I have to wonder what kind of revenue sharing goes on with ringtone sales. It’s not uncommon for an artist to sell hundreds of thousands, and I hope they’re getting a nice cut of the profit.

Billboard has an interesting story on new acts getting a boost from ringtone sales:

In these fiscally conservative times, acts must often prove their ability to generate a viable fan base before record labels will even consider adding them to their rosters.

To that end, several nascent acts are turning to the mobile phone — traditionally a platform reserved for marketing established acts — to launch their music careers.