Ringtone Producer

What has become the unofficial soundtrack of the 2010 FIFA World Cup has now also spilled over to cellphones worldwide… and we’re not referring to the lively hit song “Waka Waka” which is performed by Shakira and features beloved South African band Freshlyground.

No, we are talking about that thing that has – quite literally – been on everyone’s lips: the vuvuzela.

The metre-long, colourful, plastic South African “instrument”, which makes an ear-splittingly loud, monotonous sound when blown on it, has become a fixture among spectators attending the live matches of the globally broadcasted tournament. The vuvuzela’s prominent presence at the matches has made it soar to world fame (or infamy, depending on your point of view) almost overnight.

However, despite its renown, not everyone has embraced the vuvuzela and its rather unique sound. Many viewers, who have been watching televised broadcasts of the World Cup matches, have complained to television networks, demanding that the sound of the vuvuzela somehow be muted from the broadcasts as it drowns out the match commentary.

Those who hate the sound so much that they have muted the matches on their television sets will probably not be pleased to hear that sound coming from a ringing cell phone. And they are bound to hear it, no matter where they are in the world, because the much maligned and loathed sound has now become the number one free mobile ringtone application in the world.

A Dutch app developer, called moblio.nl, has been raking in advertising revenue after turning the distinct sound of the vuvuzela into a free ringtone app. Called Vuvuzela 2010, it has been scoring high on the ringtone charts in the UK, Germany, France, South Africa, Argentina, Japan, Australia and even reaching number 3 in the USA.

Towards the end of June, the Vuvuzela 2010 app had been downloaded more than 3.5 million times and it has shown continued growth across the world. As if that isn’t bad enough for the vuvuzela haters, its fans now have another reason to toot the horn.