Most cell phone manufacturers provide customers with the opportunity to choose their own ringtones'or compose their own. However, today, most users download ringtones from websites through a WAP connection incorporated in their mobiles. Modern ringtones are called mastertones, which are pure 15 second MP3 cuts from CDs or anywhere else.
These ringtones are downloadable into a cell phone either from Verizon, Cingular, Sprint or T-mobile or from Internet websites like Jamster, Napster and Blingtones. Ringtones can be downloaded from these sources along with movie clips, games or wallpaper for cell phones. Charges range from 99 cents to $2.99 depending on the type of ringtone and the download source. Users pay the one-time downloading charge including airtime charges.
Downloading ringtones has become common among people of all ages, however, according to one U.S. survey, those between 12-17 years old are the heaviest users'that's 52% of total users. The ringtone download market has become such a popular one that there is a three-way war between cell phone companies, websites offering free downloads and music companies offering free and chargeable ringtones.
According to the survey conducted by the London-based information technology firm LogicaCMG, global revenues from mobile ringtone downloads may exceed even $9 billion by summer 2006. In the U.S. alone the revenue generated from ringtone downloads by almost 30 million mobile users was $300 million during 2004 and the projected revenue is $600 million during 2005. There's really no excuse'express yourself!