all of that.

rkmsuf

05-24-2006, 01:09 PM

there is something queer to me about ringtones and the little songs they play when you get a call.

just let it ring like a normal phone dammit. I don't need mozart coming out of your phone.

stevew

05-24-2006, 01:12 PM

I hate it when people let all 50 seconds of a clip play out before they answer.

oliegirl

05-24-2006, 01:14 PM

there is something queer to me about ringtones and the little songs they play when you get a call.

just let it ring like a normal phone dammit. I don't need mozart coming out of your phone.

You would hate to be around me then, all of my friends and family have their own ringtone so I know it's them without even looking at the phone...every few months I go in and download a ton of new ringtones and change everyone's ringtone :)

rkmsuf

05-24-2006, 01:28 PM

You would hate to be around me then, all of my friends and family have their own ringtone so I know it's them without even looking at the phone...every few months I go in and download a ton of new ringtones and change everyone's ringtone :)

yes, you would have to die

rkmsuf

05-24-2006, 01:48 PM

Back in my day you could be "not home" and it was no big deal. Only doctors were on call and they probably hated it. Now everyone loves it.

Passacaglia

05-24-2006, 02:19 PM

Back in my day you could be "not home" and it was no big deal. Only doctors were on call and they probably hated it. Now everyone loves it.

Unlike doctors, most of us don't get calls telling us to do a bunch of work.

I don't see being available as a problem. Even before I had a cell phone, if someone called and I didn't feel like talking, I didn't answer. Getting a cell phone didn't change that -- it just made me more available, gave me a chance to easily get myself out of a jam if my car breaks down, and entertain me with some mindless game every so often. Sure, five years later, I do text messages every so often (which means I can give/get info from people without actually having to turn it into a whole conversation) and listen to music on it now, but I don't see your premise as having changed.

rkmsuf

05-24-2006, 02:29 PM

Unlike doctors, most of us don't get calls telling us to do a bunch of work.

I don't see being available as a problem. Even before I had a cell phone, if someone called and I didn't feel like talking, I didn't answer. Getting a cell phone didn't change that -- it just made me more available, gave me a chance to easily get myself out of a jam if my car breaks down, and entertain me with some mindless game every so often. Sure, five years later, I do text messages every so often (which means I can give/get info from people without actually having to turn it into a whole conversation) and listen to music on it now, but I don't see your premise as having changed.

bah, now it's "how come you didn't pick up" or crap like that.

It's just overkill to me the way I see people using the things. "ooh, honey I'm over at Sears can you meet me at Chick Fil A?" It's just a cooler walkie talkie. I never saw the big need or hue and cry for walkie talkies in the mall.

some people would literally be ill if you took their little phone machines away from them.

stevew

05-24-2006, 02:32 PM

"what you doin"
"At the store"
"Oh no she didnt"
"well be that way"

wade moore

05-24-2006, 02:37 PM

oliegirl

05-24-2006, 02:40 PM

Back in my day you could be "not home" and it was no big deal. Only doctors were on call and they probably hated it. Now everyone loves it.

We got rid of our landline when we moved into the house and only have our cell phones...I love it! There has only been one or two occasions in the past year where Cingular had a problem and we didn't have service. It's great because when someone asks for your number all you have to do is give your cell...none of the "try me at home and then call my cell". Also, we don't get telemarketing calls, which is wonderful!