Cingular Wireless announced a new music service that will offer ringtones of singles before the songs are released to the public.
The carrier will offer ringtones in advance of, or in conjunction with, the radio debut of new tunes. Cingular Sounds has launched with 30-second ringtones from Coldplay’s “Speed of Sound,” a single slated for release June 7.
While Cingular hopes to drive wireless data revenues through the program-the carrier charges between $2 and $2.50 for each downloaded ringtone, plus data usage fees-artists and labels are looking to create a buzz for the music before its release.
“Music fans are more into technology than ever before,” said Dave Holmes, Coldplay’s manager. “Releasing ‘Speed of Sound’ as a ringtone helps us build excitement for the release of “X&Y,” the band’s upcoming album.
Hip-hop, Latin, country and alternative ringtones will eventually be offered through the program, with content being drawn from labels including EMI Music, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music.
“New digital channels and changing consumer behaviors mean new opportunities for music labels, artists and wireless carriers alike,” said Roger Entner, vice president of wireless telecom for Ovum. “The demand for music ringtones, phone personalization and other mobile downloads has been phenomenal. We expect this trend to continue with music ringtones sales and more than triple in the next five years.”
