Custom ring tones put personality into cell phones

So I was cat-nappin’ in the hammock outside, when my cell phone – in the kitchen – rang.

After hearing a few notes of “Frontin’ ” by the Neptunes, I didn’t move a muscle.

“Frontin’ ” is the cell phone “ring” that plays when someone other than family or close friends calls. Chances are, I thought, it’s someone from work.

When I got my new cell a few months ago, I joined the rest of the world in its fascination with “real music” ring-tones.

Yeah, I could have stuck with one of the six standard one-tone ringers or the 20 polyphonics that came with the phone.

But where’s the fun in that? Why settle for the theme from “The Sting” when for $1.95 I could download “Beautiful Day” by U2?

My ring-tone revelry reached a new level when I realized I could assign different songs to people in my “Contacts” list.

I think of it as musical caller ID.

I usually pair friends with ringers by their favorite artists. “Live- Freestyle” plays when Mr. Wu-Tang Fan calls. “Super Freak” by Rick James goes off for two of my more adventurous friends. “Sabotage” signals that I’m hearing from a friend who loves the Beastie Boys.

Current Cute Guy has two tones: “Heaven” by Los Lonely Boys for calls; “Take Me Out” by Franz Ferdinand for text-messages.

I hear “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge when any family member remembers that I have a cell phone. I rejected “The Addams Family” theme because of poor sound quality.

Last year, the ring-tone industry scored $3.5 billion in revenue, according to industry estimates. Users download tone-tunes from Web sites or from their cell phone service providers. Some downloads are free. Most range from $1 to $3.50; many sites offer subscriptions.

Billboard magazine is now listing a chart of top ring tones. The data is compiled from major ring-tone distributors and wireless carriers, according to Billboard.

You can find all types of music: rap, polkas, college fight songs. Plus, there are clips of dialog from movies and TV shows.

Video ring tones are the next big thing, experts say. I can wait for those. Well, at least until my next cell phone upgrade.

Watch for even more innovative ways to customize cell phones, says Nancy Beaton, Sprint general manager of wireless music and personalization.

The next step in mobile customization is AAC sound, which has CD-like quality, Beaton says.

In addition, there probably will be video ringers that not only play your favorite song, but also show a short clip of the video.

“It’s all about personalization,” Beaton says. “People buy ringers to customize their phones. They want ringers that are popular, the songs that they enjoy and they want ringers that have a special place for them.”

Ring, Ding, Dong

Here are a few sites from which to download ring tones. Check whether your phone is compatible on the site.

www.3gforfree.com: Free from your mobile phone. $7 gets one year of unlimited downloads, previews and a bigger selection from your PC. This site requires special software for access.

www.3gupload.com: Free registration. $10 gets you one year of unlimited downloads. $6 gets you six months.

www.mbuzzy.com: Free registration. There are free ringers and ringers for purchase starting at $1.

www.myphonefiles.com: Free registration. It’s $3 a month for unlimited access, $14 for 6 months and $29 a year.

www.matrixm.com: Free registration. There are free ringers and ringers for purchase starting at $1.