Last I heard, the ringtone market has been seeing a bit of a slide in recent months. Understandably so, considering any idiot with a PC, a USB connection and decent software can make their own ringtones since ages ago. Add to that the mounting complaints from consumers sucked into expensive monthly subscriptions, along with worldwide economic woes and any business invested in ringtones have themselves a pretty tough road ahead.
RCP Tones, a ringtone maker, is trying to see if there’s any cash to be made in appealing to people’s sense of fairness with a “Pay As You Want” model. The idea is to release the ringtones and let people decide what they want to pay. Sounds like an exercise in futility? Maybe so, but they’re seriously giving it a go.
One of RCP’s latest album releases, Electronic Ringtones Volume 1, is now on sale under the model. Containing 45 studio-quality ringtones that come in both MP3 and iPhone formats, the album offers a few samples that you can listen to before downloading. If you like what you hear, you can hit the purchase page and pay a price between $0 and $8.99, whichever you think is fair, before taking the loot.
Personally, I think this will go the same way that the majority of musicians who took the “Pay What You Want” route for their studio releases went. That is, not having much in the way of success.
If you would like to make a comment, please fill out the form below.
