For instance, for kids, humorous ringtones are usually what fall into the category of "cool ringtones." Such tones can be from cartoons or movies, while others can be funny messages, such as "John, please pick up your communication device" (with the "communication device" being of course, your snazzy phone). Other funny ringtones may ask questions like, "Can you hear me?" or the Verizon catch phrase, "Can you hear me now?" These funny, hip, cool ringtones are merely a sampling from a collective that has truly grown in size and breadth over the past few years.

Indeed, the ringtones business since 2004 has boomed into a major cottage industry, and with realtones and truetones now, it has expanded even further. Now the synthesized polyphonic tones of a few years ago seem retro! Today, the more common ringtones heard are those with lyrics, taken directly from MP3 sound files. Music editors enable mobile-phone users to snip files down to a section of the song they wish to highlight, such as a chorus or refrain, to make a cool ringtone that's all their own.

The examples above, with the dialogue being the "ringtone," that's where ringtones have gone. Cool ringtones range from synchronized punk to hip-hop to Broadway musical. Whatever you can imagine for your phone, chances are that that ringtone can be found. Many subscription plans allow unlimited downloads per month for a fee. As a result, users can change their ringtones every day if they choose or perhaps for special occasions, such as holidays. Spooky ringtones for Halloween; cheery ringtones for Christmas; cool ringtones year-round.

You can also purchase ringtones one at a time, similar to buying one single track versus an entire album. Mobile phones also come with preloaded ringtones that are simple but effective. If all you want is a signal that a call is incoming, then these should work fine. The historic Nokia tune for example, the default tone for all Nokia phones, has been around for over a decade and is still used by millions. A cool ringtone is really whatever you feel it should be, whether preloaded or transferred.

As for those MP3 sound files to be snipped into perfection, they can be found all over the Internet. For free or a fee, from approved or non-approved sources, the ringtone is everywhere. To transfer a music file from your PC, all that's needed is a Bluetooth. Once downloaded, the song can then be edited into that cool ringtone, however you wish.

PC transfers can be economical too, as most purchased ringtones cost a few dollars. Compare that to a full song download at a provider like iTunes, which only charges $1 per song. A snippet of a song at double the price? A direct Bluetooth transfer might work better. Finding cost-effective solutions, such as a subscription plan (for multiple changes), and you're well on your way to getting the most from your phone at the best price.