Vringo adds video ringtone creator

Video ringtone company Vringo has launched Vringo Studio, which gives user the capability to create their own video calling cards. Previously, users could only select from a pre-built library of videos on the site. With the new Vringo Studio, users can search for any video on YouTube, select a portion of it up to 30 seconds long, and send it to their phone, where it can become their outbound ringtone for other Vringo users.

The Vringo.com main site also supports the creation of custom video ringtones, and from sources other than YouTube, including videos on a user's computer. But it's very picky on what it will work with (video files have to be under 2MB, for example), and it has no clip editor.

Vringo Studio lets you create your own outbound video ringtones from YouTube clips.

As far as I can tell, Vringo Studio, which is in beta, is not linked to from the main Vringo site. That's just as well; I found the current version of the online app buggy.

Vringo's video support has always been cool, and the capability you now have to make your own videos rounds out the service. But it's the outbound ringtone capability that sets Vringo apart. Vringo lets you decide what your ringtone looks and sounds like to people receiving your call; most ringtone selectors just let you define what the ring is when people call you.

In order for Vringo to work, both caller and callee need the Vringo app on their phones (it's available for a lot of phone platforms--but not the iPhone). It can be a lot of fun, and it's a very viral app. If you want to join in so you can see how your friends' video ringtones when you call, you need the app. Vringo is forming deals with carriers to help with distribution (it recently got on the Turkish carrier Avea). The service is free at first, but there's a subscription fee after the trial.

Previously: Vringo. Video ringtones. Get it?