Cha-Ching! The ringtone industry struck a popular cord among teenage cell phone owners. The ability to purchase a taste of their favorite song, tune or sound without having to shell out cash for the entire CD version is the number one motivating factor among this industry's largest market group - mainly defined by the ages of 13 to 24. This segment certainly isn't afraid to drop some money on a frequent basis to get the monophonic or polyphonic sound that makes their cell phone sound the coolest. From short jingles to song excerpts, the teenage population is continually updating their particular cell phone with the latest available ringtones. RealityTVWorld.com reports that teens don't want the few ringtones that come with their phone and they'll pay to add to their collection. Due to this buying behavior, this group is the ringtone industry's largest market. In fact, over 40% of ringtone buyers fall into this category. According to Wireless World Forum, this market is so huge that this young group is spending eight times more on mobile phones than on music. Trends in the U.K. show that 10% of the total music market is comprised of ringtones. The US market is also watching how this buying power is affecting CD sales. Many US teenagers are spending more on ringtones than on text messaging. Other figures show that ringtone sales worldwide are about $3.5 billion, according to IT Facts (www.itfacts.biz). The music industry isn't joyful about ringtones taking over the CD market sales-wise; the industry wants you to buy expensive CD before a cheap ringtone. Publishers or songwriters are still getting a royalty, but at a lesser percentage. Experts predict the mobile phone and ringtone industry to dip even farther into the music industry. Marriages of technology like iPods, which can hold more ringtones with longer versions and play with the clarity of a DVD, are expecting to enter the market soon. Many teenagers continue to enjoy downloading their favorite tunes through their mobile phone or off online sites, although many phone services are offering promotions with free ringtones. Most teenagers don't think twice about exchanging their minutes for ringtones. Ringtones turn up with various sounds. From full versions with or without tunes to acoustic or synthesized versions of familiar tunes, ringtones carry some unique sounds that signal a message or call. Only mobile phones with the latest technology can handle the newest ringtones, so many teenagers are upgrading their phones. To know the most popular ringtones, check out the top 10 music hits on the radio. Remix sounds and original sounds however are starting to make headway on the ringtone charts. The ringtone industry will probably continue to be dominated by this age group since the group embraces technology the most. However, some ringtone suppliers and cell phones are starting to approach the last frontier the new technology wiz kids age seven to 12. To download some of the top ringtones, go to http://feveringtones.com/downloadableringtone/, your phone service provide like Verizon Ringtones (3gUpload.com), or http://feveringtones.com/downloadfreeringtones/ |
