Smartphone devices are ubiquitous, as is the desire among users to customize their devices. Phones offer users the opportunity to not only manage their daily lives, but also to project their personal tastes and interests through custom themes and tones. For developers and content creators, this collective urge to customize creates a unique earning opportunity, so selling ringtones can be a lucrative opportunity. Still, there are some things hopeful merchants should know before starting their new business venture.

Sell Ringtones Online Legally and Ethically

There’s no shortage of unscrupulous content sellers who repackage others’ products, but there’s an equal number of well-meaning merchants who are simply trying to earn money while providing an in-demand service. Snippets of popular music do sell ringtones, but unless you own the rights to those songs, you’re running afoul of copyright laws and can face legal ramifications. While you may be able to fly under the proverbial radar while selling ringtones which include content you don’t own, there are two reasons why this isn’t the best business decision.

First, “flying under the radar” is counterproductive to your aims as a beginner online merchant. You want to sell ringtones to as many people as possible in order to maximize profits. Attempting to keep a low profile means you’ll effectively be limiting your own earning potential in an attempt to avoid detection. Second, earning a profit through the sale of copyrighted content creates a long list of potential legal repercussions, up to and including financial liability. You’re in the business of earning money, not risking lawsuits and legal settlements.

Selling Ringtones: a Musician’s Ideal Promotional Tool

While you certainly don’t have to be a musician to sell ringtones successfully, offering these products among other digital offerings can be a great way for independent artists to increase awareness about their work. With each ringtone sold, you have the potential to reach everyone within earshot when your customers receive calls.

The ideal length for a ringtone is less than 15 seconds, so choose the catchiest hook in your song to create a ringtone for maximum impact.

How to Start Selling Ringtones Online

When you’ve considered the legal implications of selling ringtones and have created a selection of products for sale, it’s time to start working on your online storefront. You do have the option of building a custom website complete with shopping cart and payment processing capability, but this will require an assortment of tools and services which must be managed separately. For both experienced content merchants and new sellers alike, it’s almost always more efficient and easier to work with a streamlined ecommerce platform. Services like PayLoadz.com combine payment processing, content hosting, instant download delivery and access to effective marketing tools to create one service which meets all of the average online merchant’s needs.

 

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