Do you still spend money on ringtones?

If so, you may soon be in the minority, because ringtone sales are plummeting and may soon go the way of 78's.

Ringtone sales are down 15% in just two years, according to research firm IBISWorld, and they're going nowhere but down.

“Music ringtones practically boomed overnight, but with two consecutive years of decline it seems the industry is exiting just as rapidly as it entered,” according to researcher Toon van Beeck. “And with the ringtone market already reaching its decline stage, its life cycle is only expected to last about 15 years.”

van Beeck attributes the decline of ringtone sales to surging demand for digital music.

Another reason, though, may be that people were just sick of getting squeezed for up to $5/song, and new phones, like the iPhone, make it easy to load up your own custom ringtones.

Link:

• IBISWorld

James Lewin
Twitter @podcasting_news

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