Christian Ringtones raise money for orphanages

ChristianRingtones.com gives a portion of every sale to the Emmanuel Orphanages of Tijuana, Mexico, writes MSNBC.

The Emmanuel Orphanages operate two homes in Tijuana. They care for almost 100 boys and girls, from 6-17 years of age, and are supported by contributions from churches, individuals, and businesses like the Christian Power Network. They do not receive any financing from any government agency.

The current needs of the orphanages are many: repairs or replacement of roofs, drains, septic tanks and bathrooms may cost as much as $20,000.

Since Christian Ringtones has deals with all of the major cell phone companies, anyone can simply download a Christian ringtone and have it billed to their cell phone.

iPhone Apps That Will Help The Music Business

This was not a good year for mobile music. Ringtones sales are declining, over-the-air downloads are still little more than a blip on the radar, and the potential of ambitious initiatives like Nokia's Comes With Music is still unknown. There's one shining exception though according to Billboard: Apple's iPhone.

The phone's potential may lie in Apple's App Store-a groundbreaking new system that lets software developers create and sell programs. Given the iPhone's heritage, it's only natural that some of the most interesting apps involve music, such as Pandora (Free), an online radio service and Tap Tap Revenge (Free), a guitar-hero like musical game.

Flo Rida boasts top ringtone in Australia for 2008

American rapper Flo Rida is top of the pops in Australia for 2008. But rather than the usual singles chart, it's Telstra's top ringtones of the year. news.com reports.

Flo Rida's smutty rap hit single Low beat Pink's So What and Sex on Fire by Kings of Leon to take the honour as the ringtone most downloaded from BigPond Mobile.

Australians spent about $30 million this year buying more than five million ringtones, according to Australian Performing Rights Association digital recordings manager Frank Roveta.

Mr Roveta said the Australian ringtone market had fallen from its peak in 2007, when it was worth about $50 million.

"The novelty of phones being able to play songs for ringtones may be wearing off," he said.

Google Cleared from Fraudulent Ringtones Case

Google is not liable for fraudulent ringtone advertisements on its AdWords platform. The ruling by District Court Judge Jeremy Fogel states that the federal Communications Decency Act clears Google from any liability for pay-per-click ads created via AdWords.

[via Wireless ad Mobile News]

Hit Music

Hit Music is an iPhone app for music fans.

You get: Top 50 Charts Single US, Top 50 Charts Album US and Top 50 Charts New releases US.

For each music, you can get a lot of videos about it. Watch the music video clip on your iPhone in one click.

Other new music apps: '90s Greatest 100 Songs of All Time and 100 Greatest Metal Songs of All Time.

Ringtone Marketer Pays $1 Million In Settlement

Ringtone marketer Media Breakaway has agreed to pay $1 million to settle a fraud investigation by Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum. Online Media Daily reports.

Media Breakaway , based in Denver, allegedly ran Web ads promising "free" ringtones and other mobile content, but then enrolled consumers who accepted the offer in paid subscription programs, according to McCollum's office.

"A large number of CyberFraud complaints led to a widespread investigation over the past several months which revealed thousands of Florida consumers had received these charges on their cell phone bills for mobile content downloads that they neither desired nor authorized," the Florida Attorney General's office said in a statement.

Music Games for iPhone Give Artists New Spotlight

A start-up company called Tapulous has turned a simple game for the iPhone into an Internet-age mobile stage for musicians. The New York Times reports.

Tap Tap Revenge a free game that challenges players to keep up with catchy tunes by tapping in the right spots on the phone’s screen, was available in Apple’s iPhone application store when it opened in July.

It quickly climbed the store’s charts, and more than three million downloads later, Apple declared it the most popular free iPhone game of the year.

... To keep its game fresh the company created Tap Tap Thursdays, when it releases new music from artists like Michael Franti and the pop singer Katy Perry. Mr. Decrem said those songs regularly inspire a million game plays — and occasionally a lot of music sales, because players can click to buy the song through Apple. In October, Tap Tap Revenge players bought 50,000 copies of the featured track “Hot N Cold” by Ms. Perry.

Read full article.

Crude Mobile Phone Games

14 fart apps were released to the iPhone App Store. In one day. 14. One day. Now that Apple has eased up on what is acceptable in the iPhone App Store, developers are reaching new lows in iPhone apps.

The store was graced yesterday by apps with names like Fart Button, Mr. Poot!, iToot, iFart, iFartz, FartBox, Who Farted? Fart Keyboard, oh and don't forget WhoopieCushion and Whoopee Cushion (huge difference).

[via Trendhunter]

Press ‘3’ for corruption

You can no longer buy a Senate seat from Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, but you can buy “his” ringtones. [via DC examiner]

FunMobility.com, a company based in Pleasanton, Calif., has released five new “Blagotones” that allow you — like Blagojevich — to appear totally sketchy while — unlike Blagojevich — avoiding federal prosecution.

Two of the funniest ringtones are called “Wiretap” and have such quotes from an impersonator saying, “If I don’t get what I want ... I’ll just take the Senate seat myself” and “Our recommendation is to fire all the [expletive] people ... and get us some editorial support” (referring to Blagojevich’s alleged attempt to pressure the Chicago Tribune).

Another ringtone is set to Eminem’s “Slim Shady,” with the soon-to-be former governor answering a reporter’s question about having a cloud hanging over his head.

Click here to listen.

New York considers taxing iTunes downloads

The state is staring at a $15.4 billion deficit so Gov. David Paterson is proposing an "iPod tax" as part of his state budget. Under the plan, New York would charge state and local sales tax for "digitally delivered entertainment services," according to a story in The New York Daily News via cnet news.

That includes e-books downloaded to Amazon's Kindle as well as for the digital songs obtained from Apple's iTunes. If the state legislature passes the governor's plan, the price of digital content for New Yorkers is sure to go up. The tax would also apply to sporting events, movie tickets, taxis, and satellite TV and radio.

Sony Ericsson uses phones to meet bands

Sony Ericsson is launching a new mobile site designed to further help close the ties between its mobile phones and the Walkman brand, with users able to interact with their favourite bands. Techradar reports.

The Swedish-Japanese manufacturer is working with Q magazine to set up a series of 'intimate' (no, not that kind) of gigs at the Hard Rock Cafe, and will be making content from these events available on the new site.

Users will be able to submit questions via their mobile for their favourite bands to answer, and the best will be allowed to quiz the bands in person after the site goes live on Friday.

Sony Ericsson isn't the first technology company to get involved with gigs, as both Nokia, O2 and iTunes sponsor such events around the UK.

Pull My Finger iPhone app. Rude noises

An iPhone app called "Pull my Finger" that makes rude noises has been cleared by the Apple store. [via Pocket Picks]

Just as a reminder, there was a time when the most popular ringtone was a whoopie cushion tone.

Ludacris Announces Ringtone Outlet for Unsigned Artists

Focused on helping independent artists gain recognition for their musical talents, Atlanta-bred emcee, will now allow individuals the ability to create their own original ringtones for global distribution and exposure on WeMix.com.

[via Livesteez]

Challenges remain for Amazon digital music service

After its first full year selling tracks from all four major labels, Amazon's digital music store has become the second-largest a la carte service, according to industry estimates. Reuters reports.

But it's a very distant second to iTunes. Major-label sources say that they had hoped the company would have fared better than it did. Amazon has yet to release any sales figures for digital music, and it did not respond to interview requests for this story. But Piper Jaffray financial analyst Gene Munster estimates that Amazon will sell 130 million tracks this year -- a paltry sum compared with the 2.4 billion songs iTunes is expected to sell in 2008.

Billboard Changes Ringtone Provider

Mobile content provider, Thumbplay says that it has taken over the contract to provide ringtones to music firm, Billboard's website customers. Links to mobile music previews and downloads, available exclusively from Thumbplay, will be available on all chart and artist pages throughout the Billboard.com site, effective immediately.

[via Cellular News]

Scratch-Mix-Mastering iPhone app

Hiroshi Okamura has released an iPhone application that lets you try out your mix-mastering skills by scratching on a virtual record. The application is called Re<", you know, for coolness' sakes.

From the looks of the video, the virtual record functions as a real record would.

[via download.com]

The Salvation Army Brings Holiday Music to the iPhone

The Salvation Army, one of the largest charitable organizations in the United States, today announced the availability of the Salvation Army Holiday Music application in the iPhone Application Store for $2.99, with proceeds to benefit The Salvation Army.

The application streams hundreds of holiday favorites, ranging from time-honored classics such as Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song" and Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" to a selection of The Salvation Army's own signature brand of brass-flavored holiday tunes. For $2.99, consumers get unlimited listening.

[via MarketWatch]

Giant iPhones for Discos

Spotted on Trendhunter, a giant iPhone for Discos.

The iBoxer is a coin-operated amusement machine with an iPhone-style design intended for use in modern discos and pubs. It has a little punching bag where you can vent all your beer-induced anger. The machine looks like a really large iPhone with a bitten logo, obviously based on Apple’s design.

Mobile Music Sales Will Reach $3.2 Billion by 2012 But Analysts Say 'Tracks Must Be Free'

The music industry has got to be prepared to give music away for free, according to analysts SScreen Digest. The Washington Post reports.

In a study of 27 countries including the UK, US and western Europe, Screen Digest predicts mobile music sales will double from $1.6 billion (£1.26 billion) this year to $3.2 billion (£2.52 billion) in 2012.

But full-track downloads will only make up half of that, with the rest still coming from things like ringtones. The report warns "paying for music is progressively becoming a niche activity as the value of recorded music is already in steep, possibly terminal, decline".

Musicians tap new revenue model

According to the BBC, cell phones are helping rock bands reach new fans.

... Some record labels are looking to new online models to reach new fans, enthuse old ones and boost profits.

One company that thinks it can help the industry redefine how to sell music is Tapulous, based in Palo Alto, California.

It develops applications for Apple's iPhone and its free game called Tap Tap Revengehas won over more than three million users since it launched in July.

The game, in which players tap and shake their devices to the beat of a tune, was one of the first iPhone games. It has also attracted a loyal following among musicians who have been lining up to have their music featured on it.

Read full article.

Ringtone inspired musical condoms

U.S. patent holder of the Force-Sensitive, Sound-Playing Condom, Paul Lyons of Southbridge, Mass., has found a way to combine tried and true prophylactic technology—your basic condom—with piezoelectric sound transducers—think old-school cell phone ringtones—to create the first musical condom. The Kansan reports.

Though it would look and function just like a regular condom, this invention would also allow the user to record a song, message or sound effect to the tiny chip contained in the base of the condom. This sound would then be played on a loop when the contacts of the circuit are closed during use, and the transducer is “activated by forceful movements.”

The recorded sound could be anything from a romantic message, a clip of your partner’s favorite love song, or the dirty talk you’ve been thinking to yourself but hadn’t yet got up the nerve to say out loud. If it doesn’t go over well, you can just blame it on the condom.

Amazon launches music downloads

Online retail website Amazon has launched a UK music download service. The BBC reports.

Amazon MP3 will sell tracks from 59p (86 cents) and albums from £3 ($4,40).

The new music store will offer more than 3 million songs that will work on any digital music player, including Apple's iPod.

The move puts Amazon in direct competition with Apple for a stake in the growing market of online music sales, which in Britain alone was worth an estimated £163m $239m) in 2007.

What Will the Music Industry Look Like in Five Years?

This sounds silly, how on earth could there be such a thing as "The Best Free Ringtone On Earth"?

iRingPro, makers of sophisticated iPhone ringtones for professionals and advanced mobile users, has issued an open call for submissions for "The Best Free Ringtone On Earth". [via PRMac]

The company intends to curate a living list of the very best, legal, free ringtones in the world. Once the list has reached critical mass, iRingPro will open public voting and the best of the best will be officially crowned "The Best Free Ringtone On Earth".

New Jay-Z song leaks, old videos go mobile

Jay-Z fans have both new and old music to enjoy this week.

"Brooklyn (Go Hard)," the rapper's collaboration with Santogold from the "Notorious" soundtrack, leaked online Monday (December 1), and on Tuesday nine vintage Jay-Z videos became available for mobile download on Thumbplay.com.

The Thumbplay deal includes videos for "Blue Magic," "Dirt Off Your Shoulder," "Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up)," "Excuse Me Miss," "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)," "I Know," "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)," "Money, Cash, H**s" and "Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)."

[via Reuters]

Online seen claiming 41 pct share of U.S. music market

Digital music sales account for 18 percent of the U.S. music market and that figure will grow to 41 percent in five years, Forrester Research said in a report released on Monday.

The report titled "US Music Forecast, 2008 to 2013" also forecast that 55 percent of U.S. online consumers will pay to download digital music in 2013.

[via Reuters]

RingtoneFeeder offers Christmas on your iPhone theme

RingtoneFeeder.com has announced their "Christmas on your iPhone" theme. 24 unique iPhone optimized Christmas ringtones.

The subscribers will be receiving 6 iPhone ringtones every week for 4 weeks in December via iTunes. All the ringtones will be made available in two versions, with and without a ringing sound embedded.

RingtoneFeeder is a new and innovative approach to ringtones offering a subscription model which automatically installs new original ringtones on the iPhone via iTunes every week.

[via Press release]