I saw my first “Ringles” at Borders yesterday. A ringle is apparently a CD single (remember those?) with two or three tracks and a ring tone (not sure if the ring tone is actually on the disc or if they give you a code to download it or what). I can’t remember all the artists but several eras were represented from the 50’s (Elvis) to more recent stuff.

I have zilch interest in the ring tones, but I was tempted to buy the disc featuring Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Want to Have Fun, as it includes the original b-side Right Train, Wrong Track which has never been on CD to my knowledge. My one fear is that this is going to be one of those discs that, because of extra software, make it difficult or impossible to extract the music tracks for burning to another disc. Has anyone had any experience with these yet?

Ringles at Amazon

Glenn:

A couple years ago, our friend Jay in GA discovered a budget 3-CD Cyndi Lauper comp titled 36 All-Time Favorites that not only includes "Right Train, Wrong Track," but is chockful of non-lp tracks, b-sides, and soundtrack songs. It's the kind of thing you'd find at Costco. Amazon is out of stock, but I imagine it wouldn't be too hard to find.



I just wonder who makes up the target audience for these ringles. The extra tracks are clearly aimed at "mature" collectors, who will probably have little use for the ringtones.

Jimbo, thanks for the tip! I don't go into warehouse stores often so I never saw that Lauper set. I'll have to look for it.

Regarding the target audience for ringles, I get the feeling they're not sure who would want these, which is why they're using such a scattershot approach.

I also saw that a ringle for Michael Jackson's "Thriller" will carry the non-LP B-side "Can't Get Outta the Rain", which curiously enough was NOT included on the "Thriller" single in the DualDisc boxed set from last year.

I guess now is as good of a time as any to ask...how does one get one of these ringles, or any bonus ringtone for that matter, onto their cell phone?

This is curious. I was back in that Borders store this week and the ringles had completely disappeared from the shelf. I thought maybe they had been moved but didn't see them anywhere else. Just for the heck of it I looked up one of the titles on Amazon and they're showing a November 6 release date. I'm thinking maybe someone at the store put them out too soon. Strange.

Here's an article that explains more about the Ringle format:

http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/005393.html

Music Industry to Bundle Ringtones in "Ringle" CDs

It's no mystery that the recording industry has been fighting an uphill battle to keep people from stealing music on P2P networks and buying single $.99 songs on iTunes. The music industry longs for the days we had to walk to our local record store and buy an entire CD to own our favorite tune. That's why the music executives created the ringle.

A ringle is packaged as a regular audio CD, but only comes with three songs and a ringtone. A ringle CD will include a hit single by an artist, a remix song, an older track from the artist and a ringtone version of the hit. In order to redeem the ringtone you have to pop the CD into a PC for online verification.

Sony BMG coined the new phrase ringle and Universal Music Group says it along with Sony will sell ringles, according to a news report by Reuters. Sony will reportedly release 50 Ringles in October and November. Universal reportedly has 10 to 20 Ringles in the works. Several major retailers including Wal-Mart, Target, Amazon and Best Buy say they expect to offer the Ringles at $6 to $7 a pop.

The ringle has been blessed by the Recording Industry Association of America which is working on logo for the ringle format and will work to promote it.

The success of ringles may vary. The in-store single is a dying format, but tapping into the ringtone craze is a good ploy to breathe some life into the format. But again, in the digital age of one-click purchases and ringtone downloads purchased and downloaded through your mobile phone, will consumers be willing to deal the CD to get what they want?

Verizon Wireless charges $4.50 for many of its ringtones. Would I pay a few bucks more for three songs - perhaps. Remixes tend to be a love it or hate it deal, but if quality B-sides and perhaps even demos make their way onto ringle releases, record labels may be striking gold.

(To be honest I have no interest in the ringtones themselves, but if this creates a fresh market for CD singles ~ especially with non-album tracks as they're doing for a lot of these ringles ~ I am so there!)

Hmmm...okay...now I have to have some form of verification via PC. Hmmm...this sounds suspiciously like the copy protection problems a while back. Not to pick on Linda for trying, but it also fails to tell me how I get the ringtone onto my phone after verification. It all sounds a little difficult and a little fishy to me.

Right now, on my Verizon cell plan, I have to pay $2.99 to download a ringtone, though it's very easy to do right on the phone. I fail to see the benefit in a ringle, beyond of course the chance to release a single with good b-sides in which case we're just talking about a good single. This whole thing seems doomed to failure.

I'd assume that it will work pretty much like cell freebies work with game packages ~ you go to a website and enter your cellphone number, it confirms that you have the disc, then it sends the freebie to your cell.

It's just a way for the labels to try to reconfigure CD singles to have some value-added stuff that might reach an audience who wants more than just music on a CD. Sure, it probably will fail ~ everything the major labels do fails, doesn't it? ~ but in the meantime we get a whole new batch of collectibles and a bunch of B-sides we wouldn't otherwise have on CD. At worst these will end up the digital versions of those old "hip pocket records" and jukebox EPs. Lookit how many nice catalogue titles are being released in addition to the current chart stuff:

New and upcoming ringles at Amazon

Here is more information on Ringles. I still feel a Renny-like confusion with this whole thing.

What is a Ringle?

A Ringle is a CD with 2-3 tracks that also includes a ringtone of a hit track delivered directly to your cell phone. A Ringle may also include additional bonus content such as mobile wallpaper and alternate downloadable content for your computer if you have a phone which is not compatible with Ringles.

Can I test whether my phone can receive a Ringle ringtone?

Yes – simply send the text message "RINGLE" to 40477 from your mobile phone. You’ll receive a message back confirming whether your phone is compatible. (Standard text messaging rates apply.)

How do I redeem my ringtone/mobile wallpaper?

Insert the Ringle CD into your computer and click on the "Redeem" button in the Connected CD experience which will pop up on your screen. Alternatively, you can access the redemption Web site by directing your Web browser to the address printed along with your Ringle code found inside the Ringle CD. Follow the directions on screen to enter your Ringle code and personal information to redeem your bonus ringtone and, where available, mobile wallpaper.

What ringtone and/or mobile wallpaper will I get with my Ringle?

In most cases, the bonus ringtone offered is the main mastertone/true tone corresponding to the featured song (the "A-side") of the Ringle. You can see a preview of the bonus mobile wallpaper, where available, when you log on to the Ringle redemption website.

How many phones can I download my ringtone/wallpaper to?

Your Ringle code is good for one download each of the bonus ringtone and wallpaper.

Can I preview the ringtone before downloading?

Yes. The online redemption site will include an audio preview of your bonus ringtone.

What do I do if the CD audio doesn’t play when I put it in my computer?

In some cases, the Connected CD screen on a Ringle will launch instead of the users' default media player (Windows Media Player, iTunes, Rhapsody, MusicMatch, etc.) If this happens with your computer, simply launch your media player manually to play the music on the CD.

What can I do if my phone can not accept a Ringle ringtone?

Buyers with incompatible mobile phones will be given directions how to access a website where they can use their Ringle code to download alternate content instead of the Ringle ringtone. The alternate content consists of either a video of the featured song or audio downloads from the Ringle artist. If you are going through the online redemption process when you discover that your phone is not compatible you will automatically be taken to a website where you can download the alternate content.

Are Ringles compatible with pre-paid phones?

Some pre-paid phone services enable delivery of Ringle ringtones. Send the text message "RINGLE" to 40477 from your mobile phone. You’ll receive a message back confirming whether your phone is compatible. (Standard text messaging rates apply.)

What do I do if my Ringle code does not work?

Please click on the "Customer service" link on the Ringle redemption website or your Connected CD, or send an e-mail to ringle@iventa.com.

What’s a Connected CD?

A Connected CD is a CD that allows fans to connect to a world of music online. When you put the CD in your computer, you will be offered a menu of online links to bonus content, exclusive offers, and more. Sony BMG and other companies are releasing Ringles with a special Connected CD feature--just insert the Ringle in your computer and connect directly to the Ringle redemption website.

Why do I have to register to redeem my ringtone and wallpaper?

We ask that you register an e-mail address and password to ensure that your code is not lost if the redemption process is interrupted before you have downloaded your bonus content. In addition, should you purchase additional Ringles, registration will allow you to log in quickly on future visits to the Sony BMG Ringle redemption site.

Is the redemption process Mac-compatible?

Yes. Sony BMG's online Ringle redemption process is compatible with the latest Mac operating system.

My question is not covered here, how do I contact customer service?

Please click on the "Customer service" link on the Ringles redemption website or your Connected CD, or send an e-mail to ringle@iventa.com.

How can I tell if I'm buying a genuine Ringle?

Look for this image.