MUMBAI: They are the ones that create the music we keep playing on our phones and ipods. It's their tunes that make their way into a million cell phones as ring tones and caller ring back tones.

Ever wonder what the singers, composers and lyricists from the sprawling music industry in India think about that biggest revenue generator on the horizon - the CRBT? Ever wonder if they themselves subscribe to the service, and hey, do they play their own compositions?

Do they feel it's just another way to convey your mood and preference of music or is it actually a new gimmick, a new platform to plug and promote their new wares? We give you a peek into what you will hear if you call up the music guys their take on the new platform.

Call up singer composer Kailesh Kher (who's currently touring the US of A with his troupe) and be  ready to be greeted by his rustic earthy voice crooning a track from his new album Kailasa Chandan Mein. If you dial singer Shaan's number you can listen to his soothing, albeit slightly old number 'Hum Jo Chalne Lage' from Jab We Met. Music director Bappi Lahiri is all paternal pride as he greets you with 'Tenu Le Ke Jaana', a number composed by son Bappa Lahiri. Singer Mika will give you a taste of his own music with a self crooned Punjabi track hitting your eardrums every time you give him a buzz.

Film tracks isn't all that our musicians' arsenal holds, however. Be ready to be enthralled by classical ragas and devotional music as you wait in line to talk to a few other musicians. A raga plays while you wait for percussionist Sivamani to pick up his call while a devotional song awaits when you call ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas, rendered in his own voice. "It is one of those  fancy things that boom once in a while. Caller tunes are more to convey your mood and less to do with music promotion," says the singer who earlier had a self rendition of Hanumaan Chalisa as his caller tune. Lyricist ad man Prasoon Joshi keeps switching between Hindi film songs which are penned by him, though of late, he has a devotional song to offer to his callers  

There are a few others who will greet you with international music. If you are a regular caller to Anushka Manchanda, you will be greeted by a track called 'Konichiwa Bitches' by Robyn. Says the singer, "Caller tunes are a way to convey your mood and your taste of music. My parents and friends are the ones who often use my tracks as CRBTs, I put the tracks that I like and they don't necessarily have to be mine." Be ready to sway to Black Eyed Peas' new track 'Boom Boom Pow Pow' if you want to speak to music composer Shekhar Ravijani, part of the Vishal-Shekhar duo. "I actually wanted to put 'You May be' from Aladin but somehow landed up with this track and I haven't changed it though a lot of my friends and collegues have 'You may be' as their call back tune for the basic reason that they like the track. According to me, it is a less of promotional gimmicks and more for the love of the music that you create. We love the song hence we would want people to hear it," he explains 

Ashutosh Phatak, the co-founder of Blue Frog, a venue in Mumbai that holds live music acts, says,"It i s a good way to plug your own music." Ashutosh, who is also a musician, is amongst the lot who prefers to greet you with the usual 'tring tring' of the traditional phone. He adds candidly, "Though a lot of people in my company have our music as their caller tune, I am just to lazy to use it as my caller tune. But it definitely is a great way of promoting your music and creating an awareness about it."

Composer Ram Sampath has different view. "I am not so fond of caller back tunes. As a composer I find it annoying to listen to something I am not fond of and forcibly have to listen to. There is enough music in my head and in fact, it gets interrupted if I listen to something I don't like. There are several other ways to promote your music than to forcibly make people listen to it," he says. Suprisingly enough,the hit jodi of composer Pritam and singer Neeraj Shridhar is also one of those who keep themselves away from the caller tune business. Singers like Remo, Kay Kay and Lucky Ali are a few others who haven't explored the platform either      

T-Series president - marketing media publishing (TV) Vinod Bhanushali says that the market for caller tunes is huge and is ever increasing. It has expanded multifold over the years and would continue to do so. "Caller Tunes are more of a style statement. People want to identify with the song. They want to have a signature music style and be associated with good music," says  Bhanushali who has 'Fiqrana' from Blue as his current caller tune. He further adds, "Today it is also extremely convenient to put on a caller tune. If someone calls me and likes the song playing can easily copy it. Hence, indirectly, it is a way to promote your music as well."

Interstingly, after A R Rahman's 'Jai Ho' track (from Slumdog Millionaire, whose music rights T-Series owned), won the Oscar, the entire team of the label including its head honcho Bhushan Kumar would greet you with the track if you called them. Says Bhanushali, "It was a great track and the Oscar added another feather to it. The spirit was of the track would lift the spirit of the caller."

Be ready to groove to 'All Izz Well' from 3 Idiots the next time you call him.

Send in your comments to: harpreet.khokhar@indiantelevision.co.in