The invention discloses a method for providing a real time ringback tone in a communication network and the method includes: establishing a call connection between a calling party and a called party according to a received calling request; receiving a ringback tone indication value from the called party; obtaining a corresponding ringback tone according to the ringback tone indication value; and playing the corresponding ringback tone to the calling party. The invention further provides a system for providing a real time ringback tone in a communication network and a terminal therefor. By using the technology of the invention, a different ringback tone can be played to the calling user in real time according to the current situation. Therefore, individualized requirements of the user may be met and the quality of communication service may be further improved.