U.S. carriers not keen on Nokia's Ovi Store

Nokia has run into yet another potential hurdle in trying to crack the U.S. market, reports News.com.

The company revealed on Wednesday that its Ovi Store will not have the billing support of U.S. carriers when it launches next month, according to Reuters.

Consumers can pay in eight countries -- Australia, Britain, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Russia, Singapore, Spain -- through telecoms operator bills for software or media bought from Nokia's Ovi store, to be opened in May. Executives had hoped to add the U.S. to that list earlier this year.

Read full article.

Pakistani Taliban forbid sale of ringtones

Along with barring women from public places, prohibiting co-education, forbidding barbers from shaving men and shutting down music shops, rebel Talibans of Pakistan have banned the sale of mobile phone ringtones in line with their narrow interpretation of Islam.

[via Monsters and Critics. Taliban posing for photographers in Pakistan from RussiaBlog.]

Global music sales tumble by 8%

Global music sales fell by more than 8% to $18.42bn in 2008, according to the body that represents the record industry worldwide, reports the BBC.

Physical formats like CDs and vinyl performed particularly badly - dropping by 15% globally and 31% in the US.

Sales of digital formats like MP3s and ringtones grew by 24% worldwide but failed to make up the shortfall.

This is partly due to the lower price of downloads, but also because people tend not to buy entire albums online.

According to figures released by the Official Charts Company earlier this year, Only 10.3m albums were downloaded in the UK last year, compared to 110.3m singles, or individual tracks.

The prevalence of pirated music on the internet also plays a key role in the decline in music sales overall.

Above image: Coldplay's lead singer Chris Marting. The rock band's Viva La Vida was the biggest-selling album of 2008 globally.

TappyTunes

The TappyTunes app (initially launched in December and currently on sale) lets you play your favorite tunes instantly and note-perfect just by tapping.

In their own words: Hear your tune come to life in full chords immediately upon your first tap. Watch delightful animated graphics bounce and swirl right under your fingertips. No little piano keys to press. No note order to follow. Just tap away! TappyTunes is your own personal band, waiting to follow you. Never hit a wrong note. TappyTunes has all the notes and chords pre-loaded in sequence! Tap fast or slow to change the tune as you go. Give a command performance every time

[via MacWorld]

Mobile Roadie Builds Bands Custom iPhone Apps On The Cheap

The major record labels (and countless indie bands) looking to make an app should consider Mobile Roadie, a new application platform that allows bands to quickly deploy their own custom applications to the App Store. TechCrunch reports.

For a relatively small fee, bands can use Mobile Roadie’s mostly-automated system to build their apps and have them posted to Apple’s App Store in as little as a week.

The application supports a wide range of content, including photo galleries, streaming music (which can be linked to songs for purchase on iTunes), YouTube videos, a list of upcoming shows, and interactive features, like a ‘fan wall’ where users can post comments and photos in real time for all to see.

Read full review.

New Facebook Application by Mobizaar Offers Free Ringtones

Mobizaar, an online service dedicated to helping users easily create, find, and share their personalized ringtones for free, today announced the release of their new application available for use on Facebook.

With the Mobizaar application, all Facebook users can exercise a new level of personal freedom and customize their mobile phones with the most personally compelling ringtones and other mobile content.

Press release

Vodafone to Expand Ringback Tone Deal into Emerging Markets

Vodafone has signed a deal with India based OnMobile to offer ringback tones in its emerging markets. ­Currently, millions of Vodafone Essar customers in India use OnMobile's ring back tone service, which will be rolled out across Vodafone’s other emerging markets from the Spring.

[via Cellular News]

Standford's Mobile Phone Orchestra Shows Us How It's Done

Ge Wang, the founder of Stanford's Mobile Phone Orchestra (or MoPho), shows us how he and his mates make beautiful music in the video above.

[via GeekSugar]

Related: - Stanford Mobile Phone Orchestra Plays Stairway To Heaven

Fatwa Issued Answering Cell Phone during Aayat

A Muslim organization has issued a fatwa over using verses from the Koran as ringtones, saying that answering the call while the aayat (verses from the Koran) is going on is a sin. It argues that people answer calls midway through the aayat, leave the verse incomplete. TechTree reports via Channel 4.

The panel of clerics in Kanpur India, also said that taking a cellphone to the toilet as it rings is a sin because aayat cannot be heard in a toilet. They also condemned the habit that people have of keeping cell phones on vibration mode while attending prayer services.

A fatwa in the Islamic faith is a religious opinion on Islamic law issued by an Islamic scholar.

Other cell phone related Fatwas:

-- A Fatwa Against Ringtones - An imam at a Mosque in Saudi Arabia issued a fatwa against mobile phones after one rang during prayers on Saturday, playing Arabic pop music.

-- Fatwa: No pictures of the bride by SMS - Cheikh Abd Al-Muhsin Al-’Obikan, a member of Saudi Arabia's Shura Council and advisor to the Ministry of Justice, has issued a fatwa forbidding a fiancé to look at pictures of his fiancée uploaded online by SMS, for fear that others could see her before their marriage.

-- Fatwa Council declares SMS contests based on chance «haram» (unlawful) - The National Fatwa Council's declaration today that SMS-based contests containing elements of chance were haram (unlawful for Muslims)

Photo from flickr.

Nine Inch Nails launches iPhone app

Popular industrial band Nine Inch Nails has released a free application for the iPhone, allowing fans to interact with one another and receive streaming content. The album-as-an-app concept is definitely picking up, according to Ars Technica.

nin: access is a free iPhone application that brings a few cool features to the table for those looking to follow the band as closely as possible.

The application allows users to download NIN-inspired iPhone wallpapers, stream the band's music, listen to remixes by fans, watch videos from the "fan archive," use the NIN forums, and even chat with other fans nearby.

While the application is free, users do need to register on NIN official site in order to make use of it.

Diddy launches iPhone app to promote new album release

Music mogul and new-media king Sean “Diddy” Combs wants you to get onboard Last Train to Paris with a free iPhone app designed to build anticipation for the September 22 release of his new album.

Diddy’s new app will aggregate all of his various social-networking profiles and bring news directly to his fans via his integrated Twitter feed.

And, similar to Fall Out Boy’s and the Fray’s apps, “LTTP” allows fans to upload their favorite photos to a fan site through their iPhone. His twist on this now standard functionality is that instead of sharing concert photos of the artist, fans are asked to submit photos of themselves and their friends, particularly photos of their travels.

[via MTV Newsroom]

AT&T Workers Create “Ready to Strike” Ringtone

The union representing AT&T workers has created a "Ready to Strike" song and ringtone, just in case negotiations fail over demands for huge health care cuts.

A performance by Toronto hip-hop artist Riley Wallace, who sang an earlier version of the lyrics for a rally, is up on YouTube. The lyrics include the lines "Get ready to strike, get ready to walk the line" and "Realize, recognize, mobilize, stay alive."

Listen here.

[The WSJ via SmartBrief]

YouTube and Universal to launch premium music site

Google's YouTube and Universal Music Group, the world's largest music company, said on Thursday they will launch a premium music video website as they bid to increase revenue from YouTube's huge usage. Reuters reports.

The new advertiser-supported site, featuring professional videos, will be called Vevo and is expected to launch in coming months, the companies said.

Vevo is an attempt to address this disparity between YouTube's popularity, it has 100 million users in the U.S. alone according to comScore, and its relatively low advertising rate or CPMs (cost per thousand page views) as it is called.

The new site will be a music video hub wholly owned by Universal, a unit of French media group Vivendi.

Like Apple, Amazon, Wal-Mart change music prices

Apple's iTunes Store isn't the only one that has adjusted prices for its digital song downloads recently: Changes are showing up at Amazon's and Wal-Mart's online music stores, too, according to Cellular News.

Apple shifted Tuesday from selling all songs for 99 cents apiece to a tiered pricing model where songs cost 69 cents, 99 cents and $1.29 each. Recording companies are choosing the prices.

Apple also eliminated the copy-protection technology that limited users' abilities to copy and play songs on devices other than Apple's own iPods.

On the same day Apple made its changes, Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s online music store began selling tunes for $1.24, 94 cents and 64 cents apiece. Previously, they cost 74 cents and 94 cents apiece.

In an e-mail, Walmart.com spokesman Ravi Jariwala said the pricing adjustments are "reflective of new costs set by the music industry."

Fox Mobile Signs Ringtone Deal w/ AOL Winamp

Fox Mobile Distribution announced this morning an agreement with AOL Europe and AOL Canada to integrate ringtone purchasing capabilities into the new Winamp version 5.55 desktop media player.

Per terms of the deal, Fox Mobile Distribution will integrate ringtone links and Jamba- or Jamster-branded purchase pages for integration into the Winamp service, enabling Winamp’s 77 million consumers to purchase mobile content without leaving the media player.

Taking that a step further, Fox will ensure all mobile content links are contextually relevant according to the recording artist the user clicks upon.

[via e-mail press release]

Tap Tap Coldplay

Tapulous has released Tap Tap Coldplay , (aka Tap Tap Revenge: Coldplay Edition), the latest in its series of Tap Tap rhythm games for the iPhone and iPod touch. iLounge reports.

Tap Tap Revenge: Coldplay Edition includes ten songs from the Grammy-winning English band, including “Yellow,” “Clocks,” and “Lost,” plus remixed versions of "Lovers in Japan" and "Viva la Vida".

Yahoo partners with music services

Yahoo Inc is partnering with other online music providers as the Internet giant tries a fresh approach to getting an edge in the evolving digital music business, reports Reuters.

The new version of Yahoo Music, unveiled on Monday, aggregates paid and free music services available on the Internet, allowing Yahoo users to access and interact with the services directly from the Yahoo site.

Yahoo has struck commercial relationships with digital music retailers like Apple Inc's, collecting a fee for every referral, the company said.

Read full article.

Giant Nokia 5800 XpressMusic invades Antwerp

Spotted engadget, a four-foot 5800 XpressMusic set up by Nokia in Antwerp.

Virtual Zippo Lighter app waved by concert goers

For years now, concert goers have waved their handsets in the air replacing the time-honored tradition of holding up lighters to call for an encore. But now, according to Adage - in an article on branded iPhone apps- fans are now holding up iPhones displaying the Virtual Zippo Lighter.

Google launches free (legal) music search in China

Together with the world's four largest music labels, Google has formally launched an ad-based MP3 download service in China to combat easily accessible illegal downloads that have effectively killed the country's music industry online. The Register reports.

The venture, which also has the backing of 14 independent labels, will compete against similar MP3 search services — most significantly the country's leading search engine, Baidu — that "deep link" directly to music files and whose results are heavily skewed in favor of unlicensed music.

Y! Music app

The new Yahoo! LAUNCHcast Radio app, powered by CBS Radio, allows you to access your favorite Yahoo! and CBS Radio stations.

In their own words: Whether it’s Pop, Rock, Jazz, Classical, Oldies, Country, World, Latino, News, or Sports, Yahoo! LAUNCHcast Radio Powered by CBS Radio guarantees you’ll be able to connect directly with all your favorite music, news and information no matter where you are. Except of course outside of the US from where you can not download the app.

Verizon Launches Business Ringback Tones

Verizon has launched a service dubbed Business Ringback Tones, which as you might imagine lets organizations replace the generic ring that people hear when they call them with a customized message. From The Washington Post.

Verizon has some seasoned advertising veterans for scriptwriting and experienced voiceover artists to create the 30-second custom tones, which the company can put on the lines of its employees' and can rotate five active messages so callers hear different ones each time they call. The business can assign different tones to different sets of employees, and let them know of changes to the tone profile via SMS.