Realtones account for more than three-fourths of consumer spending on music ringtones to personalize their phones, according to Telephia. The research firm's latest quarterly Mobile Ringtone Report shows that mono and polyphonic ringtones now account for only 12% of consumer spending on music personalization products, down from nearly 30% in Q3 2005. Ringback tones, which were launched in late 2004, now account for 11.5% of consumer spending in this category, an increase of almost 50% since last year.
According to Telephia, the number of mobile consumers purchasing a ringtone increased to more than 24.6 million in Q2 2006. While the overall market is growing, mono and polyphonic ringtones are losing market share to realtones and ringback tones.
"It's no surprise that mono and polyphonic ringtones have fallen out of favor with mobile consumers as realtones are a far superior format, much like how CDs replaced cassette tapes. This is all part of the broader shift toward consumers expecting their mobile devices to deliver a high-quality portable music experience," said Kanishka Agarwal , Vice President of New Products, Telephia.
Revenue Share by Ringtone Type ( USA )
Ring Type | Q3 '05 | Q4 '05 | Q1 '06 | Q2 '06 | Percent |
Realtone | 62.4% | 68.3% | 76.2% | 76.4% | 22.4% |
Ringtone | 29.6% | 22.8% | 13.8% | 12.0% | -59.4% |
Ringback | 7.7% | 8.9% | 10.0% | 11.5% | 49.5% |
*Note: The Mobile Ringtone Report represents on-portal ringtone activity data from the top four carriers, including Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, Verizon and Cingular.
Data excludes pre-paid and corporate liable activity.
Popularity on the Rise for Ringback Tones
Ringback tones offer mobile consumers a way to personalize what their callers hear and the service has grown in popularity over the past year. Chamillionaire's Ridin' was the top revenue-generating ringback title during the second quarter, securing 3.1% of the total ringback revenues. What You Know by T.I. came in second, securing a 1.8% share. Hips Don't Lie by Shakira & Wyclef Jean, Mary J. Blige's hit single Be Without You, and Me & You by Cassie rounded out the top five ringback tones."
Posted to the site on 8th August 2006
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/18709.php