Ringtones, those song snippets that announce incoming mobile phone calls, are
making noise at the top of the pop charts and on the bottom line of
multibillion-dollar businesses.
Young mobile phone users see a chance to show off their musical taste and
customise an important gadget. Music labels and cell phone providers see a
chance to build a vibrant, piracy-proof market for songs, video clips and other
mobile entertainment.
Ringtones have emerged as a promising source of revenue for music publishers and
record labels still struggling to connect with a generation used to getting
music for free through internet "peer to peer" services.
Ringtone sales topped $US4 billion ($NZ5.95 billion) worldwide in 2004 and
$US300 million ($446 million) in the United States, according to the market
research firm Consect.
While download services like Apple's iTunes seem to have settled on a standard
price of 99 US cents per song, ringtone sellers can charge two to three times as
much for a 15-second snippet.
"This is not a fad that will go away in the next year or so," said Thomas Hesse,
president of global digital business at Sony BMG Music Entertainment.
Good sound! (by forestgum, Jul 19th, 2007)
