Rapper's ring bling

Universal Music Group, the world's largest music company, sold a record 3 million ringtones from a song by rapper Chamillionaire, illustrating the growing importance of mobile-phone downloads to U.S. music companies. The sales, at about $2.50 a pop, imply revenue of as much as $7.5 million for the track, "Ridin.' ""This shows how fast the market is exploding," Rio Caraeff, general manager of Universal Music Mobile U.S., said. "We had several weeks where it sold over 200,000 units per week in the U.S. It's astonishing."

Chamillionaire has also sold 30,000 mobile video downloads of Ridin’ — 5,808 in one day — in the UK alone and the debut single is not even out yet!

(c) Charlotte Observer