Once considered a passing craze, ringtones now account for more than 10% of the global music market and are overtaking CD sales sooner than expected. Few thought that the monophonic tones of the late 1990s would evolve into the multi-billion dollar market that exists today. But, following the advent of true polyphonic ringtones in 2003, the realisation of their potential has developed a fresh momentum.

Unable to ignore the ringtone market, the music business has come to embrace its future and its influence on youth culture. This is especially true of the hip-hop industry whose output makes-up more than half of all downloaded ringtones. Successful artists such as 50 Cent, Mariah Carey and Kanye West have all learnt that ringtones are by no means a niche product. To hear the latest from the mobile ringtone charts visit Ringtones.lt

If there is a key to this success then it is probably the creation of a 'total product', that is, the full customisation of phones with ringtones, wallpapers, screensavers, logos, picture messages and games. This has led to huge consumer choice and demand, with endless catalogues of music and themes now available on both mono and polyphonic phones. Another factor has been the obvious media impact, with the likes of the infamous Crazy Frog ringtone experiencing unprecedented coverage.

This popularity should continue for a while yet, thanks to advances in sound quality and the use of MP3 and Real Music by the current generation of phones. There are still new markets to explore as well, with the music-loving Latin Americans expected provide the next big growth area.

Ultimately, the long term success of the ringtone market could depend on the ability of the major phone manufacturers like Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson and Samsung to combine the very latest technology with wide-ranging compatibility; a balance which is becoming increasingly important in this truly global industry.
About the Author

Philip Nicosia : http://www.ringtones.lt/

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Cell Phones... Polyphonic Ring Tones- Old-Fashioned? In the beginning was the ring (really more of an electronic trill or beep) -- dull, yet serviceable, using only one tone track; and with it came the single-line melody -- not much of a choice. Then Nokia invented text messaging, and Paanen, a Finnish programmer, realised that you use the same technology to easily transmit songs to mobile phone handsets. This led to the development of Harmonium, the first complex polyphonic sound creator. Instead of being locked into single tones, users suddenly could have rings with harmony and texture. Still, someone had to programme the sounds; you couldn't just convert your favourite songs into Harmonium polyphonic sounds. Digital content providers picked up Harmonium quickly and used it to create polyphonic ringtones, selling them to both phone users and phone providers. While polyphonic tones were better than monotones, they still sounded more like an old video game than the music they were patterned after. MP3 Ringtones: The New Wave...

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