Hip-Hop's New World to Conquer: Your Phone

The New York Times has a lengthy article on ringtones and reports that, according to Billboard magazine's ringtone chart, what people are buying is mostly hip-hop.

But the best part of the article, is the last paragraph:

In the world of ringtones, the United States lags behind Europe and Asia. If you doubt it, check out ringtonia.com, a Web site devoted to the topic, and you will get an idea of how the bell is going to toll when it tolls for you."

Wahouuu! Ringtonia in the New York Times, thank you Sarah Boxer!

'Ringback' tones may be next big fashion

Mike Masnick for TheFeature.com reports back on ringback tones and questions "whether or not any revenue from ringback tones is a sustainable business, or a flash-in-the-pan. Ringback tones are, essentially, a fashion statement.

"Their only real purpose is to show off to others who are calling you. The problem, then, is that fashion statements go out of fashion -- sometimes very quickly. It's tough to bet a business proposition on a fashion statement. If you're lucky, you can make a lot of money, but it's quite random as to how long that money-maker will last."

For my part, I believe in ring back tones. We'll see. And hey, they've been good for me, yesterday I sold the domain «ringbacks.com» for $ 4'500.

SK Telecom offers cure for tone deaf karaoke singers

According to Seong-ju Lee for Telecoms Korea, with year end office parties coming up, many tone deaf singers dread the inevitable Karaoke part of the evening.

SK Telecom has come to the rescue with an online cure.

"The mobile tone-deaf cure consists of 3 parts such as diagnosing, tone-deaf curing and music treatment. The ARS tone-deaf diagnosing service shows how sensitive a user to sound (rhythm, tone and beat) in numeric value, tone-deaf curing improves the sensitivity and music treatment further enhance the singing skill."

Cellphone to vibrate in tune

The Wall Street Journal in an interesting article on the technology behind haptics, derived from the Greek word meaning "to touch", and writes that early next year, Samsung Electronics Co. is planning to produce the first cellphone that vibrates in tune with popular ring tones, using a similar technology.

Bollyfun

BollyFun, a ringtone provider, offers thousands of Indian and Pakistani ringtones. (Thanks Reena ).

Motorola's new MOD phone

Motorola Korea announced Thursday the introduction of MusicMOTO(ms350) that lets users listen to music while talking on the phone or using wireless internet. [via Telecoms Korea].

Innovative Music Distribution Service

A new solution developed jointly by BT and Blueprint enables rights holders - artists, writers, publishers and record companies - to host their songs, videos, ringtones and other digital media files while having a direct commercial relationships with retailers. [ via Digital-Lifestyles.info ].

"The new service for hosting, managing and distributing music and related content online, promises to accelerate the growth of the market by addressing key problems hampering the development of online music businesses, such as time to market, copyright protection, capital expenditure in IT and networking technologies, control of rights and the margin structure of the present models."

Mix Your Own Ringtones

Russel Buckley in The Mobile Technolgoy Weblog reports on "RingRanger, "a ringtone site in the UK, that allows users to mix their own tones, which the site then plans to sell to other visitors. The site is at pains to emphasise that it's very easy to mix a tone, even for complete novices, using their simple-to-use tools.

The people who create the ringtone mix are expected to get points for each sale, which can be redeemed for a range of prizes."

Russel Buckley
For those who don't know, Russel Buckley was one of the founders of ZagMe, probably the most innovative mobile marketing company in it's day and way ahead of it's time. When I wrote a daily column in French on SMS in 2001 and 2002, their success stories where my favorite postings.

In particular this one, written up by the Register: SMS messages cause Reebok riots:

"A mobile marketing firm caused mayhem in the Lakeside shoping centre, Thurrock, when it sent out a text message offering a free pair of Reebok trainers to whoever turned up at a new shop with their phone.

The store manager was a little overwhelmed when over 50 people turned up within four minutes, the Financial Times reported.

Anyway, the company behind it, ZagMe, has had 2000 shoppers sign up for the service in the first four days - trampling on its more conservative estimates".

Universal Music Group to Provide Master Ringtones to Verizon Wireless Customers

Verizon Wireless announced today it has entered into an agreement with Universal Music Group to bring music from many of today's chart-topping artists to Verizon Wireless customers.

The alliance includes the sale of real-music ringtones from Universal Music Group Artists and opportunities for the two companies to develop joint marketing programs. [company press release.

Virtual concert on 3 virtually sells out

MocoNews via InfoSync World reports that the rock concert broadcast by UK's 3 was a success, with all 1,000 tickets selling for five pounds a pop.

Rock outfit Rooster played what has been billed as the first ever concert broadcast by phone from a London venue.

Cell Phone Makers Fast Getting In Tune With Emergence Of Digital Music

Growing use of digital music players has cell phone makers singing a happy tune, according to Investors Business Daily.

"Move over camera phones, the music phone era is getting ready to play.

The question, though, is just which group will serve as the disc jockey -- handset makers or wireless carriers.

It's a dance between the handset makers and the carriers," said American Technology analyst Albert Lin. "Carriers sell phones to drive their own revenue, but handset makers also have to accede to what the customers want."

Ringtones as Xmas gifts or «Snowtones»

Protones, ringtones made by musicians, is suggesting you buy your loved ones a ringtone for Xmas.

Called snowtones, the gifts on offer (as of December 1st) include a selection of 50 favourite Christmas chart toppers, carols and other favourites, along with Protones' usual choice of popular film & tv soundtracks.

Each snowtone gift costs £3.99 ($ 7.40) and includes a personal text message from the gift buyer that will be sent to the person receiving the gift via Protones on Christmas day.

A second text will inform them where the ring tone is stored. All this can be set up by filling in a simple form on the Protones website. [company press release]

Very nice!

Melodeo

A Seattle-based tech company is developing a music service for cellphones. Company execs hope the offering will one day trump Apple's iPod and iTunes in popularity. via boingboing.

"The attraction of Melodeo is that it allows a user to search, buy and listen to music from a cellphone, rather than having to download the music on a computer and transfer it to another device. It does this quickly by loading a list of available tracks and artists on the user's cellphone. The user can then browse and connect to the wireless carrier's server only when a track is purchased."

Ring-a-ding bling-bling

"My Boo" topped Billboard magazine's chart of hot ringtones during the chart's first three weeks of existence. This week, Snoop Dogg's "Drop It Like It's Hot" took over the top position, reports The Tenessean

Geoff Mayfield, Billboard's director of charts, says what he calls the ''36 to dead'' crowd hasn't caught onto the craze yet, but that up to 97,000 people — most of them young — are paying between 99 cents and $2.99 to download songs each week.

Sprint is now marketing BlingTones, which are hip-hop beats created by leading producers for use solely as cell phone ringers.

The top-selling ringtone tends to sell more than three times as much in one week as the No. 1 seller on Billboard's Hot Digital Tracks chart. In other words, three times as many people are paying up to $2.99 for a snippet of a replica of a song's melody than are paying 99 cents to download an entire song with full dynamic sound.

''It's a personalized thing, and I think it's going to grow,'' Bihlman says. ''This whole mass of humanity is trying to do anything to differentiate themselves.''

Mobile Multimedia Summit

As 3G networks are being launched across Europe and mobile devices become increasingly multi-functional, the mobile industry is coming togetherat the Mobile Multimedia Summit to offer new exciting services to consumers.

Music, ringtones, games and video clips can be downloaded and viewed across Europe and new alliances and partnerships foster the increase in mobile multimedia content services.

This senior executive event brings together Europe's leading content owners, network operators and handset manufacturers to discuss future content distribution strategies. Attendees will be able to hear case studies from industry leaders that illustrate how to set up successful multimedia services.

Top-level speakers include senior speakers from Bertelsmann Media Group, Sony Ericsson, O2, KPN Mobile, Universal Music, MTV Networks, WIND, Vodafone and many more.

[via Wireless Week]

Coming soon, 128-Polyphonic Handset

A new handset featuring 128 polyphonic ringtones is expected to hit the market as early as in the first quarter of next year, reports Seong-ju Lee for Telecoms Korea

"An official familiar with the industry said Thursday that there is no technical obstacle to develop such a handset model and it is only a matter of time to introduce the model in the market. 128 polyphonic would sound just like karaoke accompaniment tracks".

In June 2003, Samsung and other domestic handset makers first launched handsets with 64 polyphony chips and put them on most of their current products."

Telefonica Moviles to launch mobile music download service

Telefonica Moviles Espana has announced plans to launch a mobile phone digital music store this month, allowing users to download whole tracks onto their mobile phone for around €2 each ($2.60), with free downloading, reports DMeurope.

"The operator has signed contracts with Warner Music and Spain's Vale Music, and is currently negotiating similar deals with Sony BMG, Universal Music, and EMI.

Telefonica Moviles plans to launch with a catalogue of 30,000 songs, aiming to have 100,000 by January, 2005. "

Pheromone Ringtones?

The mobile service market is flooded with a hoard of value added services. Among them, a service of SK Telecom, that can allegedly make users more attractive, is targeting those youths seeking for their soul mates.

The service is to combine a certain sound wave with the song of Quincy Jones or Marvin Gaye. The sound wave, dubbed Cupid's Arrow, completed a TRIAL TEST IN A NEUROTHERAPY HOSPITAL IN UZBEKSISTAN. The Cupid's Arrow would increase blood pressure, pulse and breath by 10% so that people can more open their minds to others, SK Telecom argued.

Men and women can choose different sound wave and match-making information by blood types are provided.

Users can download the pheromone music to their mobile phones to use it as their ring tones.

By Seong-ju Lee for Telecoms Korea.

Virgin Mobile USA and Nokia Team Up in the US

Nokia and Virgin Mobile USA, oday announced that the two companies intend to work together to introduce a Nokia CDMA handset through Virgin Mobile's retail channels in early 2005.

This collaboration marks the first time these two industry-leading brands have come together in the United States market. [company press release]

Color Ringtone the new trend in China

China's People's Daily Online has an article on the popularity of Ringback tones (called Color Ringtone, or Cai Ling in Chinese) provided by wireless operator China Mobile as well the emergence of Ringback composing becoming a new profession with a very promising future.

"Xiao Le, the host of Beijing Music Radio, is now also the founder of a Color Ringtone Composing Studio.

He is doing quite well in this new business. The very popular color ringtone "Xiao Qiang" is produced in his studio.

"Xiao Qiang" has already been downloaded for more than 70 thousand times and that's the number in Beijing only. If other provinces and cities can also have that number, the profits are really considerable." "

Warner music ringing up biz

Warner Music is getting is making a broad push into the ringtone biz, signing a deal with mobile technology company M-Qube to offer the cellular jingles directly to consumers, reports Variety.

"Comprehensive deal allows Warner to sell ringtones directly from its labels' websites and those it creates for artists. M-Qube's technology allows users to download ringtones directly to their phones and add the charge to their bill from any major cellular carrier.

Deal includes both instrumental ringtones and those made with master tracks that include artists' vocals.

While many labels offer ringtones on an ad-hoc basis through a number of different providers, this is the first comprehensive deal a U.S. label has signed to offer ringtones on all of its Web properties."

Verizon Wireless To Begin Offering Ringback Tones

Verizon Wireless announced today it is the first national carrier to offer Ringback Tones -- short clips of real music that replace the standard ring callers hear when they call the Verizon Wireless phone of a Ringback Tone subscriber.

Customers can browse from an initial catalog of more than 2,200 songs in 13 different music genres.

To get Ringback Tones, customers can go to the Ringback Tones Web site. On the Web, customers can register, browse the categories and preview ringback tones before they buy. Customers can also sign up to receive a TXT alert whenever selected artists release new ringback tones by visiting the My Alerts section of the site and selecting TXT notifications.

Ringback Tones are available to Verizon Wireless customers in Sacramento and Southern California markets beginning today for a monthly fee of $0.99 per month. Each ringback tone purchased is $1.99, which provides unlimited use for one year. Both the monthly fee and cost for each tone appear on the customer's monthly bill.

Just for the record Preferred Voice and First Cellular of First Cellular of Southern Illinois were the first to announce the launch of a personalized ringbacks service last October, called Xtreme Ring for First Cellular's subscribers in the mid-west.

Budding Music War as Digital Music Providers Eye Cell Phones

Samsung, Reigncom, Online services and the big three mobile telecommunication service providers in Korea are preparing for a melee in the digital music market as new technology transforms people's cell phones into pocket-sized stereos, according to Digital Chosunilbo.

"SK Telecom seems the most active of those companies that have jumped into the fray. It stated Monday that it had launched its music service 'Melon' that allows users to enjoy musical downloads on their personal computers - without any restrictions on time or place. After downloading music from the website they can also play it on their MP3 machines or other digital devices.

LG Telecom is also close to launching 'Music On', its music portal that is expected to begin operating this month. The company plans to allow users to enjoy the complementary service until next June. KTF has also formed a special team dedicated to online music services. "

KTF's moves come as mobile telecommunication companies are gearing up for the transition of mobile phones into digital music players. Users must navigate their way through such services to play MP3s on their handsets."

Music download vending machines coming to Britain

A company called Inspired Broadcast Networks is installing music vending machines in a couple of subway stations in London that'll let you download music to your cellphone or MP3 player. [via Engadget]

"They're going to charge £1 ($1.85) per track, with each kiosk having about two million songs to choose from, and that they have plans to install more than 20,000 of them at pubs, stores, and gas stations around the country."

SK Telecom Launches Ubiquitous Digital Music Service

SK Telecom launches Monday a ubiquitous music portal service called MelOn, that users can enjoy whenever, wherever, on whatever devices they want, reports Seong-ju Lee for Telecoms Korea.

"MelOn service provides music streaming and limitless download and play through mobile and fixed-line network during the contract period for 5,000 won per month ($ 4,60.) After one month period is expired, digital right management or DRM system restricts the access to the sound source.

Accordingly, the new service is expected to calm the users' complaints about high price charged for downloading separate song and protect the sound source owners' rights from illegal copy, transmission and free music download services."

KT's Fixed Line Phone Works Like a Handset

KT launches Ann, a fixed line phone functioning like a mobile phone, Korea's mobile and fixed-line telecom giant announced Thursday.

Ann offers short messaging service, telephone book, caller ID detection, 24-polyphony ring tones and wide LCD screen, exclusive features that have been provided by only mobile handsets, the company added.

KT is also preparing a new fixed-line phone which can download various contents such as games and ring tones during the 2nd quarter next year.

[by Seong-ju Lee for Telecoms Korea ]

Cell phones take iPod challenge

When Gilles Babinet looks at a cell phone, he sees a music store, an iPod and even a nascent platform for a tiny-screened MTV, reports News.com via Agenda Inc..

"The curly-haired Parisian is the chairman and founder of musiwave, the company that powers Vodafone's new mobile phone music download service, which launched across Europe this week. He's sure that huge numbers of people will eventually find it natural to buy and listen to music on cell phones--but in some countries more than others.

The potential of mobile devices as a music delivery platform is clear. There are hundreds of millions of cell phone owners, particularly in European countries, where penetration rates can be as much 80 percent of the population. That pool represents a vastly larger potential market than the millions of people who use iPods or other MP3 players."

MP3 players in mobile phones to lead trend by 2008

The Industrial Economics and Knowledge Center (IEK) forecasts the market for mobile phones with built-in MP3 players to hit 350 million units worldwide by 2008, up from the estimated 40 million units this year, reports Telecom Global Sources.

"Also according to IEK, in an effort to diversify their products, Taiwan makers will be developing mobile phones that will include both MP3 player and videophone functions".

CRBT rings up profitable biz in China

China Daily looks into the success of ringback tones in China.

"Individualized colouring ring back tone (CRBT) has become increasingly popular among young handset users in China, turning this into a lucrative market.

The number of CRBT subscribers in China will hit 22 million by the end of this year, with a total market size of 860 million yuan (US$103.6 million), according to a recent report by leading Chinese market research house Analysys.

China has nearly 300 million mobile phone users. Among CRBT subscribers, 90 per cent are between 16 and 30.

The CRBT business was first introduced to the nation by China Mobile last May and China Unicom followed early this year.

The low charge for CRBTs also paves the way for its popularity. The monthly rental fee is usually only 10 yuan (US$1.20), with the user paying additional fees for each ringtone download.

“GOOOAL!” Ringtone

The world's most entertaining soccer announcer Andres Cantor has gone mobile. His famous “GOOOAL!” call is now available as a downloadable ring tone.

Proteus , a leading creator and developer of mobile entertainment has reached an agreement with Telemundo Network sports personality Andres Cantor to feature his famous “GOOOAL!” call as a downloadable ring tone for mobile phones.

Proteus will market “GOOOAL!” through its existing relationships with all wireless carriers in the U.S.

“I am thrilled to be working with this new technology,” stated Cantor. “Soccer is a passion that can't be described in words and when I scream GOOOOOOAL! I know that the joy I feel at that moment is shared by millions around the world. Now everyone will beable to carry that moment of joy with them everywhere they go.”

[Press release]