Microsoft details custom ringtone support in Windows Phone Mango

By Tom Warren, on 28th Jun 11 8:30 pm with 57 Comments

Microsoft detailed its new custom ringtone support on Tuesday, due in the upcoming Windows Phone Mango release.

The software giant admitted that better ringtone support was a common feature request for Windows Phone 7. “If there’s one request we’ve heard over and over since launching Windows Phone last year, it’s this: More ringtones,” said Microsoft’s Alice Luu in a blog posting on Tuesday.

Microsoft is expecting to see a large number of ringtone-related applications in the Windows Phone Marketplace once Mango is available later this year. “In Mango, any Marketplace app that revolves around sound or music—karaoke apps, sound effect apps, DJ apps, music instrument apps—potentially become a source of new custom ringtones for your phone,” says Luu.

Microsoft will also support MP3 or WMA ringtones. The tones can be installed using the Zune software and require the following elements:

39 seconds or shorter
smaller than 1 megabyte (MB)
saved in MP3 or WMA format
not copy-protected (i.e. DRM free)

Windows Phone Mango also includes a number of new ringtones. Microsoft has added 9 new native ringtones. The software maker compiled them in-house using their own ethnomusicologist and sound designer. “We take sound design pretty seriously here,” admits Luu. “We hope you like what you hear!”

Thanks to WinRumors reader Vanderson for the news tip

Custom ringtones in Windows Phone Mango

http://www.searingarrow.com AlienSix

w00t w00t
http://twitter.com/ondraster Ondra Moravek

We (or at least I) want the new ringtones, please. Share them, please, Microsoft, right now!
Rfso88

So i can’t use any *.m4a songs without converting them? :
- http://profiles.google.com/amxfonseca André Fonseca
  
  At least you don’t have to cut the file, convert it to *.m4a and rename it to *.m4r like in my iPhone.
http://twitter.com/starksimon Stark

Why the f*ck do the have to limit the ringtone length to 40 seconds or less!? My old BlackBerrys could play ANY .mp3 file, no matter how long it was. I really don’t understand. It’s just stupid.
- Anonymous
  
  It’s not stupid. Why would you need longer? The most you’re going to listen of your ringtone is 10 secs, 20 max, really. You let your phone play the whole song before you pick it up? Then maybe you should pick up that blackberry again.
- http://twitter.com/AsTh11 Alessandro Grua
  
  And I don’t understand what’s the problem with that? If someone calls you, you should answer and not listen to the music! You can do that some other time.
- Mestiphal
  
  Actually, both statements are valid. yes, if you let the phone ringing, after about 20 seconds it will just go into VM and the ring will stop.
  
  But if you have a full song (from your music collection) you can’t just use that as your ring tone. means you have to grab the MP3, use some audio software and chop the song at 39 seconds… that also means you can’t change ring tones on the fly, you have to sit down and build them before you can use them.
- CandidCalum
  
  How do you know there won’t be an option in the new Zune software (or its replacement) to cut down MP3s ready for ringtone use?
- Joe
  
  Or that it just does the first 39 seconds of a song
- http://twitter.com/IGXChristoph Christoph Hernandez
  
  It wouldn’t have been a restriction if that were the case
- http://twitter.com/IGXChristoph Christoph Hernandez
  
  It wouldn’t have been a restriction if that were the case
- Ap Fan
  
  MS building a close system on par with Apple, not good
- HenningK
  
  Closed? You can take any MP3 or WMA file that isn’t DRM’ed and shoehorn it into a ringtone. How is that similar to Apple’s completely closed (for-pay) ringtone system?
- http://twitter.com/IGXChristoph Christoph Hernandez
  
  It wouldn’t have been a restriction if that were the case
- Mestiphal
  
  Actually, both statements are valid. yes, if you let the phone ringing, after about 20 seconds it will just go into VM and the ring will stop.
  
  But if you have a full song (from your music collection) you can’t just use that as your ring tone. means you have to grab the MP3, use some audio software and chop the song at 39 seconds… that also means you can’t change ring tones on the fly, you have to sit down and build them before you can use them.
- http://twitter.com/starksimon Stark
  
  I can guarantee you that I don’t listen to the music when someone is calling me. But I do want to wake up to some chill-out music. 40 secs is just not enough for me. And just to be clear, I can’t wait to get a WP. But pick an old Nokia or Sony Ericsson and you’ll see what I’m talking about. If there’s an mp3 file on the phone, you can set it as a ringtone without any limitations.
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_VGQMRQOQYPZHFOGRIZ53F646KU Not ice_fusion.
  
  Wow. How long does your cellphone provider let your phone ring for and who is it?
- http://profiles.google.com/amxfonseca André Fonseca
  
  True. In my country the limit is 30 seconds on all operators.
- http://twitter.com/starksimon Stark
  
  I can guarantee you that I don’t listen to the music when someone is calling me. But I do want to wake up to some chill-out music. 40 secs is just not enough for me. And just to be clear, I can’t wait to get a WP. But pick an old Nokia or Sony Ericsson and you’ll see what I’m talking about. If there’s an mp3 file on the phone, you can set it as a ringtone without any limitations.
- Anonymous
  
  the ringtone is to alert you of a incoming call, not to get everyone up and start dancing.
- Morgan Wisbey
  
  So you must be one of those people who lets their phone ring forever just so everyone around you can listen to how cool of a badass you are because you have the latest Pitbull song as your ring tone. Seriously if you haven’t picked up your phone in 10 seconds then those around you deserve to grab your phone and beat you senseless with it. Another question for you. What service provider allows your phone to ring for longer than 40 seconds before going to voicemail?
- http://twitter.com/starksimon Stark
  
  No, you are wrong. My phone is always on silent (or vibrate) when I’m in public. Second, I always pick up the phone asap. Third, I don’t listen to that crap you call music. Apple has introduced this 40 secs limit and I really don’t know why MS has to copy it.
- Morgan Wisbey
  
  Ok Ok. So you want something that is an alert tone for alarms and not for incoming calls. That makes sense my friend. Then in that case what we should all be hoping for is the ability to select any one of your songs in your music collection as an alarm. I don’t think that is a bad idea at all. When you say ring tone though everyone assumes you are talking about incoming call alerts. I hope they overhaul the alarm function though. a hard coded 5 min snooze is worthless to me.
- Et Jay
  
  They are hoping if they copy Apple enough they may eventually get something like Apple like sales.
- Anonymous
  
  wow, dude… thats like you complain about anything. you try to find some point to complain about.
  they are adding custom ringtones support, isn’t that good enough for you?.
  why you need a 4 minutes song, for a call that if you dont answer in some seconds it will not sound anymore.
  
  I still understand you, maybe windows phone should have a ring editor or something to trim songs to 40 or less seconds without much work. but still its not like 812738 songs will be your ringtones. and probably there will be apps that will do what i say. but its not like alot of work to be honest.
- Guest
  
  xEmily do you work for MS? It seems like it because instead of listen to the customer your trying to tell them there wrong, just like Ballmer did for years when he said Window Mobile was as good enough.
- https://profiles.google.com/christopher.gull/ CG
  
  39 seconds sounds like some kind of policy, maybe bending the law a bit and not calling it an actual music file, but just a preview?! Just like some dSLR only film up to some certain extent so the maker doesn’t have to pay royalties or however the politics works.
http://twitter.com/JLancaster3 J Lancaster

@stark Are you really upset that you can’t play the full length song as a ringtone? This is by design. @Rfso88 download audacity and rename your file.
Anonymous

sweet, sweet beiber tones here i come!
Test1ngi23

Welcome to 2011 Microsoft!
- http://twitter.com/oolong2 oolong2
  
  More like welcome to 2005…
- Joe
  
  You mean 1997, right? I’ve had custom ringtones long before 2011, but my WP7 has been void (or rather, should be void of ie:xda ftw) of ringtones since release.
- http://twitter.com/Wheezle211 Wheezle
  
  You could not do this in 1997.
Anonymous

This is GOOD news. My GF and mom will be quite happy, haha…
I’ll excited about this too, but to be honest, my phone is on vibrate more often than not these days.
- DrewD
  
  “but to be honest, my phone is on vibrate more often than not these days”
  then maybe you should spend a little more time with that girlfriend… : p
- Anonymous
  
  First Panel: The “I Lied Guy” appears -> “Actually I don’t have a girlfriend.”
  
  Second Panel ( last one ): “ForeverAlone Guy” appears -> “Forever Alone.”
  
  :S
- Anonymous
  
  First Panel: The “I Lied Guy” appears -> “Actually I don’t have a girlfriend.”
  
  Second Panel ( last one ): “ForeverAlone Guy” appears -> “Forever Alone.”
  
  :S
Morgan Wisbey

Just no barking dogs or chainsaws, motorcycles, shotguns or any other nonsense. Just give me some cool zen-like ring towns that work for the professional environment. Peace!
Anonymous

So do you have to clip the songs your self?
Anonymous

So do you have to clip the songs your self?
- Entegy
  
  At the moment yes, but it the Zune software will probably have some sort of cut ability once Mango comes out.
http://twitter.com/IGXChristoph Christoph Hernandez

I, like the others on this, am disappointed by the 39 second limit, but only if it requires me to edit song files. I am fine if Zune just cuts it and adds only the first 39 seconds of it automatically.
http://twitter.com/IGXChristoph Christoph Hernandez

I, like the others on this, am disappointed by the 39 second limit, but only if it requires me to edit song files. I am fine if Zune just cuts it and adds only the first 39 seconds of it automatically.
Khiangtech

when will the video player support xvid etc
- HenningK
  
  XViD? I seriously thought that was dead by now. H264 is pretty much a standard these days, even for ..less expensive content, if you catch my drift
Anonymous

I’m accept the time limit, 39 limit is enough for ringtone
but 1MB is not enough for build the quality ringtone.

better if it no any limit.
- http://profiles.google.com/amxfonseca André Fonseca
  
  210kbps is not enough? 96kbps is more than perfect for a smartphone speaker dude. Do you connect your phone to some studio speakers to hear the ringtone?
- Anonymous
  
  Nope, I’m use wma lossless on my carp HD7 speakerphone.
  It’s 20MB file size and I don’t care about size.
- Anonymous
  
  Nope, I’m use wma lossless on my carp HD7 speakerphone.
  It’s 20MB file size and I don’t care about size.
http://twitter.com/laserfloyd Lewis McCrary

39 second limit? No problem. Just Bing! Audacity and download it. It’s a free audio editor. Eventually I’m sure they’d put an option in Zune to create your custom ring tone. Someone might even be able to write an app for it? And 1mb is PLENTY big for a quality ring tone. It’s not like it’s going to be coming through a Bose Wave Radio.
Anonymous

Sounds like an update for Zune software
TryllZ

In my country if some calls the cell rings for a minute before being disconnected, if unanswered, in this case the ring will stop shy of 1 full minute…and either start over the mp3 again or the sound stops and call vibrates…not quite expected this behaviour from M$…
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1670567011 Mike Pietrorazio

Forget ringtones. Use Vibrate. There is nothing more
annoying than being out in public and being forced to listen to some chicks
stupid song blearing while she shuffles through her purse to find the phone and
holds up the entire checkout line just so she can catch up on the latest drama.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1670567011 Mike Pietrorazio

Forget ringtones. Use Vibrate. There is nothing more
annoying than being out in public and being forced to listen to some chicks
stupid song blearing while she shuffles through her purse to find the phone and
holds up the entire checkout line just so she can catch up on the latest drama.
johnw

Great, this feature should have been included from the very beginning. My wife was ready to dump her Windows phone because she couldn’t customize it with her favorite ringtones. I was able to convince her to wait until the new update comes out in a couple months. Who knows how many additional Windows phone users there would be now if this simple customization feature was already included.
Anonymous

Why do they have to put a red tape on everything on wp7? I dont really use custom ringtone but for lot of people who do it matter.. Why do they want to put people through the extra hustle of editing a song in order to make it a ring tone? Just dont understand who makes these kinds of decisions at MS