Nokia Regional Ringtones: Middle East & Africa

Design brief

The ringtones of this contest should be suitable for use throughout the whole of the Middle East and Africa region. Please note that Nokia also has similar contests running for Latin America, South East Asia and Pacific, India, and China.

Nokia Sound Design team will listen through all the entries of this contest and make a final selection of 5 ringtones for each region, each ringtone receiving USD 1,500 in prize money. To help guide the selection, everyone will be encouraged to rate the content throughout the duration of the contest. The winning ringtones will be added to the specific regions they were created for, sitting alongside Nokia’s global set of ringtones for 2013.



You are encouraged to explore local music styles and include musical elements and instruments that have a strong connection to local cultures. The ringtones can range from traditional classical/folk based local styles to the more popular and modern local styles. However all ringtones should in essence be contemporary (i.e., not old-fashioned).

It’s also important to avoid styles that cannot be differentiated from Western popular music.

The ringtones should be wholly original, with no reference to the classic Nokia tune or any existing melodies. Keep it original, get creative, be bold… and have fun!

What we are looking for:

1. Adventurous – You are encouraged to be bold - include an ear-catching surprise, try a different approach, or just make it exciting!


2. Positive – Nothing too sad or downbeat, it should evoke happy and uplifting thoughts – a celebration of local music!


3. Characterful – Nothing too plain and boring – It should be engaging and stir an emotional response (preferably a positive one!)



4. Functional – Ringtones should be no longer than 30 seconds. We’d also encourage you to include functional ringtone elements (elements that are clearly audible on mobile speakers)


5. Minimalistic – Crafted as a ringtone with high consideration for the small speakers – can be musical, non-musical (no determinable melody), or somewhere in between.


6. Instrumental – You should avoid any spoken words/lyrics and keep the ringtones instrumental – Minor vocal parts/effects can be considered however.

Terms