April 16, 2016
How much thought do you put into choosing your ringtone?
Do you choose from a default menu of Samsung ringtones or Google Pixel ringtones, only to end up with the same ringtone as 12 people standing next to you in the movie theater queue? These days, there’s no excuse not to be unique.
In the early to mid 2000s, ringtones were very lucrative business.
In 2006 alone, sales of mobile audio products, mainly ringtones, were estimated to be worth around $600 million. Given that the market was only worth $68 in 2003, that’s an incredible increase. Ringtones were the ultimate fashion accessory, and people spent up to $6 a pop to have the newest songs on their phones.
Once the popularity of these musical snippets wore off, the market declined somewhat rapidly. With the increase in popularity of audio-editing software and free web programs dedicated to making ringtones, users could edit sound files to create their own custom ringtones from songs in their catalog.
The emergence of smartphones acted as the nail in the coffin for the ringtone industry.
Against the huge repertoire of apps, games, and social media platforms, ringtones just weren’t as important to consumers any more. At the same time, the rise of instant messaging platforms such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp led to a shift in focus from call-heavy mobile use to text-based communication.
A staggering 95 percent of phone users won’t change the default settings on their phones.
How many times have you been in a meeting or a grocery store, heard that familiar iPhone or Android ringtone, and seen several people reach into their pockets simultaneously? That’s why it makes sense to customize every sound your phone makes so you can always be sure it’s your phone you’re hearing. Eliminate the mad scramble to find your phone in the bottom of your handbag or backpack by customizing your ringtone.
When you customize your ringtone, you can always be sure that it is your phone that’s ringing. A customized ringtone also helps your personality and moods shine through. In addition, a customized ringtone makes it easy to decide which calls to answer. Is there someone that you don’t really want to talk to? Set a custom ringtone for them so you know not to bother picking your phone up.
Customizing your ringtones means you never have to miss an important call.
It’s important to choose your ringtones wisely, of course. A car horn isn’t a good ringtone choice if you spend time downtown, and birdsong isn’t a great choice if you spend a lot of time in the woods. Creating your own ringtones lets the world know how you feel. Don’t be afraid to set a new trend with a customized ringtone.
