Today I thought about the fact that I can legally download the latest hit song for less than US$1 but a sample of the same tune used as a ringtone costs twice as much or more. Who's to blame? The record industry, of course.
According to this Reuters article, mono and poly ringtones bring the original artists and music publishers a 10 percent royalty while the record labels don't get squat. But "sample" ringtones are clipped from studio recordings, requiring a license from the record label. And they're happy to sell those rights to the tune of 25 to 55 percent of the total retail price of each ringtone. As a result, the resellers are jacking up their prices.
I think this will only drive more people to make their own "sample" ringtones and trade them. As a matter of fact, record labels themselves stand to benefit from giving away "sample" ringtones. Talk about infectious grooves! Link
