Yahoo! News - Billboard Rolls Out Cell Phone Ringtone Chart

via waxy links: Yahoo! News - Billboard Rolls Out Cell Phone Ringtone Chart

The ringtone market has exploded in recent years, with global revenues estimated to have topped $3.5 billion in 2003 [ed: FUCK!]....[ed: FUCK!!!], according to industry estimates.
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The first ringtone chart will appear in the Nov. 6 issue of Billboard, which is compiling the chart with Consect, a provider of U.S. mobile market analysis. The data for the chart will be aggregated from major ringtone distributors and wireless carriers.

According to a recent report by Consect, the U.S. market for cell phone rings based on hit songs is growing faster than any other region, projected to increase by 100 percent to $300 million in 2004, but it still lags other markets, with Western Europe seen generating $1.5 billion and Asia as a whole will make $1.8 billion. South Korea (news - web sites) alone is set to take in $500 million for ringtones, according to reports.