San Francisco – Performing rights organization BMI projects
that the U.S. market for mobile ringback tones will fall 7.2% in 2010, to $181
million from the $195 million reported in 2009.
BMI said the figure does not
represent an overall decline in the use of ringback tones — or, songs played
instead of the usual repeated tone heard when waiting for a call to be picked
up — just a decline in the revenue they are generating.
"We believe that
this is a result of the emerging trend of bundled services, where ringbacks are
made available as part of a package," said BMI senior vice president
Richard Conlon.
BMI expects mobile streaming music services to be the next hot
market.
"The growth of the ringback-tone market showed us that there is an
appetite for streaming-based mobile music services," added Conlon.
"However,
we are seeing the market move away from the short-form 30-second experience of
ringtones and ringback tones and into a longer-form streaming mode."
Related Links:
http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/549435
