AT&T released a list of the Top 10 most downloaded ringtones this week, realizing the fact that the mobile users are crazier for music by popular artists instead of polyphonic sounds created specifically for cell phones.
Gartner, the research firm predicted recently that the worldwide end-user spending on mobile music is expected to reach at a new level of $32.2 billion by 2010 from a level of $13.7 billion this year. It is in fact an ortho-shift where the growth in ‘ringtone revenue’ is on down side and the ‘realtones’ are becoming new “cash cows” for carriers, reveals the research firm Gartner.
‘Realtones’, or the ‘True Tones’ or the ‘Real Music Tones’, are snippets of real songs that are used as ringtones. Polyphonic ringtones, on the other hand, are simple instrumental versions of songs made with a synthesizer and intended to play on any cell phone.
Apple last week added the capability to allow users to create their own ringtones in ‘GarageBand’ and export them to the iPhone. Users can now choose their own preferred songs from their ‘iTunes library’ to create their own ringtones.
End mobile users are expected to spend a total of $6.9 billion worldwide on polyphonic and monophonic ringtones next year. This will be downfall of revenue from $7.1 billion this year. Spending on ‘full music tracks’, ‘realtones’, and ‘ringback tones’, a customized music that plays when people ring a number, is expected to surge up to $12.3 billion next year. This will be a shoot up from the existing revenue level of $6.6 billion this year, according to Gartner forecasting’s.
AT&T’s Top 10 list revealed that out of the 40,000 ringtones that it offers to the users, the most popular ringtones are the carrier’s music tones. Top Ten Ringtones are;
- “Party Like a Rock star” by Shop Boyz
- “This Is Why I’m Hot” by Mims
- “Crank That” by Soulja Boy
- “Rockstar” by Nickelback
- “Don’t Matter” by Akon
- “Buy You A Drank” by T-Pain
- “A Bay Bay” by Hurricane Chris
- “Beautiful Girls” by Sean Kingston
- “Pop, Lock & Drop It” by Huey
- “Big Girls Don’t Cry” by Fergie
“Ringtones continue to be one of the most popular entertainment features on wireless devices, whether they’re hip-hop, alternative, classic rock, pop, Latin, country or even holiday tunes”, said Mark Collins, Vice President of consumer data at AT&T’s wireless unit.
For customers, AT&T’s ringtones cost $2.49 each. Users may also sign up for ‘MyMedia Club’ to get redeemable credits to be transacted for other ringtones, graphics, and games. These typical packages start at $6 a month.
To awaken the holiday spirit in customers, AT&T has also offered its customers ‘songs of the season’ as ringtones for free. To download such a free holiday ringtone, users may send a text message with the word “gift” to the number 7230.
