Mobile music has been a one-hit wonder. But the big follow-up to the lucrative ringtone market may not be ringback tones, full-track downloads or any other single application. It may be advertising.

According to a churning rumor-mill, Apple desperately wants to make over-the-air downloads of iTunes content a reality on the 3G iPhone. Apparently, a record label executive "familiar with the discussions" states that the Cupertino gang is hoping for a "big launch in June" which includes OTA music downloads, ringtone sales, and ringback tones (the substitute music you hear instead of a ring when c

Turkish operator, Turkcell has launched TonlaKazan which offers branded ringback tones to its subscribers. The customers then earn airtime credits by letting callers to their mobile phone listen to the ringback tone - which is basically an advert.

BMI has released its annual mobile music market projections for 2008 and figures for 2007, projecting that ringback tones will surpass $210 million in U.S.

BMI has released projections for 2008, and is expecting ringback tones will generate over $210 million in the U.S. retail sector - this would be an increase of 50% on the numbers they did in 2007! It's not only Ringbacks that are predicted to be strong though - streaming video is expected to do well also.

Ringback tones are set to dominate the mobile phone market

It seems ringback tones may be quietly closing ground on ringtones. ... - Colin Gibbs

Managed personalisation services company LiveWire Mobile, a subsidiary of NMS Communications, has snapped up mobile music firm Groove Mobile for $14.5 million. The deal will let Live Mobile add ringback tones, ringtones, full-track music and video downloads to its offerings, which it will deliver through a single storefront to its operator customers. As well as new

LiveWire Mobile, a subsidiary of NMS Communications has brought privately owned Groove Mobile, a provider of mobile music solutions for $14.5 million.

It's one thing to customize the ringtone that you hear when your friends and family call you. But, it's an apparently more attractive option to choose what the caller hears when they call you. Ringback tones are either super-cool or super-annoying, depending on your preference. With the success of these ringback tones, championed by Verizon Wireless