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Ringtones To Hurt CD Sales?

Predictions

from the nice-try dept

Wed, Aug 24th 2005 12:58pm — Carlo Longino
An exec at a ringtone company says that mobile is "really going to change the landscape of the record business" because people won't want to pay $18 for a CD when they can buy a ringtone for $2.50. That begs the question of why people would want to pay $2.50 for a ringtone, when they could make a ringtone for free. For users, ringtones are fundamentally different from real songs -- they're all about self-expression, not entertainment. While record labels look to ringtones to boost revenues, they're too obsessed with CD sales to let them be cannibalized by ringtones (though given their cluelessness, it's not likely to ever come to that). The change regarding ringtones that the music business needs to be concerned about is how greed is killing their sales.
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10 Comments

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  • identicon
    John, 24 Aug 2005 @ 12:55pm

    Free Ringtones

    I think the ringtone exec is drinking too much kool-aid and/or smoking something. The teen/young adult market is driving ringtone sales and once they get handsets capable of playing MP3s, purchasing ring tones will be history. We all know this market is sensitive to price and nothing is better than free...

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Nick, 24 Aug 2005 @ 12:55pm

    A new era in content

    Ringtone sales hurting CD sales is not the relevant issue here. The real question facing the industry is will the continued evolution of digital content distribution make CDs (and then DVDs) obsolete? Just as CDs made vinyl records a thing of the past, will digital content do that to plastic CDs? I, for one, certainly hope so. While it will take time, content must now be de-coupled from the medium. Right now, the concern is about TV programs, music CDs and movies that you watch in theaters. Going forward, the continued progression of broadband -- both wireless and wireline together with the revolution of peer generated content communities – will enables a world in which every piece of content is digital and accessible on every device, be it video, audio, mobile and yes, even print. The user picks the device and the content and experiences the interaction as they see fit. This “democratization” of content and access does NOT mean a lack of revenues for content creators. In fact, I think that making content available “anytime, everywhere” will increase revenue potential for the content creators and owners. Not decrease it as is currently thought. Imagine a world in which I missed the last episode of The West Wing and I catch it on my phone as I sit on the runway at JFK for several hours waiting for weather in Atlanta to clear up. Equally important, the liberation of content from devices does NOT spell doom and gloom for advertisers. Rather, the advertiser can, in this new world, access consumers based on the actual content the consumer is experiencing, rather than a bulk media buy which targets demographics rather than individuals. So, a new era is coming. And, it will be better for everyone -- consumers, content sellers and advertisers.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Jimmy Thomas, 24 Aug 2005 @ 2:08pm

    Wha?

    Why would I buy a poor quality 20 second ringtone for $2.50, when I can buy the full song for $1? Something isn't adding up here... oh yeah... closed formats and greed vs forced-into-pricing...

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      me, 24 Aug 2005 @ 2:16pm

      Re: Wha?

      I refuse to even associate with anyone who purchases ringtones. Losers.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Jim, 24 Jan 2006 @ 4:07am

        Re: Wha?

        Why the fuck would anyone use ringtones in the first place??? Phone rings so you know someone is calling. If you need a different ring select one of those that comes with the phone. Seriously ANYONE who would actually pay for a ringtone is a total fucking RETARD. Besides do you people actually enjoy that crappy sounding quality coming out of the phone? What do you do when someone rings? You dance to those tunes or fucking what??? You people are so stupid.....yet all you ringtone retards complain about the ringtone prices but still keep buying them. ....
        Remember that everytime your phone rings with your silly tune, someone near by is laughing at you. Get a life people!

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Bill Ray, 25 Aug 2005 @ 2:36am

      Re: Wha?

      Because people, in the McMedia-driven culture we live in, will buy just about anything. Nevermind that real musicians create real music.....oh we've gotten past all of that. Any 12 year old with the right software can create a hit record in his closet.

      It's just the dumbing down of the human race, and the first things to go are the arts and literacy (god I get sick of reading notes where it says "Hey I stoped by".......)

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    praseodymium, 24 Aug 2005 @ 2:38pm

    mp3?

    I'm glad that my Sony Ericsson K700i accepts mp3 files as a ringtone. Yes, the full song, and better quality. Haven't seen ringtones like that (and free)!

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 24 Aug 2005 @ 5:31pm

      Re: mp3?

      same for my nokia - if it dint accept mp3 files id either get my midi composer out or make do wiv one of the dodgy default ones. I aint paying £2.50 for part of a song i already own on CD

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    ringtone squirrel, 25 Aug 2005 @ 1:34pm

    clueless buyers of such things as ringtones

    I guess the same clueless ones who pay for ringtones (My 2500 set puts out a perfect ring tone, with a bell) would be the same ones who pay $2.50 / month (not each) to AOL and the like to rent Smileys for their AIM. geesh.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Louiss97 (profile), 15 Apr 2021 @ 2:44am

    mp3 ringtones?

    To be free to install all songs as ringtones for you can access here https://sonneriesgratuite.com/ with the best and newest 2021 genres comfortable for you to choose.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]


Google Goes After IM and Skype
Tracking Kids, Tracking Employees -- What's The Difference?
Google Goes After IM and Skype
Tracking Kids, Tracking Employees -- What's The Difference?
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