Are You A Fashion Leader, A Wannabe Or Just Plain Annoying?

• 39 percent of mobile phone users in Britain have changed their ring tone, new survey from Lycos.co.uk reveals.
• 1.2 million have ring tones that they have composed themselves.

A new survey out today has revealed that 3.4 million people in Britain change their mobile phone ring tone at least once every month - but what are they changing it to?

According to the survey, from Lycos.co.uk and conducted by MORI Technology, one in ten (10% or 3.1 million) of mobile phone users have used a TV/movie theme tune - showing the power of the small/big screen. Nine percent proved to be followers of fashion and have downloaded a recent chart hit. A classical tune was the choice for seven percent of us, who have changed our ring tone - implying that perhaps 2.2 million of the British population is tone deaf and don't notice how ring tones murder music from the masters. Finally, six percent have chosen an old pop tune - showing that the oldies don't always go out of style.

The good news for those wannabes who missed the auditions for Popstars is that they are now able to demonstrate their creative talent by composing their own ring tones on Lycos.co.uk's new mobile channel.

Since it went live at the beginning of October, over 1,000 ring tones have been produced by Lycos users. The survey found a growing desire for home grown ring tones, with 4 percent of mobile phone users already using tones that they have produced themselves.

Alex Kovach, managing director, Lycos UK and Ireland, comments, "People are keen to display their individuality and musical skills by creating their own ring tones.

Who knows, we may even find that the next big chart hit is based on a ring tone, rather than a ring tone being based on a chart hit. It would be interesting to find out what tune some pop stars have on their mobiles - does Victoria Beckham have 'Not such an innocent girl', or, like the rest of the record buying public did she choose Kylie's 'Can't get you out of my head'?" Kovach adds.

The new mobile channel not only allows visitors to compose their own ring tones but it is also the only site where you can publish them for others to download. Lycos.co.uk records how many times it is chosen and creators are rewarded with points that allow them to download more for free.

And if those ring tones drive you nuts, it could be that is exactly what the owner intended! The survey also found that nearly one million people have changed their ring tone to purposely annoy others - showing that mobile phones are a source of amusement for many!

It is the 15 to 24 year olds who have most embraced this phenomenon, with half of those who have changed their ring tone doing so because they got bored with it.

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Notes to editors:

The research was conducted between 20 - 25 September 2001 in 193 sampling points across Great Britain as part of MORI's Omnibus. 1,310 interviews were conducted with a nationally representative sample of mobile phone users aged 15+. Interviewing took place face-to-face in respondents' homes using CAPI (computer assisted personal interviewing). All data are weighted to match known population profile.

About Lycos Europe:

Lycos Europe (Neuer Markt : LCY / Nouveau Marchй : 5770) is the leading European Internet destination operating a pan-European network of websites in nine languages. The company's combination of search, communication services, content channels, Internet access, homepage building and online communities addresses a wide range of target groups. The Lycos Europe Network provides an attractive medium not only for consumers but also for advertisers and e-commerce partners throughout Europe.

Today, Lycos Europe generates more than 2.3 billion page views each month and has the largest geographical reach in Europe of any Internet portal, with a network covering 14 countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Each country enjoys a local operation with its own language and content specific services.

Waiting For The Phone To Ring Is A Thing Of The Past

• 39 percent of mobile phone users in Britain have changed their ring tone.
• One in ten (11%), of British mobile phone users change their ring tone at least once a month.
• Five percent (1.5 million) of mobile phone users in Britain change their ring tones weekly.
• One percent of mobile phone users in GB change the tune on a daily basis.
• 4% of mobile phone users, who have changed their ring tone, have used a tune they composed themselves on their mobile phone
• 8% of mobile phone users, who have changed their ring tone, say they have done so to annoy someone
• Lycos Mobile Channel has over 5,000 downloadable ring tones - enough for a user to have a different tune every day for 13 years.
• The UK's ARC Group predicts that 551.2 million users will buy new ring tones in 2006, whilst only 112 million users will listen to MP3 files on a wireless phone.