Ringback tone (RBT) service provider Muzicall has signed a deal with mobile content firm Fox Mobile Group to deliver RBTs to Swiss mobile phone customers. Previously, RBTs were only available to consumers directly from operators. Through the partnership with Fox Mobile Group, users will have access to a wide range of RBTs from various genres. Swiss consumers will be the first in any European mobile market to be able to buy RBTs from a direct-to-consumer outlet, such as Fox Mobile Group.

“Our deal with Fox Mobile Group represents the realisation of Muzicall’s vision for ringback tones; we have established a complete ringback tone ecosystem in Europe for the first time,” says Muzicall CEO, Patrick Allainguillaume. “Until now, the popularity of ringback tones in Europe has not been maximised because they have only been available on operator portals. Now they will be available from the same place where most consumers already buy music, ringtones, games and other mobile content. This will boost consumer awareness of ringback tones – and it is proven that when awareness increases so do sales.”

Current estimates suggest that only 3 per cent of European consumers have a ringback tone, compared to the  global average of 14 per cent, according to Portfolio Research. In some parts of Asia, the off-deck availability of mobile content, including RBTs, has helped push penetration up to a 40 per cent. The availability of off-deck RBTs through Fox Mobile Group is the first in a planned series of rollouts by Muzicall aimed at maximising the awareness and availability of RBTs in Europe.  

Ringback tones replace the ringing tone that a caller hears while waiting for the person they have called to answer their mobile phone. While they typically consist of music, the customer can also choose from TV and movie themes, sound effects and numerous other sounds, even advertising. Muzicall’s RBT.4.ALL platform enables customers to create their own content library, giving them the ability to assign a different tune for different callers.