I Would Like My Cell Phone to "Ring"

September 28, 2006 1:41 PM

Where can I download ringtones that sound like actual "ring tones"? I don't want Black Eyed Peas or Justin Timberlake. A beeping or a ringing sound will do. I can't believe how difficult this has been to find. Thanks.
posted by wfc123 to Computers & Internet (16 answers total)

My most recent phone only came with just one standard "ringing" sound and one obnoxious beep-- the rest was all music. Add me to your crusade, I'll be checking to see if anyone can shed some light on this question.
posted by hermitosis at 2:14 PM on September 28, 2006

I hate ringtones myself, and the closest thing my phone has to a real ring still has an annoying clubby sounding echo to it. T-mobile only offers a couple of real rings, I downloaded one called "old phone" and it sounds like shit.
I recently realized that I can use any recorded sound as a ringtone, so I plan to record a real phone ringing and use that. Free, too.
posted by bradn at 2:28 PM on September 28, 2006

This is what I use. I found it via this archived discussion. You might also try looking for free uploader services for your provider.
posted by now i'm piste at 2:28 PM on September 28, 2006 [1 favorite]

I went here.
posted by Dipsomaniac at 2:41 PM on September 28, 2006

I hate most ringtones and I don't even watch the show 24 but I use these ringtones (direct mp3 links: 24 and 24b). Its surprisingly inoffensive.
posted by special-k at 2:57 PM on September 28, 2006

There is only one acceptable ringtone for my little phone: The ringtone from 24. I keep expecting Jack Bauer to call me with some important news about the President...
posted by tumble at 3:15 PM on September 28, 2006 [1 favorite]

I started using the '24' tones two phones back, I picked them because they sound like the ringers on many business land lines and because I am a secret agent, of course. I just recently noticed that almost everybody in my office over the age of 30 is now using these tones. It's really great, you barely notice that its a mobile ringing.
posted by paxton at 3:28 PM on September 28, 2006

I don't have a mobile phone, but if I did, I'd record some of my favourite local birdcalls and use one of those for a ringtone.
posted by flabdablet at 3:43 PM on September 28, 2006

My friend ran the 24 ringtone through an audio program and made a dozen subtle mixes of them, so that he could identify who was calling by the tone, but to the untrained ear...
posted by furtive at 4:41 PM on September 28, 2006

I'd record some of my favourite local birdcalls and use one of those for a ringtone

The first thing I did when I got my new phone was buy a cable and transfer some birdsong MP3s to it. I have American Robin, Common Loon, Western Meadowlark, and a bunch more. Helps to have a birdsong CD to rip them from. :-)
posted by DakotaPaul at 5:10 PM on September 28, 2006

One of my coworkers did something similar to the birdsong idea, but he used frogs. Very subtle and unobtrusive but distinctive enough that he knew that his phone was ringing. I liked it.
posted by quin at 5:41 PM on September 28, 2006

I spent ages trying to find a ring that was actually a ring and was free.

I gave up, downloaded a free midi composer package and stuck in a bell ringing. Doing it that way you can adjust it to the pitch and pace of your choice.

I still have my .mid but not a suitable webpage to stick it on. Email is in my profile however, and I'll pass it on to anyone that wants it.
posted by edd at 4:33 AM on September 29, 2006

I have an .mp3 version of the "classic" ringtone from the Motorola v-series phones - it's the ringtone I've always thought of as the, well, 'classic' ring for a cell phone. Simple digital phone ringing noise. I don't know about any weird copyright implications, but if anyone wants it, email me at chadbailey at gmail and I'll send it along when I get home from work.
posted by cebailey at 6:55 AM on September 29, 2006

The "24" ringtone is what I use. I first heard the ringer on a AT&T Merlin business phone system in the early 1990s. There are about 8 different variants, with various high/low tones, durations, and combinations after the initial "dut dut". The ones you hear on the show (and linked above) are the ringers used when a call is transferred internally.

AT&T sold the phone systems unit to Lucent, who also used the same tones in different models. Lucent sold the unit (and or became) Avaya. I have scoured teh internets and cannot find wav/mp3s of the other tones. I don't know if Cisco actually uses the same tones or if it's post production "artistic license."

This concludes this episode of "Telephone Ringtone Trivia." Thanks, and have a good weekend!
posted by jeversol at 11:59 AM on September 29, 2006

less offensive than a ring...a birdsong ringtone: www.birdfone.com
posted by poorsam at 8:42 AM on January 28, 2007

This might be the latest answer ever, but for those of you that have been emailing me asking for the 'classic' ringtone, you can download it from a post on my blog:

http://blog.chadbailey.net/2007/03/05/a-normal-cell-phone-ring/
posted by cebailey at 6:54 PM on March 5, 2007