iPhone ringtones will cost you

(Credit: Apple.com)

MacRumors has confirmed that the forthcoming version of iTunes will contain a built-in ringtone creation utility for songs purchased via the iTunes Music Store. Users will be able to right-click on purchased songs and select "Make into Ringtone," which will give them a small audio workspace to select the 30 seconds they want to use as a new ringtone. According to MacRumors, the use of this feature will cost $.99 per track--a fee which goes toward licensing the music for your mobile phone. That means the total fee for a ringtone is $1.98.

There's no confirmation of whether users will be able to use this feature on music ripped from CDs or other DRM-free tracks.

All things considered, this isn't a bad price for a ringtone. However, for many mobile phone users, iTunes has long been a fairly simple way to convert music tracks into mobile ringtones using its importing tool. It's been confirmed that the iPhone won't play your full music tracks as ringtones.

iTunes 7.3 will be required for both activation and sync of the iPhone. Apple is expected to release the updated software Friday morning.

[dredgerie]

shouldn't have to pay...

I don't know if it'll work for protected files bought from the store, but I know
editing an mp3 song to the 30 second length and then exporting it is just as
easy as the import feature in itunes... If this phone will let you use songs as
ringtones, which it sounds like it will, that would be easiest. even easier, if you
have a small enough library to fit the size of the phone, all you'd have to do is
sync the phone and it'd be there for you, waiting to be used.

[PokerCardEnt]

no kidding

Wow Cnet, thanks for letting us know that quality ringtones cost money... of course, the iPhone isn't the only phone on earth with ringtones, if I'm not mistaken, but I appreciate you using this news to bash the iPhone yet again. Morons.

[cali321]

RE: no kidding

You must be a Verizon wireless customer. Their practice of crippling the built in functions (ie using mp3s you place on the phone's memory card as ringtones) of their mobile phones is appalling.
Are you telling me that I didn't just edit one of the .mp3 songs on my computer this morning down to ~30 sec. and transfer it onto the MMC card of my old-school Nokia 6230 and am not currently using it as a high-quality ringtone?

[isykal]

Apple Sheep

You sound more like an Apple Sheep. Pointing out a fact doesn't make CNET a basher. If I were to spend $600 on a device, I would definitely want to know everything about it including the FLAWS! Not everything Apple makes is gold you know.

[fonecrazy]

paing a price for ringtones is atrocious!!

hi
i feel that there is no point in enabling a phone to have the capability of mp3 ringtones , if you are gonna be forced to pay for them because, its kinda obvious that they just wanna make money out of you! i use www.mymp3tone.com for downloading free ringtones to my mobile, in mp3 format.i just upload my mp3s to the site and edi it ..then you can downloasd via WAP..they dont charge..i wonder why the anyone should charge anyway??
cheers~!

[natejohnstone]

recockulous

I can use loaded MP3s as ringtones on my Sony w810i, doesn't cost me a thing. If Apple wants people to see the iPhone as BETTER than the competition, than it's little things like this that will be the keys. You should be able to use your own music as ringtones on a device you pay $600 for.

[motoguzzi99]

Such a joke

Hello??? Are these guys silly? Phone Sherpa has been letting people make their own tones for years and you can make as many as you like. Why would anyone pay $0.99 for DRM'd crap from Apple?

[Isherry080393]

Dont Understand

there are hundreds of phones out on the market today but apple items always want to push the limit. It already costs 500-600 dollars what more could they do to ppl's wallets. I am a big ringtone junkie and I'm waiting til' there's word about this issue, because I dont wanna have to buy ringtones for a phone that has less features than a blackberry just because everyone's raving overit

[melissamonk]

iphone ringtones

Apple excels at integrating technology easily for consumers, but they must realize they are entering a pre-existing market when it comes to ringtones. They must allow people to use existing services like iphoneringtones.com.

[melissamonk]

third party ringtones for the iphone

I personally want to make sure I can use ringtones from third parties, like at the http://www.iphoneringtones.com website. If apple makes ringtones proprietary, they've learned nothing from their smackdown with windows.

[Joannazl]

Just a ringtone, $1.98???

I found another way to create ringtones for iPhone. http://iphoneringtonemaker.blogspot.com/2009/02/how-to-make-free-iphone-ringtones-from.html