Digital-music sales in Japan showed mixed results in the July-September quarter, as the market continues to await a killer app to restore it to healthy growth.

The 49 member companies of local labels body the Recording Industry Association of Japan sold 117.4 million units of digital product in the third quarter, down 1% from the third quarter of 2008, for a value of 23 billion yen ($265.6 million), up 4%.

Sales of ringback tones were up 7% to 28 million units, for a value of 2.5 billion yen ($28.5 million), marking a 10% rise over third-quarter 2008.

After falling in the second quarter, sales of mobile-based full-track downloads bounced back in the third quarter, rising 6% to 36.8 million units, for a value of 12.7 billion yen ($146.3 million), up 9% from July-September 2008. 

Mobile-based master-ringtone sales continued to fall, however, dropping 12% to 38.4 million units, for a value of 3.9 billion yen ($45.5 million), down 17%.

Overall, mobile-based downloads fell 2% in the third quarter to 105.4 million units, for a value of 20 billion yen ($230.9 million), up 2%.

Sales of PC-based music downloads, meanwhile, continued to show strong growth in the third quarter, rising 14% to 12 million units, for a value of 2.6 billion yen ($30.3 million) in value, up 15%.

PC downloads comprise singles, albums, mini-albums and other content sold over wired networks, according to the RIAJ, and albums and mini-albums count as single units regardless of the number of tracks they contain. Singles, however, constitute almost all PC-based download sales.

Cumulative digital-sales results for the January-September period showed a 2% drop in volume terms from the corresponding period of 2008 to 351.2 million units and a 1% rise in value terms to 67.6 billion yen ($780.4 million).