Why There’s Less Interest in Creating or Purchasing a Unique Ringtone in Today’s World
Remember the early days of the smartphone, when one of the first things you would do was purchase a unique ringtones for your phone, so that you could personalize your phone and know when someone was calling you? In the early 2000s, ringtones took the smartphone world by storm, ultimately leading to the creation of a billion-dollar industry. Global sales peaked in 2007, when the music industry brought in more revenue from ringtone sales than from digital album and single downloads. Just as quickly, though, sales began to decline and by 2014, worldwide sales of ringtones had completely dried up. What happened? Are custom ringtones still available?
Why Did the Demand for Custom Ringtones Decline So Rapidly?
Industry watchdogs say that a number of factors contributed to the virtual disappearance of custom ringtones:
- The omnipresence of smartphones—Twenty years ago, smartphones were much more of a novelty and less likely to be heard in public places. As smartphone use became almost universal, the proliferation of different ringtones came to be perceived as a bit of a public nuisance. Accordingly, more and more users shifted from ringtones to vibrate mode or the use of earbuds, minimizing the need for and value of a unique ringtone.
- The growth of text messaging—For similar reasons, many smartphone users choose to send text messages instead of engaging in voice calls. Text messaging also offers greater privacy.
- Greater enforcement of copyright laws—In the early days of ringtones, it was relatively easy to copy or import a snippet from a song. IPhone and Android users must now go through a much more complex process to be able to create a custom ringtone using copyrighted materials.
- Users choose other ways to show their personal style—While musical tastes can still be an indication of personal taste and style, smartphone users have other options, including custom cases, straps, decals, charms and skins
Can You Still Set Up a Custom Ringtone?
Yes, both the iPhone and the Android allow you to customize a ringtone, but most people consider it bad form to hear a phone ringing in a public place.
