Is your cell phone filled with numerous downloaded games? Do you constantly think of putting new operator logos or setting pictures of yourself as wallpaper? Then, I bet, your ringback tone is also not the normal, boring, monotonous "ring-ring" type.

Although not really popular with all people, Personalized Ringback Tone is one of the latest craze that has hit the mobile generation. It first became widely popular in Asia and has just recently stated to conquer the rest of the world. Many people might not be aware of it but ringback tones are not mobile phone unit dependent but network-dependent. This is the reason why it is fast becoming a lucrative business.

For those who are not familiar with what a ringback tone is, it is the sound that you hear after you have dialed the number you want to call and before the other party picks up. This is quite different from the music that you get when you are placed on hold. This is also not the same as your ring tone- the sound that your mobile phone makes when someone calls you up. Although sounds, songs and tunes that are used as ring tones can also be used as ringback tones, one basic difference between the two is that the former can be heard by almost everyone near you while the latter can only heard by you (except if you are on speakerphone). Ringback Tone also goes by the name "Caller Tune" and "Answer Tones".

Traditionally, you would only hear a couple of beeps or rings when you are placing a call to someone. This lets you know that you have reached the other party and is just waiting for that party to pick up. If you are in UK, or some other Commonwealth country, you would hear a double beep. Nowadays, due to a growing need to personalize everything, you could hear anything from a simple sound clip of waves crashing into a rock to song snippets to the whole "Poker Face" song. If you belong to the age group of 30s to 40s, you can still join the fun with songs by Elton John or The Doors. You might even chance upon some which might sound crazy but funny. Take for example the following ringback tone:

" ......Flight Attendant: We are now about to crash land into the Pacific Ocean. Please assume the crash position. For those in the first class, your life jacket is under your seat. For those in the economy class, please repeat after me. "Our Father who art in heaven... "

Or what about the ringback tone that has someone sounding like your friend, or somebody else, answering your call? When you realize you've been had by a ringback tone, it would also make you want to have one and see just how many people would fall for it.

As crazy as these things may sound, they actually make waiting for someone to pick up the phone quite bearable (Yes, even Mozart can take away boredom!) and even entertaining. Ringback Tones, however, are not just about crazy things. Some ringback tones allow you to record a message that lets the caller know that they have actually reached the right person. This way, your incoming calls are already screened and you are saved from having to answer misdialed numbers.

As one company describes it, ringback tones are there to delight, exasperate and tease your friends, family and whoever else that would call you. It is a whole lot more entertaining than listening to some monotonous buzzing sound. So, why not join the fun?