What do you think?
The Ringtone Dialectic: Economy and Cultural Form
The rise and fall of the ringtone industry and its effect on mobile entertainment, music, television, film, and politics.
A decade ago, the customizable ringtone was ubiquitous. Almost any crowd of cell phone owners could produce a carillon of tinkly, beeping, synthy, musicalized ringer signals. Ringtones quickly became a multi-billion-dollar global industry and almost as quickly faded away. In The Ringtone Dialectic, Sumanth Gopinath charts the rise and fall of the ringtone economy and assesses its effect on cultural production.
Gopinath describes the technical and economic structure of the ringtone industry, considering the transformation of ringtones from monophonic, single-line synthesizer files to polyphonic MIDI files to digital sound files and the concomitant change in the nature of capital and rent accumulation within the industry. He discusses sociocultural practices that seemed to wane as a result of these shifts, including ringtone labor, certain forms of musical notation and representation, and the creation of musical and artistic works quoting ringtones. Gopinath examines "declines," "reversals," and "revivals" of cultural forms associated with the ringtone and its changes, including the Crazy Frog fad, the use of ringtones in political movements (as in the Philippine "Gloriagate" scandal), the ringtone's narrative function in film and television (including its striking use in the films of the Chinese director Jia Zhangke), and the ringtone's relation to pop music (including possible race and class aspects of ringtone consumption). Finally, Gopinath considers the attempt to rebrand ringtones as "mobile music" and the emergence of cloud computing.
A decade ago, the customizable ringtone was ubiquitous. Almost any crowd of cell phone owners could produce a carillon of tinkly, beeping, synthy, musicalized ringer signals. Ringtones quickly became a multi-billion-dollar global industry and almost as quickly faded away. In The Ringtone Dialectic, Sumanth Gopinath charts the rise and fall of the ringtone economy and assesses its effect on cultural production.
Gopinath describes the technical and economic structure of the ringtone industry, considering the transformation of ringtones from monophonic, single-line synthesizer files to polyphonic MIDI files to digital sound files and the concomitant change in the nature of capital and rent accumulation within the industry. He discusses sociocultural practices that seemed to wane as a result of these shifts, including ringtone labor, certain forms of musical notation and representation, and the creation of musical and artistic works quoting ringtones. Gopinath examines "declines," "reversals," and "revivals" of cultural forms associated with the ringtone and its changes, including the Crazy Frog fad, the use of ringtones in political movements (as in the Philippine "Gloriagate" scandal), the ringtone's narrative function in film and television (including its striking use in the films of the Chinese director Jia Zhangke), and the ringtone's relation to pop music (including possible race and class aspects of ringtone consumption). Finally, Gopinath considers the attempt to rebrand ringtones as "mobile music" and the emergence of cloud computing.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
August 3, 2023
The rise and fall of the ringtone industry had a significant impact on various aspects of mobile entertainment, music, television, film, and even politics. Initially, customizable ringtones became hugely popular, creating a multi-billion-dollar global industry. However, the industry experienced a rapid decline in popularity over time.
Sumanth Gopinath, in his book "The Ringtone Dialectic," explores the technical and economic evolution of the ringtone industry. The ringtone started as simple monophonic synthesizer files and evolved into more complex polyphonic MIDI and digital sound files. These changes influenced the nature of capital and rent accumulation within the industry.
The shift in ringtone technology also affected sociocultural practices. For instance, the concept of "ringtone labor" emerged, where individuals created and distributed ringtones. Additionally, certain forms of musical notation and representation related to ringtones saw a decline. Furthermore, artistic works that incorporated ringtones as quotes experienced changes in their creation and reception.
The book discusses the "declines," "reversals," and "revivals" of cultural forms associated with ringtones. For example, it explores the Crazy Frog fad, which was a cultural phenomenon centered around a particular ringtone. Moreover, the use of ringtones in political movements, like the Philippine "Gloriagate" scandal, highlights the influence of this industry on politics.
The narrative function of ringtones in film and television, such as their striking use in the films of the Chinese director Jia Zhangke, also receives attention in the book. Furthermore, the ringtone's relationship to pop music is examined, considering possible implications of race and class in ringtone consumption.
As the ringtone industry declined, attempts were made to rebrand ringtones as "mobile music." Moreover, the emergence of cloud computing impacted the distribution and consumption of ringtones and other mobile entertainment content.
Overall, "The Ringtone Dialectic" provides a comprehensive analysis of the rise and fall of the ringtone industry, its effects on cultural production, and its influence on various aspects of modern society, including entertainment, music, television, film, and politics.
Sumanth Gopinath, in his book "The Ringtone Dialectic," explores the technical and economic evolution of the ringtone industry. The ringtone started as simple monophonic synthesizer files and evolved into more complex polyphonic MIDI and digital sound files. These changes influenced the nature of capital and rent accumulation within the industry.
The shift in ringtone technology also affected sociocultural practices. For instance, the concept of "ringtone labor" emerged, where individuals created and distributed ringtones. Additionally, certain forms of musical notation and representation related to ringtones saw a decline. Furthermore, artistic works that incorporated ringtones as quotes experienced changes in their creation and reception.
The book discusses the "declines," "reversals," and "revivals" of cultural forms associated with ringtones. For example, it explores the Crazy Frog fad, which was a cultural phenomenon centered around a particular ringtone. Moreover, the use of ringtones in political movements, like the Philippine "Gloriagate" scandal, highlights the influence of this industry on politics.
The narrative function of ringtones in film and television, such as their striking use in the films of the Chinese director Jia Zhangke, also receives attention in the book. Furthermore, the ringtone's relationship to pop music is examined, considering possible implications of race and class in ringtone consumption.
As the ringtone industry declined, attempts were made to rebrand ringtones as "mobile music." Moreover, the emergence of cloud computing impacted the distribution and consumption of ringtones and other mobile entertainment content.
Overall, "The Ringtone Dialectic" provides a comprehensive analysis of the rise and fall of the ringtone industry, its effects on cultural production, and its influence on various aspects of modern society, including entertainment, music, television, film, and politics.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review