December 16, 2007
Ringtone market comes to the end of its crescendo
According to the IHT, the global ringtone market is coming to the end of its crescendo, depending on how you measure.
"In some parts of the world, ringtone sales are actually declining, and the former ringtone kings, like Jamba of Germany and Musiwave of France, are reorganizing their businesses to focus on more profitable ways for consumers to personalize their cellphones.
The market changed in unexpected ways. For one, more mobile phones were being made with the ability to create or record their own tunes. For another, record labels actively promoted so-called "master ringtones" - excerpts from the original pop recordings - for about the same price as the knockoffs but with higher royalty fees. And digital music stores like iTunes began packaging and selling ringtones alongside their 99-cent singles."
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