Ringtone Related Domains

Ringtonia's weekly listing of ringtone related domain names that have come up for sale and are available to the public again.

- b4uringtones.com
- eminemringtone.com
- eminemringtones.com
- ericsson-ringtone.com
- freeeminemringtone.com
- freeeminemringtones.com
- madonnaringtones.com
- massiveringtones.com
- ringtonestarmaker.com
- killerringtones.org

The above names are available for registration now if anyone is interested. Source of information: Netcollateral.com.

Wireless Deals Focus on Tunes

As the wireless music market evolves in the United States, deal-making abounds among labels, handset makers, cell phone companies and entertainment companies targeting the space. Read more in Wired.

Music industry emits static on MP3 phones

Roiled by technology that allows consumers free access to Internet music files, the entertainment industry wants to lower the sound on MP3 mobile phones, reports The Korea Herald.

"The music industry is demanding that the new phones only be capable of playing music at radio-level sound quality, but MP3 phone makers oppose the restriction.

Today Samsung Electronics was expected to unveil its MP3 Anycall phone. But yesterday, instead of anticipating entry to a hot market, the world's No. 3 cell phone maker was enmeshed with record producers and government officials over the operational features of the phone and decided to delay the launch.

Between 2000 and 2003, MP3 players along with pirate copies of compact discs and tapes have nearly cut in half the value of Korea's music recording market.

When LG Electronics, the fifth-largest mobile phone maker in the world, and Samsung Electronics announced plans to release MP3 phones this year, alarm bells went off at groups claiming music copyrights, such as the Korea Association of Phonogram Producers and Korea Music Copyright Association.

In a nation where more than half the population carries a mobile phone, the potential for downloading illegal music files is huge in Korea.

In an MP3 player market where 95 percent of songs are illegally downloaded, an MP3 phone that can play only paid music files is unlikely to appeal to consumers".

NTT's New Music Recognition System

Rafat Ali for Moco News writes that NTT in Japan has developed its own music-recognition technology and has built a prototype system to demonstrate its capability. The company is now in the process of creating a new mobile service based on the system.

"Aimed at users of 3G mobile phones, NTT's system will allow users to search for the title of a song by holding their phone up to an analog audio source such as a home or car stereo".

South Korean ringtone market outstrips music sales

This is big news. Moco News reports that in 2003, revenue from mobile-phone music services in South Korea reached $336 million, outstripping sales of recorded music at $158 million.

Self-service content machines for mobile phones

nReach, a subsidiary of SmartServ has reached an agreement with Merit Industries (a touch-screen device manufacturer) to develop and introduce self-service content machines that download content into mobile phones, according to Wireless IGN Insider.

The vending machines will be located in wireless retailers, airports and train stations, restaurants, malls, and electronics outlets.

"nReach vending machines will create new revenue opportunities for content owners -- movie distributors, record companies, and game developers -- by reaching customers with ringtones, graphics and games who would not otherwise be exposed to such content."

Get Backstage with Your Mobile Phone

Versaly Entertainment, a wireless new media company, announced today it has signed an agreement with UltraStar, an online marketing company to the music industry, to create an entire line of mobile products for select UltraStar artists, whose clients include Sting, David Bowie and the Rolling Stones, according to a company press release.

" In additional to music ringtones, wallpaper and screensavers, Versaly will be providing custom recorded voice ringtones, master ringback tones, voicemail OGM greetings, event calendars, SMS alerts for concert notifications, SMS voting of favorite songs, daily mobile travelogue taken with a camera phone, a multimedia journal and other mobile products available to fan club members, mobile phone users registered on the fan club website and concert goers".

PAC-MAN Ringtones and Game Now Available on Verizon Wireless Get It Now Phones

Verizon Wireless customers nostalgic for the most popular arcade game of the '80s can now move to a different groove with Pactones, PAC-MAN-themed ring tones on their Get It Now-enabled wireless phones, according to a company press release.

Elvis revival on cell phones

Rafat Ali for Moco News warns us that official Elvis-branded applications are being developed for mobile devices; polyphonic ringtones, true tones, animated ringers, voice ringers, video clips, commemorative Elvis photographs to download as wallpaper or screensavers and - because we live in an era where stars never die -, an Elvis premium mobile messaging community where fans can sign up for information about Elvis, enter contests and receive the latest news on the King's album releases, TV specials and more".

Cell phone firms told to go back to basics

"The purpose of a phone is a phone," hip-hop impresario Russell Simmons reminded execs in his presentation at CTIA Wireless 2004 on Tuesday, while Motorola's Ed Zander said that Motorola has banned the use of "cell phone" to describe its products, reports MSNBC in it's coverage of the event.

"Simmons told wireless executives that the industry should get back to basics by improving its chief product -- voice calls -- and only then focus on developing new data-centric features like downloadable music.

"Simmons' comments, made during a CTIA Wireless 2004 keynote address, run counter to the overall direction the cell phone industry is taking as it hunts for new revenue sources.

Competition has driven down the price of phones and phone calls, and voice call quality, and to some extent coverage, has taken a back seat to the development of data-oriented features such as embedded MP3 players, stereo speakers for cell phones or wireless broadband services.

And going off in another direction entirely, Motorola Chief Executive Ed Zander in his presentation "went so far as to say that Motorola has banned the use of "cell phone" to describe its products.

"I like to call it the micro-TiVo-video-iPod," Zander said. "It's a device formally known as (the) cell phone."

Setting the tone for vending machines

A cell phone ring tone vending machine introduced here Monday is the latest example of how major entertainment companies are selling versions of their products directly to America's 156 million cell phone subscribers, rather than partnering with service providers, reports ZDNet.

"The vending machines, which dispense ring tones that work with most cell phones, will debut at Best Buy, RadioShack and convenience stores in the next three months. Touch screens will guide users through the purchase process".

waymobile.com Delivers House of Blues ToneSession

waymobile.com delivers House of Blues ToneSession, a ringtone composer ceated for Qualcomm's Brew Solution, according to a company press release.

"Selecting from more than 100 musical instruments, ToneSession allows users to create single music tracks or multiple tracks that are blended to form custom ringtones. A rich set of MIDI loops can easily be mixed in to create tones of virtually any genre. ToneSession musicians can repeat riffs, change note lengths or tempo and compose with chords, giving them complete control. An "Expert Mode" is available for advanced users, delivering even more sophisticated features".

Koreans turn into walking jukeboxes

This third chapter of an eight-part series on Internet culture in Korea featured in The Korea Herald, describes how as wireless handsets become every Korean's indispensable accessory, telecom companies are scrambling to tailor them to individual needs and tastes. The most common and audible way being through music.

"Users can access ring tones, color-rings, and other downloadable sound recordings through close to 100 Web sites on the Internet. Nate, an SK Telecom Web site, boasts a selection of over 500,000 songs, which grows daily.

Since the material now available accommodates a wide range of tastes and styles, many regard the ring tone or color-ring (ring back tone) as a telling marker of personality.

"It really shows what kind of person you are," said Kim So-young, a 24-year-old management consultant. "People use music on their handsets to express themselves. Even if you don't know the person at all, you can catch a glimpse of what they are like, their characteristics and their preferences."

Some said color-rings could play a role when arranging "sogae-ting," or blind dates. "They do not make or break first impressions, but they can certainly set the mood," said Kim.

Sprint and BMG Announce Music Tones from Top Artists

In yet another deal struck, Sprint and BMG, the global music division of Bertelsmann, have announceed an agreement that delivers Music Tones from top artists to Sprint cusomers nationwide, according to TMCnet.

"The initial lineup of Music Tones, which are ringers that sound like the actual song, will include hits from such artists as Britney Spears, Maroon 5, 3 Days Grace, The Strokes, Kenny Chesney and Pink".

Ringtone related domain names

Ringtonia's weekly listing of ringtone related domain names that have come up for sale and are available to the public again.

- 241ringtones.com
- oldskoolringtones.com
- theringtonesshop.com
- ringtonescentral.net
- ringtonescentral.org
- ringtoneszone.net
- ringtoneszone.org

The above names are available for registration now if anyone is interested. Source of information: Netcollateral.com.

The Sopranos on Sprint Phones

HBO ant Sprint have announced a partnership to bring ringtones, screen savers and other content from the hit televions series The Sopranos to mobile subscribers, reports Rafat Ali for Moco News.

moantones.com

I couldn't find much to write about on ringtones today, so I typed in a few URLs to see if there were any related websites and attempted moantones.com which I knew someone had registered as a domain name. Well, they are now active and "offering adult and erotic polyphonic sound tones". In their own word "Now you can have a cellphone that says Yeah Baby Oooooooohh!!"

Of note, you can submit any comments or suggestions about moantones to "Moana".

For related article on moantones, cf «moantones».

Xingtone Brings Its Wireless Software To CDs

Xingtone, has hooked up with Artemis Records to put its wireless software on a soon-to-be released CD from music artist Sugarcult, reports Wireless Week.

"Some 50 different handsets from various major U.S. carriers will support the Sugarcult music and artwork, according to Xingtone.

New music is all about new discovery, and ringtones are a powerful way to capture new listeners' attention," says Brad Zutaut, president of Xingtone. "Artemis is carving yet another path that the rest of the music industry will have to follow."

Recordstore to offer chart-eligible downloads from artist web sites

Music e-tailer Recordstore.co.uk is launching a new service enabling labels and artists to sell chart-eligible downloads straight from their web sites.

The company is in talks with all of its 200 labels and artists with a view towards adding digital facilties to their existing online stores.  

Launched at the end of this month, the service will seamlessly integrate downloads with artists' existing online stores, so that fans will be able to mix digital and physical goods within the same basket, according to a company press release.

Sony pioneers personal radio to mobile phones

Consumers can tailor the music stream by pressing a button on their phone to indicate they like or dislike a song, according to USA Today.

Sony's service, for which it has no name yet, will work on advanced multimedia handsets running on the Symbian software system, available on phones from Nokia, Siemens AG, Sony Ericsson, Sendo and others.

The music will be sent over the GPRS data-capable network of a mobile operator at a speed of 16 kilobits per second. It is not close to compact disc quality, but Sony reckons it is good enough to start with, while waiting for the faster 3G networks.

Sony also announced the European opening in June of its Connect music store on the Internet, where consumer can buy songs from 0.99 euros apiece and download them on their computer before exporting them to Sony minisdisc players and walkmans".

Ring tones jump from PCs to CDs

In a first for the cell phone ring tone industry, a record label is now including on some albums software to assemble digital recordings into custom tones, according to News.com.

"Once loaded onto someone's personal computer, the ring tone assembly software works with the tracks on "Palm Trees and Power Lines," the latest album from Artemis Records artist Sugarcult.

People who want to use the software to turn any recording on the computer into a ring tone must first pay $15 for the full software, supplied by Xingtone. Xingtone and Artemis split the revenue. Until now, the only way to get Xingtone software was through a Web download."

Ringtones From Your Favorite Clear Channel Radio Station

ClearSky Mobile Media, Inc., a wireless entertainment agent for the latest generation mobile handsets announced today a partnership with media giant Clear Channel Communications to distribute ringtones, wallpapers, answering services, realtones and mobile games using Clear Channel's CHR Top 40 radio stations and their websites, reports the FeatureExprpess.

"The Contemporary Hit Radio format sites have been customized with ringtone and wallpaper selections specific to the play lists and to the stations' audiences. The result is a first for the wireless industry - a direct tie-in between radio and wireless mobile ringtones".

T-Mobile to offer songs-as-you-go

T-Mobile is to offer special 'mobile mix' versions of popular songs for those who just can't do without their music, according to Sillicon.com.

"The mobile operator has done a deal with Sony and Vivendi for special versions of songs, starting with 'Left Outside Alone' by Anastacia. Other artists in the initial offering include Beyonce, Limp Bizkit and Lionel Richie.

The 200 remixes - which are shortened versions - will initially be available in the Austria, Germany and the UK. T-Mobile has ambitions to do the same in the US. The company hopes music enthusiasts will use the service to get a preview of coming singles.

Cost may be a problem. A download will be £2.50 in the UK and only €2.50 in Germany. Users will need a Nokia handset and tracks will only last for 90 seconds to two minutes".

See related article in the WSJ. "Executives from both industries say they are confident that music and cellphones are natural bedfellows, pointing to soaring demand for downloadable ring tones."

MP3 Phone Patent Dispute Deepens

The copyright row over MP3 phones is showing no signs of letting up as cell
phone makers and the music industry continue to debate the legality of
playing music files through handsets, according to the The Korea Times via Unwired.cc

"LG Electronics ast week started selling its LP3000 model, an MP3 phone that can save 16 music files at a time.

The local music industry, which has suffered setbacks of late due to piracy
mainly in the form of song swapping over the Internet, responded by
expressing strong concerns at free music files being played on the phones.

The Korea Association of Phonogram Producers (KAPP) claimed the rollout is
against copyright law and said it will seek to block sales of the LP3000.

The organization of the music producers also stopped providing any
phonograms to the LG-made MP3 phones starting March 12.

LG Electronics countered that it has incorporated digital rights management
(DRM), solutions devised to prevent illegal play of music files, into the
LP3000 phones.

However, the KAPP claimed that already back-door programs enabling free play
of music files via the LP3000 are available on the Internet.

Sony To Launch European Online Music and Mobile Radio Services

At CEBIT, Sony has unveiled the European version of its Internet music store Connect, as well as announced plans for the first "personalised radio" service to mobile phones which consumers can tailor to their own tastes, reports Moco News.

Pop stars' tones are top of flops

BBC's Newsround has been asking pop stars which mobile ringtones they have and, and their conclusion: what a boring lot!

Not only do most use a standard ringtone that comes with the phone, one rock star didn't even know what his own ring tone was.

Can Mobile Music Lift Motorola?

Rafat Ali for Moco News reports on Motorola's unveileiling of music phones in hopes that it can make up some lost market share... "Unfortunately for Motorola, it's likely to be a bumpy journey. The company has been slow to capitalize on phone trends and has lost its edge to competitors like Nokia".

Ringtone Related Domains

Ringtonia's weekly listing of ringtone related domain names that have come up for sale and are available to the public again.

- kyocera-ringtone.com
- kyoceraringtone.com
- ringtonez4you.com

The above names are available for registration now if anyone is interested. Source of information: Netcollateral.com.

Chysalis spreads its wings into mobile music

The UK radio industry makes another move into music retailing on Monday, to help redraw the record industry's business model in light of falling CD sales, according to the FT.

"Chrysalis will unveil a service enabling listeners to download and buy songs on to their mobile phones.

The group's new mobile division will focus on offering mobile phone ringtones based on songs, but the service is designed to exploit technology allowing mobile phone users to download the actual songs as MP3 files.

The logical outcome is for radio stations to become virtual record retail outlets," said Richard Huntingford, Chrysalis's chief executive. "Research suggests 95 per cent of people who buy a record first heard it on the radio."

Ring Tones Spark Revenue for Wireless Operators

Who would have guessed that something as simple as ring tones would
drive wireless data revenue to the tune of about $3.5 billion a year
globally? The ring tone market has taken many by surprise, and
operators, not wanting to be left out in the cold, understand that they
have to design ways to handle those services, from launch to billing to
settlement.

John L. Guerra's above introduction in Billing World to ringtones, is followed by a ringtone purchase scenario and advice on how to set up a business plan and providing customer service

Reads like alot of good advice.