CNBLUE, FT Island, Park Shin Hye & more made it to Top 10 for

FT Island

Why keep your K-Pop to yourself? Ringtones are yet another fun way to incorporate your favorite artists and songs into your daily life.

In Japan, ringtones are so popular that music download site, Dwango, actually keeps track of how many have been downloaded and lists them in a daily chart. Twice a year the site also compiles overall lists in several different categories, including one specifically for K-Pop downloads.

Earlier this week idol group FT Island made headlines as they topped the Dwango K-Pop ringtone chart. "Come Into My Dream" was at number one while "You Are My Life" ranked at number two. Another song, "Beat It," from the same Japanese single album You Are My Life, was also at number five. An impressive feat for FT Island, whose fans are still waiting for a Korean comeback.

As of today, the three songs are still ranked in the top five, however the number one spot has been overtaken by "From the Beginning Until Now" from the anime adaptation ofWinter Sonata.

KARA has also slipped into the ringtone chart, holding out at an impressive number 4 position for the past couple days with "Bye Bye Happy Days!" Tracks from Park Shin Hye, CNBLUE, and INFINITE round out the top 10.

In the last five years online revenue, including that from ringtones, has become increasingly more important to musicians. Now, online media downloads are undisputedly the number one source of income for artists all around the world, the Guardian reported earlier in the week.

However, the K-Pop industry is ahead of the pack on this one, as it has always heavily relied on the internet as a means to sell and promote new songs and albums. Physical CDs and concert revenue have never really been a major money source for the Korean singers of today - endorsement contracts and internet sales, however, have been. Ringtones are just one of them many different methods for making a living, and the sheer popularity of K-Pop around the world (specifically Japan) creates a need for sites like Dwango.   

The popular site is the primary provider of ringtones to Android smartphone users in Japan, although they do offer versions for iPhone and other mobile phone users as well. 

Source : kpopstarz