Ringtones are out — they’ve been overthrown by the new king of cell phone music: Ringbacks.

Ringbacks are MP3-quality segments of songs, instead of the usual ringing sound, callers hear while they wait for the person they called to pick up the phone. Subscribers can download multiple ringbacks — just like with ringtones — and designate different songs for different callers.

In a partnership with Warner Music Group, Verizon Wireless became the first wireless provider to make this new technology available in the United States — currently only in California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, New Mexico, Wyoming and Hawaii.

Ringbacks are quickly spreading across the United States, though, and they will invade Iowa in late spring or early summer, says Brenda Raney, spokeswoman for Verizon Wireless.

A similar offer, called CallerTunes, is available nationwide on T-Mobile, says Jen Swanson, Iowa territory representative for T-Mobile. No other wireless companies offer the service yet.

The point of ringbacks and ringtones is for people to be able to further personalize their lives, Raney says.

“The goal of our relationship with Warner is to provide tunes subscribers want to hear. This is yet another way to personalize their phone. It’s all about personalization — we want to personalize all our devices; it’s no different than kids wanting to personalize their locker or notebook at school.”

Worldwide ringbacks revenues should reach $2.8 billion by 2008, a half-billion more than 2003 ringtone revenues, according to telecom consulting firm Ovum.

This means more and more people are downloading new music onto their cell phones, which, in turn, could mean a broader reach for up-and-coming artists.

“It is certainly an opportunity for an artist to expand their reach into a new genre, and ringbacks and ringtones are rapidly reaching the status of becoming a genre,” says Raney.

“This is a terrific viral marketing tool for bands,” says Jay Newell, assistant professor of journalism and communication. “It’s a way for a band to not only allow people to sample their music, but also say, ‘Here is who is listening to us.'”

Verizon offers about 2,400 songs for subscribers to download, with songs by Green Day, Alicia Keys, Incubus and Lil’ Scrappy topping the Ringbacks charts.

But would strapped-for-cash ISU students be willing to pay the $1.99 charge per Ringback or CallerTune, just to have their friends and family hear segments of “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” when they call?

“I would do it just to entertain my friends by making them listen to weird, random songs,” says Cassie McElhaney, senior in computer science.

“I think they will [be popular] because we’re a society that likes to change things all the time — we get bored easily.”

Adam Hendrickson, senior in materials engineering, is a little more skeptical.

“I would use them if they sound good,” he says.

“Trying to put out a song on a tiny little speaker doesn’t really work for me, though.”