Ringtones Go for the Gold

Wed., Jun. 14, 2006 10:30 PM PDT by Natalie Finn

The Recording Industry Association of America is expanding its repertoire.

The organization responsible for doling out gold and platinum-record status to top-selling albums announced Wednesday that it would start recognizing ringtone sales in a similar way.

So far, the RIAA has certified 128 titles as either gold (500,000 downloads), platinum (1 million) or multi-platinum (starting at 2 million). The ringtones considered are called Master Ringtones, ones that utilize the actual music and vocals of the artist's original song, not the beep-style versions available for phones without more melodious capabilities.

The cr?me de la cr?me of the ringtone world so far--the only ones that have already achieved multi-platinum status--are T-Pain's "I'm N Luv (Wit a Stripper)," D4L's "Laffy Taffy," Black Eyed Peas' "My Humps," and Chamillionaire's "Ridin'."

"Our Gold and Platinum Program is designed to honor artists who have achieved the highest success," Mitch Bainwol, chairman and CEO of the RIAA, said in a statement. "As our industry evolves and offers fans new ways to enjoy music from today's best artists, so too should the G&P Program. The music community, along with its technology partners like the wireless communications companies, is offering fans the music they love, when they want it and how they want it."

Steve Largent, president and CEO of CTIA-The Wireless Association?, put it in a more delicious context.

"Like when peanut butter first met chocolate and ice cream was first plopped on top of an edible wafer cone, wireless and music are a natural and historic fit," he said in a statement. "But more importantly, I truly believe this marriage of technology and art has the potential to bridge cultural divides and bring peoples of the world together like few inventions before it."

Some of the first people to plop down on the wafer cone of cell phone success today during a ceremony honoring the first round of inductees into this pioneering club included Bow Wow, Bubba Sparxxx, Dem Franchize Boyz and Rick Ross. They received plaques bearing phones etched in gold or platinum.

Ross, a Gold award winner for his single "Hustlin'," talked to the Associated Press about the importance of ringtones to today's young artists who are just starting out. His debut album, Port of Miami, is scheduled for a fall release on Def Jam Records' Slip-N-Slide label.

"The ringtones are just another gateway to connecting with the kids and the fans," Ross said. "That's just the next level? You want to do a record so catchy that everybody wants to go out and get it as a ringtone."

Sparxxx, on the other hand, seems to be just catching on to the ringtone phenomenon.

"I had no idea about the importance of ringtones," he told the AP. "But I do after coming here. I sold 800,000 ringtones. Now I know it's an exciting innovation."

Eighty-four Gold Master Ringtone Sales Awards were given to a wide variety of songs, such as Mariah Carey's "Always Be My Baby," the Beastie Boys' "Brass Monkey," Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and Britney Spears' "Toxic."

Among the 40 Platinum honorees were Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl," Snoop Dogg's "Drop It Like It's Hot," Nelly's "Grillz" and Mary J. Blige's "Be Without You."