It might be one of the most recognizable melodies of our modern age: the default Nokia ringtone. The tune, which has stayed nearly the same for the last 15 years or so, has left its stamp on our culture. And now, Nokia wants to change it up a little bit.
The mobile powerhouse has launched the Nokia Tune Remake contest. Contestants began submitting their compositions yesterday, and people will be able to submit as many compositions as they wish until October 5th.
On October 5th, ten finalists will be selected. Five of those finalists will be chosen by an official panel of judges, comprised of “some of the most respected names in the audio branding industry.” The other five finalists will be selected based on “likes” and “shares.” The winner from those 10 entries will be selected by the judges.
You can check out the current entries at the official competition site.
According to Nokia, they are “looking for a tune that is fresh, expressive, original, and creative yet distinctively a Nokia Tune.” Contestants are asked to use “elements of the popular original,” but warns that this is “not simply a remix contest.” This is a reworking of the famous melody, but it must show quite a bit of creative character. Entries are limited to 30 seconds each.
The winner of the contest will receive $10,000 and five runner-ups will get $1,000 each. The winning ringtone will come standard on Nokia devices and the runner-up tones will be available for download.
Right now, a sort of futuristic take on the tone called “Progressive Nokia” is in the lead with 1409 likes and 572 shares – but of course this is only day 2 of the competition.
Here’s the original tune, just for reference –
And here’s the original tune as played by an ensemble, just for fun –