As SF State students race to download the latest and coolest ring tone to their cell phones, music artists and producers hear the ka’-ching of the registers and rake it in.

According to Forbes Magazine, customized ring tones were a $2.5 billion industry worldwide in 2003. While downloaders in the U.S. accounted for $80 million in 2003, Forbes estimated that that figure would rise to $100 million by year’s end.

Customized ring tones are 30-second song clips that substitute for the standardized ring. These tones usually cost between $ .99 to $2.00.

Drew Young, speech communication senior, has 15 to 20 different song clips for ringers. “I love music,” he said. “It’s like a competition with your friends. When you got that one hit that no one has, you’re envied, and everyone wants to know where you got it.”

Ronen Sperto, senior in theater arts, demonstrated his customized ring tone to two friends who burst into laughter at what they heard.

“It’s a clip from an early-80’s workout tape,” explained Sperto, who downloaded the ring tone from Cingular’s website. “It’s Arnold Schwarzenegger counting down an aerobic workout to Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believing.’”

Although he was happy with his Cingular ring tone, he was shocked to find that the $1.99 price tag for the specialized tone ended up costing $5 after state and federal taxed were added to his cell phone bill.

“It’s about personality and personalizing your phone,” said Jamar Collins, industrial arts senior, who has a different ring tone for each of his friends and family members. “My phone has web access so I download the rings that are free. If there is one that I really, really want and I know my friends don’t have it, I’ll break down and pay for it. Otherwise, I’m happy with the ones that are free.”

Marie Adorable, an undeclared freshman, said that rather than downloading song clips she composes her own music to personalize her ring tone. While she acknowledged this may take more time than downloading clips of published songs, Adorable noted that students can compose rings while waiting in a long line or are bored.

“We have our phones with us all the time anyway,” said Adorable, who declared that the ability to compose her own original music for ring tones is an art form. “People can [compose ring clips] when they get bored or have some extra time on their hands. And it’s a great way for everyone to hear your music.”
Because some students deem the price tag too high for these downloadable ring tones, they have figured a way around the $1.50 to $1.99 fees. Nicholas Argintino, a freshman in biophysics, said he has between 15 and 20 ring tones on his cell phone that he has not paid for. He explained how he and his friends swap ring tones.
“First, you go to the ring tone option on your cell phone and press send,” explained Argentino. “Then I align my infrared light on the top of my cell phone with the infrared lights on my brother’s or friends’ cell phone and press send. ”
“I do it because I don’t want to pay,” said Argentino.
According to Dr. Sanjit Sengupta, chair of SF States marketing department, customized ring tones are the latest form of caller I.D. He said that people no longer have to pick up their phone to see who is calling because the ring tones can identify the caller from across the room.

“It’s entertainment, first and foremost,” said Sengupta. “People download songs to their iPods and movies to DVDs, so downloading song clips is characteristic of the trend in technology to make life more convenient.”
Sengupta said that although we live in a digital divide, where everyone cannot afford to purchase the latest technological invention upon conception, prices eventually decline with demand, allowing the penetration of technology to ultimately even out.
“Before, we couldn’t buy music for $ .99,” continued Sengupta. “You had to spend $17 on the whole album if you wanted to hear a song. But the more people demand a product, the cheaper it becomes. Instant gratification of the affluent drives down the cost for those less affluent.”
“On the upside, it will add great value to our need for convenience,” said Sengupta. “The downside is we’re too easily accessible and have to deal with intrusions at all hours of the day and night.”
Kat Allen , environmental studies freshman said that she considers spending money on ring tones outrageous, so she avoids the temptation by leaving her cell phone on vibrate.
.“It just goes to show how out of control technology has become,” said Allen. “I’m just not that attached to my cell phone where I feel the need to spend more than I have to just to hear it ring differently.”