August 1, 2005
Artists release new songs to cellphones before they hit radio
The new hit song by your favorite artist may be playing on your cellphone before it hits the radio, according to the Boston Herald.
"In the face of slumping CD sales, payola probes and their customers' changing listening habits, record companies are looking for new ways to push their product. Country singer Gretchen Wilson has released her latest single "All Jacked Up" as a Cingular Wireless ringtone, before radio stations and music retailers had access to it.
Wilson is only one of a growing number of recording artists introducing singles as cellphone ringtones.
This new way of releasing music would not be possible if ringtones weren't so popular. In the past few years, technology has upgraded cellphone ringtones from simple musical jingles to more sophisticated "master tones" that play 15 to 30-second clips of popular songs.
... Musicians have taken note and want to use ringtone popularity as a marketing opportunity. "Many artists are trying to establish themselves as brands, and having a ringtone is sort of a fashion statement for the customer".
In the coming months, music releases on cellphones are likely to become more common along with another new promotional tool: music video ringtones. "
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