Ring-tone revenue sounds alarm.

Australasian Business Intelligence, August, 2003

Aug 29, 2003 (The Age - ABIX via COMTEX)

Australians are downloading ringtones to their mobile telephones in record numbers, at an estimated cost of about $A20m in 2003. The Australasian Performing Rights Association takes a royalty fee for every ringtone sold, mostly to those aged between 16 and 24, some of whom download a tune weekly. However, sales of CDs are falling as a consequence of the popularity of ringtones. CD sales in 2002 totalled $A37.5m, a fall of 20 per cent on 2001. Australia's largest ringtone provider, iTouch, states that ringtones are a new form of music consumption outside the control of the music industry. In the US and Great Britain, downloading ringtones is so popular that Top 40 ringtone charts are now available.

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