August 1, 2008
July 31, 2008
Country Music Ringtones Gain Momentum
Sales of ringtones based on Country songs lag somewhat behind those in other formats, with no Country songs included among the Top 10 mastertones of 2007.
Still, Country Music did start hitting impressive sales numbers last year thanks to Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats" (915,000 downloads) and "Jesus, Take the Wheel" (291,000) and other country singer hits.
Full article in Country Hound.
July 30, 2008
South Korea Telecoms Offer Unrestricted Music Downloads
South Korea's three major mobile communications service providers SK Telecom, KTF and LG Telecom are set to boost the music market by showcasing digital rights management-free music files. Digital Chosunilbo reports.
"SK Telecom and KTF both announced the launch of DRM-free products on Tuesday. If people buy music files at their respective sites melon.com and dosirak.com, they can keep, copy or transfer them regardless of the gadget they are using. LG Telecom will launch a similar product in mid-August.
... DRM-free is the global trend. Major online music sites like Apple's iTunes and Amazon have been selling DRM-free music from last year in a bid to maximize customer satisfaction to boost the market."
July 29, 2008
Slydial Takes You Straight To Voice Mail, Bypassing Ringtones
Here's a new telecommunications wrinkle: a service that allows you to call someone without having to actually talk with them. courant.com.
"Boston-based Slydial lets you connect directly with another person's cellphone voice mail, bypassing the traditional ringing process that often results with someone actually picking up on the other end.
Users call 267-759-3425 from a cellphone or a land line and are prompted to enter another person's cellphone number."
After playing a short advertisement — unless users pay a subscription fee or 15 cents a call to skip ads — Slydial puts callers directly into their target's voice mail."
You would use it to avoid an awkard conversation, or not want to bother someone.
Just tell your side of the story: You just partied hard last night and going to work is just not on your radar today. You dread having to call your boss and answering any awkward questions he may have. Instead just leave him a simple voicemail letting him know that you won't be coming into work today.
July 27, 2008
At last - they've got the rip-off text message
More than 2,000 complaints are pouring in every month to mobile phone regulators over "free" text messages promising games, ringtones and other services that rack up bills of £50 within a couple of days. The Guardian reports.
"Many users have been charged for services they never requested, while others who signed up for a free service have found themselves locked into subscriptions. When customers try to complain, tracing the companies sending the texts is virtually impossible and, even when located, they often fail to halt the messages.
Regulator PhonepayPlus - previously known as Icstis - told Guardian Money that it has received 10,000 complaints this year about text messages, and is now taking urgent measures to combat the problem. For the first time it is promising to immediately ban companies which fail to stop sending text-based services once requested.
... Last week, the European Commission said it was investigating the industry after it found 80% of the 500 websites offering ringtones and "phone wallpaper" breached regulations.
July 25, 2008
Zipclip.com - Share Media from Your PC to Your Mobile
ZipClip is a nifty new two-part downloadable application, one for your computer and the other for your mobile phone, that links the two together and allows them to share media. Users can download videos and other media onto their computer, and instantly send it to their mobile phone for viewing later on.
Users may also send video and media clips to other people’s cell phones, even if they have not downloaded the Zipclip application.
Furthermore, Zipclip allows the audio portion of the delivered clips to be converted into ringtones.
[via KillerStartups]
July 24, 2008
Net firms in music pirates deal
Six of the UK's biggest net providers have agreed a plan with the music industry to tackle piracy online, reports the BBC.
"The deal, negotiated by the government, will see hundreds of thousands of letters sent to net users suspected of illegally sharing music.
But the music industry wants people's internet cut off if they ignore repeated warnings, something the web firms say they are not prepared to do.
The six firms are due to be named when the deal is officially confirmed later."
July 23, 2008
Cassette tapes are big business. In prison
Apparently, cassette tapes aren't dead after all. But who on earth still listens to them? Inmates, according to a post on boingboing, that quotes an interview from Pack Central, a company that sells popular recordings on cassette.
Who is buying (owner Bob) Paris' cassettes? America's 2.3 million prisoners. Which brings us to the second advantage of tape over compact disc: a tape can't be broken apart and used as a shiv. Prisoners are allowed to have them. 60% of Paris' business is in cassette tapes.Paris' excited conclusion: "[By selling cassette tapes] I have dodged every conventional bullet that has hit most music retailers," Paris says. "I don't have to worry about downloading, legal or illegally. The beauty of it is that prisoners don't have Internet access and never will."
July 22, 2008
Sky launches net music service
Skyis launching a new music subscription service for internet users in what it claimed is a world first, according to the BBC.
"The satellite television company, which also offers broadband access, is teaming up with Universal Music to offer digital access to hundreds of thousands of songs for a monthly fee.
Sky said other music industry partners may soon join the service.
... Sky claimed the service was a "world first" because of its combination of unlimited streaming, downloads to keep, access to the whole Universal catalogue and the fact that the music can be played on any device."
July 21, 2008
ABBA mania in full swing with ‘Mamma Mia’
Mamma Mia!, the ABBA-inspired musical romance has earned $100 million at the worldwide box office after just two weeks of release, reports Advertising Age.
"The accompanying soundtrack debuted at a staggering No. 7 on the Billboard 200 album chart Wednesday, doing much better than any ABBA album ever did.
... Online initiatives with social networking sites and such destinations as AllMusic.com, Broadway.com and About.com, have delivered 18 million impressions, while mobile carriers are promoting ABBA ringtones/ringbacks."
July 19, 2008
Shazam Launches iPhone App
Mobile music discovery specialist Shazam has released a native version of its mobile application for the iPhone. The application is available now on the Apple App Store.
Shazam fully integrates with and complements the iPhone, allowing users to seamlessly discover, buy and share tunes simply by holding their iPhone up to a music system for just a few seconds.
[via Mobile Marketing]
July 17, 2008
EU Says 80% of European Ringtone Websites Break the Law
The European Union's Consumer Commissioner, Meglena Kuneva has today announced the results of an EU-wide investigation into websites offering mobile phone services such as ring-tones and wallpapers.
The enquiry, which was carried out on more than 500 websites across the 27 Member States along with Norway and Iceland, found that 80% of the sites checked need to be further investigated for suspected breaches of EU consumer rules. Many of the websites target children and young people.
[via Cellular News]
SendMe to let users use Warner entertainment songs on cell phones
SendMe Mobile, a San Francisco cell phone content provider, closed a deal with Warner Music Group to use the entertaiment firm's properties in a variety of mobile platforms on Wednesday.
SendMe lets users send content from the web to mobile phones. Thousands of new ringtones, videos and wallpaper images -- from Madonna to Fleetwood Mac -- are now available to SendMe users.
[via SF Business Times]
July 14, 2008
Local musicians eye cards as new way to sell tunes
A new card-driven download system is what Soundtrax backers hope becomes as ubiquitous as CDs for sale at concerts and coffeehouses across the country. Deluth News Tribune reports.
The idea is to create something tangible musicians can sell after performances, as increasingly music becomes bought and sold as MP3 downloads.
... An artist can pay $500 for 1,000 cards, and space on Soundtrax servers for their songs. ... This method provides a cheaper alternative for selling songs, Volna said.
And because there is no digital rights management — unlike with iTunes — the song can be downloaded and copied or burned onto CDs or MP3 players.
The shift away from CDs continues growing, as new generations accustomed to computers and songs on MP3s become buyers."
July 13, 2008
Ringtone websites’ hidden charges ‘exploiting’ children
More than 90% of websites selling ringtones for mobile phones to children and teenagers are misleading them with unclear charges and confusing information, an investigation by the European commission has found. The Sunday Times Online reports.
"The tactics include signing up users to subscriptions when they believe they are downloading one-off tunes and using free offers to lure them into long-term paid contracts.
Brussels is to announce this week that it will launch inquiries into dozens of British ringtone websites, in addition to many others across Europe."
