How to put up a Ring Tones site

And let mobile users download them?

[ideavirus]

Hello,

I am thinking of putting up a Ring Tones site and let mobile users download those ring tones, logos on to their mobile!

1. Is it network dependent?
2. Is it mobile(hardware) dependent?
3. What are the various ways of letting users download them on to their phone?
4. what is the best price to charge for the same?
5. Any idea, how exactly are these ring tones made/coded in the first place? What kind of person ( in terms of expertise ), should I contact to generate or make ring tones?
6. Any trademarks/patent related legal info, i should be careful of?

Also, since i do not know anything about this ring tones biz, I request you to please give me as much info as possible!

If any of you run a Ring Tones and/or logos site, Kindly contact me by PM here or mail me!

Thank you for your valuable time.

Regards

[nicebloke]

Just fyi in the UK the way it normally works is that someone has to dial a premium rate phone number, enter a code, and the ringtone is then sent to their phone.

The market is getting pretty saturated in the UK, there are providers who will give you your own number to promote, and they do the rest.

[EliteWeb]

ideavirus, i was looking into this a while ago since in the USA there wernt any ringtone sites which were able to download or send the tones like there was for the UK. The server to handle this i was quoted started at 10,000.00, its probably just a modem rack conencted to a computer(s) making outbound calls and possibly just detecting mobile types and sending the information via the Internet if the network type is known to avoid such calls. Now there are sites in the united states which do this heh even companies like cingular have their own download sites.

And since I follow Cell Phone ringtone sites I know so many of them get shut down due to (c) materials wether it be from another site or the companies who logo is being used.

[ideavirus]

The server to handle this i was quoted started at 10,000.00

EliteWeb :
This can be really scray. Huh
You mean, it requires special designed servers to handle this kind of thingy?Can't we handle Ring Tones delivery on to the mobile phones..,.may be with a VDS, if not using shared hosting?
Could you please tell me, what else did you find out when you enquired and tried to launch a Ring Tones site!?

nicebloke:
Yep, once i had a talk to partner with one of the UK companies offering such a service. he infact, could have done it for me here in India, but he said I would be charged ISD call charges, which economically is almost impossible for me, right?

[b]Also, I guess some sites like MSN has a different way of letting mobile users download Ring Tones ... like just give a Mobile Number ( probably including the specific codes ) and just get them on to ur mobile!

I was just wondering, If it is possible to to do something like " Send this article to your Friends" type!

Also, I am putting up a site for the Indian Market...hardly any infact...and it can be lucrative, if i can get it going, since a new nationwide very economical mobile network will go functional in a couple of weeks time.
Infact, only the major portals here have a few ring tones and logos for this Indian market!

Hmm, i really don't want to miss this opportunity.

Also, I'd like to know, if there is a any difference in ring tones for GSM phones and CDMA phones , I mean technically speaking?

Thanks again for all the input.
I'd like to have more input on this.

Regards

[olias]

Do you know what the most popular brands/models of mobile phone are in India? It is easiest to send to Nokia phones.

Sorry I don't know the difference between CDMA and GSM, but there is a difference between the wat TDMA and GSM phones handle ringtones.

[nicebloke]

A friend of mine does have the software to actually send out tones from his PC, and I'm pretty sure he didn't pay 10K for it. I shall ask.

[ideavirus]

olias :

The latest new CDMA nation wide network, i was talking about is using CDMA... LG made, I am really not sure of the model, since they are yet to show us the Mobile phone. But I have heard that its the entry level CDMA phone from LG!Probably, you could make an intelligent guess out of it.
This I am very particular b'cos...this phone will be almost used by around 5 million people ( estimated ) in an years time.

Okay, users using other GSM based mobile networks use Nokia mostly...but yes, some do have phones other than Nokia...like samsung and motorola.

Thanks again for the input!
If any of you can help me with this and cannot be posted on the boards ( amounting to violating the forum rules )...kind send me a PM!

Nicebloke :

Just let me know after talking to your friend...also please find out, if the same app/script can be developed to handle the Ring Tone delivery from a server?

Regards

[tigger]

a friend of mine has been into ringtones for some years and he's just getting out as the market is so saturated here, a good idea but 3 years too late, too many big players spending £x,xxx's on add's & marketing

[nicebloke]

Not good news I'm afraid. My mate simply has an account with a company that runs the kind of server that EliteWeb describes.

It cost him around 10p a go to send a ringtone.

[Mike_Mackin]

>so saturated

Makes for a nice add on page in a cellular phone site. Even at a 50% payout rate on co-branded deal there is little $ compared to phones/activations.

[nicebloke]

I know a year ago in the UK some tones sites were making £10K+ per month. Now it seems every site / portal is offering ringtones. I'm sure there are still a few doing very well out of it.

[ideavirus]

In reply to the markets being saturated...It could be true in case of US and some of the european markets...but here in India... I hardly see any sites offering some rintones matching the local taste.

Since i clearly see some potential here...i'd like to know, If it is economically possible to partner or co-brand with some biggie site(s) in western countries and offer to local mobile users here!?

Thanks again