Ringback tones are on track to become the most attractive mobile content category by 2012, according to new market research from MultiMedia Intelligence.
With worldwide revenue nearly tripling to $4.7 billion, a new study finds, ringback tones will fall just short of mobile gambling revenue in capturing the largest share of the mobile premium content market (well, not including mobile video and mobile TV).
“Developed markets, such as Japan and Korea, have seen dramatic growth in premium content, with some operators seeing data revenue exceed 30 percent of total service revenue,” the study reports, adding that “as key Asian markets continue to evolve, growth has shifted to Europe and then the Americas.”
“Ringback tones are quickly becoming the Golden Child of the mobile music market,” said Frank Dickson, chief research officer with MultiMedia Intelligence. Dickson pointed to “a combination of consumer popularity, and minimal impact from DRM or piracy” as a reason for the surge.
“The current leading mobile premium content category of realtones is already facing challenges,” in that “consumers increasingly are able to create their own ringtones. The price disparity compared to a full track download is also a growing factor,” Dickson said.
By 2012, the study finds, “the mobile music market in Japan, for example, will be over 7 times the size of the mobile music market in South Korea.”
Last September, Mark Kirstein, Dickson, and Rick Sizemore formed MultiMedia Intelligence, to provide “actionable intelligence on the markets and technologies for delivering IP video to the nth screen – the world beyond the classic three screens of TVs, mobile handsets, and computers,” according to company officials.
The founders say the “nth screen” recognizes the growing diversity of wireless and wireline networks, as well as a proliferation of mobile, consumer electronic and commercial platforms and form-factors, that are all vying for content, advertisement dollars and customers.
With products including market research, market development services and consulting, the company brings together 70 years of combined industry and research experience to help companies monetize their offerings in the IP video markets.
David Sims is a contributing editor for IoTevolutionworld. To read more of David�s articles, please visit his columnist page. He also blogs for IoTevolutionworld here.
