Is this in Dubai? A Billion dollar industry? Well, you are probaly thinking about the real estate and construction in Dubai. Maybe you are right but, here's a twist.

A new report from Informa Telecoms and Media predicts that by 2010, mobile music will be worth $11.3bn, with nearly $6.8bn worth of real tones - mobile phone ringtones that sound like a real song rather than digitized music - sold by the end of the decade. Ringtones of all varieties are expected to be worth $4.9bn this year, with almost all ringtones set to become real music by 2010.

So, what this means to the music and media industry in Dubai? For Entertainments companies in Dubai as well that has original music as their banner? Go on, read more, and tell me what you are going to do about it. The voice ringtones market, which adds a voice channel to the polyphonic sound such that the actual song is sung when the ringtones plays are the next wave in the ringtones market.

The interesting thing about ringtones is that they are truly an entertainment service and only marginally related to communication and messaging. Ringtones are the most popular type of content downloads to mobile phones. They are the second most popular nonvoice mobile data services after standard text messaging. The bulk of the sales should take place in Asia, with the region likely to account for more than half of global demand for mobile music services including ringtones

For the telecommunications sector, mobile entertainment -- music, games, gambling and video -- is seen as a key income stream as profit margins from voice and messaging services get squeezed from intense competition. Additionally, ringtones are categorized as a premium content service which commands a premium end user price. Consumers are  paying between $0.50  and $5.00 per ringtones, with a typical price being $2.00. This is a substantial price premium compared to other mobile data services. Revenues from ringtones can therefore be significant

Ringtones remain the clear consumer favorite when it comes to mobile music offerings from online websites. The mobile entertainment market faces  challenges which will hinder its long term prospects because of the ongoing tussle for a large slice of the revenues from mobile operators and record companies.

Furthermore, with web connectivity you can enjoy high quality music on the go; this is further pushing the boundaries of mobile music.

Free and Fast MP3 downloads are the rage of the town. And I am not talking about one or two towns here – this observation is true to a multitude of towns all over the world. From Dubai to Tokyo, from Oman to Sydney, MP3 is the way to be. And the fact that it is all mostly free makes it all the more popular. While the voices raising concern over propriety rights and copyright infringements are also justified in their concern, the fact of the matter is that attempts to download music free of cost have reached a level of popularity unparalleled in history. The beauty of it all is – the attempts are successful as well.

How about the Dubai Lime's podcast that reach 10,000 or more downloads in the Middle East - talking about the revolution in music in your computers or mobiles. Downloading become  entertainments in Dubai for many people - entertainments in their mobiles, ipod and computers.

Free MP3 software has been available for years now. The Napsters of this world have been around for a while, yet it is surprising how there are still people out there who have let this silent revolution pass them by. It is all the more important for these people to learn more about the combination of the world of music and that of computers, and the irreversible changes that it has brought about in life.

You can choose your favorite songs and add them to a playlist that will do all the hard work for you thereafter. All you need to do is select the playlist of ‘Jazz’, and your favorite Jazz player will be crooning away the selection you love most in no time. Tired of the same sequence repeating itself over and over again? Never mind – just click the ‘Shuffle’ button and the songs will play themselves in a random order even you wouldn’t be able to guess.


Barely one step above their free cousins are cheap MP3 players available on the net. You need to scarcely spend a few dollars and you can download music software adorning your PC that will play the latest and the best music as if you are playing it live in an amphitheater. There is a huge variety of options available with each such player. You can choose a skin of your choice – some even allow you to design one of your own.


Software like the Windows Media Player come bundled with the operating system itself and have an extremely large variety of options in itself. Others that are available on the internet, however, add greatly to the features available for use, making the Media Player look pale in comparison.

Then there is the added option provided by many players, of even selecting the ambience in which you want to hear your music. Decide whether you want to hear Brian Adams in a room setting, or would prefer him to perform for you in a hall, or a stadium maybe? All options are available at the click of a button.

While most of the established artistes do not allow their music to be distributed for free, peer-to-peer sharing results in massive availability of all kinds of music on the net. While ethically incorrect, there is no dearth of such music - the biggest pop star and his latest albums are all available. The fact that free music software allows playing this music in complete anonymity in the comfort of your home has allowed the software industry to keep pace with the speed at which the music industry has spread on the internet. Like it or not – free music and free music software is here to stay. Love it or leave it – but you can’t ignore it!

Here's your tips:

So, are you're planning to have the biggest 2008 concert in Dubai or planning to have your entertainments company in Dubai and you will the first entertainer/musician? -:)

Finding band members is like finding a good job. Know exactly what you want before searching, always have a good portfolio ready, and be consistent in your pursue. You may first want to ask yourself what exactly you’re looking for – whether it is to join an existing band or find individual members to start your own band. Obviously, both have their differences and this should be answered first before you start your grueling search.

Join an existing band.

A huge advantage for joining an established band (maybe) is that most of the back-end stuff is already taken care of. This includes tasks such as finding an agent/manager to book your gigs, song development, contracts with music labels, etc. All you have to do is show up for rehearsals and play shows as scheduled. But in Dubai, its gonna be very difficult.

TJoining an existing band is a great way for enthusiastic musicians to gain some playing experience right away, although it is sometimes harder to find these kinds of opportunities. These are established bands that are looking for single or multiple members for various reasons (their guitarist overdosed on cocaine, bass player got fired for drinking problems, etc). This might go without saying, but make sure you really do like the type of music a band plays before deciding to join their group! There are many musicians I know that play in a band where they don’t even like the music they play, all just to “gain experience” to get their foot in the door and hopefully move on to greener pastures. It can’t be stressed enough that if you don’t like the music you play, you’re going to do a half-assed job at it, so why bother?

Also, know your playing experience and limits. For example, if you’ve only started playing guitar learning all Green Day songs for a few months, don’t expect to join a thrash metal band that requires you to do sweep-picking, fast arpeggios, or any other insane guitar techniques. Make sure you choose a band where the technicality of the music they play is comfortable with your own skill level as a musician.

Or even better yet, post up your own classified ad on the bulletin board so bands in Dubai can contact you instead. Best, is to post your add in Dubai Lime.

Disadvantages of joining an existing band.

First and foremost, you have to learn all their songs usually in a limited period of time. The band might have a show coming up and you have to be able to play all their songs flawlessly note-for-note. Needless to say, this might be stressful for some musicians (except if their music is very straight forward and easy with pure 3 note power chords).

Another disadvantage is often your own music creativity is limited. Most bands prefer their original tunes to be played and carried on without any radical change. For example, if you just joined a band and replaced their old guitarist, the way the former guitarist played a particular solo, is the way the band wants it to be played by you. Often you must follow the same note structure of a music piece composed by another musician.

Organizing your own band.

This is great, just join and register in Dubai Lime's website and broadcast your interest on forming our bands. This is where you can find individual musicians to start a new band, usually with similar music skills and backgrounds. Thinking of starting a band is the easy part, but the actual process of searching for the right people is harder than most people think. There are tons of musicians out there in the world but only a small percentage of those you may be compatible with. In addition, ask yourself: are you going to play in a band just for fun, or are you trying to make a living out of it? This will influence where you are going to start looking. The internet is a large resource but don’t just rely solely on it.

Don’t limit yourself in a location.

If you are serious about starting a career as a musician, you don’t just search for bands or members only in your local area. Living in smaller towns and cities won’t give you very many options in choosing the right band or member for you. Expand yourself to other cities in UAE,  where the potential to find band members is greater.