Moving Mobile Forward

MOBILIE BY ANTONY BRUNO

Moving Mobile Forward I3ITS &BRIEFS Effective Presentation Of Disparate Elements Is Key To Digital Growth BURN, BABY, BURN clips of the set list, game - MediaMouth is taking its play videos and the option As mobile and entertainment launch a video player to view paying off. experience, an online experi- custom CD- burning kiosk to pre -order the game. executives converge this week music videos; or go to separate "Aggregation and search has ence and the mobile experience business to Facebook. After the game is released, in San Francisco for a pair of menu options for ringtones, become a more important part and create one product or serv- With the new application, players can visit the site to industry conferences, one of wallpapers and ringback tones; of our premium services busi- ice that works across all of them, users can create a custom - schedule "Guitar Hero" the primary points of discus- or open yet another application ness," Sprint VP of wireless you bring a better product that mix CD from the tracks competitions and even ac- sion will be the future of the to download full songs. data services John Burris says. has more value and, frankly, is available in its digital quire "groupies " -friends mobile music market. That's changing. Verizon "There's no question that more easier to market and get people rights management -free who register on the site as On one hand, it is a matur- Wireless now allows customers music is being bought now to sign up for." catalog, which the com- part of a gamer's extended ing space. Ringtones remain a to buy ringtones and ringback through search than there was While these early steps are pany will then deliver via network. "Guitar Hero Ill" $3 billion business, but sales mail. The MusicGifts appli- hits shelves Oct. 28. have peaked and growth is ex- cation lets users send pected to remain flat for the next these CDs to friends or THEY MIGHT BE several years. On the other hand, `When von combine buy and "gift" individual GIANTS there are a host of other mobile tracks and playlists digi- Olive Media and Music - music products like full -song a PC experience, an tally to other users. For- Giants have joined forces downloads and ringback tones merly known as Digital to let users buy Music - that are relatively new to the mix. online experience and Kiosk Technologies, the Giants' high- bit -rate, digi- As ringtone revenue com- the mobile experience, company is also rebrand- tal rights management - prises close to 40% ofthe music ing its CD- burning kiosks free music through Olive's industry's digital pie, labels are you bring a better product.' from Disc -Go with the new Opus media player. The keen to expand their mobile foot- -GREG CLAYMAN, MTV MediaMouth name. Opus device is a 750 GB print into these emerging areas home entertainment pe- and are busy creating a massive HOLDING OUT FOR A ripheral designed to play catalog of such mobile products tones at the same time. Its Song six to 12 months ago." encouraging, the ultimate long- `HERO' digital files in CD- quality as video ringtones, download- ID service provides links to pur- But the next step is a more term viability of the mobile Behind -the -scenes footage sound. Olive will begin able mobile music videos, text chase either the full song or the direct bridge between the on- music market requires contin- of Slash and other artists selling the Opus preloaded tones, full-song downloads and ringtone or ringback tone of line and mobile music worlds. ued innovation surrounding the appearing in the new "Gui- with music from Music - wallpaper images. any song identified via the serv- Historically, mobile applica- theme. An encouraging sign is tar Hero Ill: Legends of Giants that users can pur- Needed to manage this in- ice. AT &T has all its music - tions and content existed corn - that the executives once charged Rock" videogame is one of chase in advance for $1.29 flux of new content is a mobile related products under a broad pletely separate from the only with negotiating mobile many extras available on per track and later allow merchandising system that can "music" category accessible via services and content available deals are in many cases now re- the new "Guitar Hero" users to purchase music effectively present all these a single click. Sprint lets cus- online. We're only just now see- sponsible for a company's en- community Web site. directly from the service products to mobile customers tomers search by artist and in ing the early signs of these tire digital content strategy. Other content includes using the device. in a manner that makes them the results lists every type of worlds colliding. It started with telecom com- easy to find and buy. Tradition- mobile content available for For instance, iTunes cus- panies like AT &T and Verizon, ally, that's been a challenge. As that artist. The company will AOL Music tomers can now design their which promoted their head TOTAL MONTHLY STREAMS new mobile products or appli- soon launch a Music Center to own ringtones from most songs wireless content executives to Top cations are introduced, mobile let users immediately buy the purchased via the digital music roles that now strike content Songs 1 SOULJA BOY TELL'EM operators tend to create a new ringtone or full song of any store and transfer them directly deals for Internet, cable /IPTV Crank That (Soulja Boy) COLUPARKANTERSCOPE 224,511 storefront or service for each. track played via its streaming to their iPhones. The company and wireless. The entertain- 2 KANYE WEST Stronger ROCA- FELLA DEF JAM 196,888 Customers would need to radio services. also allows users to buy songs ment industry is slowly follow- 3 BRITNEY SPEARS Already, these initiatives are directly from iTunes and down- ing suit. Companies that once Gimme More JIVE 187,086 4 AUCIA KEYS load them to their iPhone via had completely different divi- No One J 168,097

the device's Wi -Fi connection. sions and staff for mobile 5 AKON Sorry, Blame It On Me KONVICTNNNERSALMOTOWN 146,725 Mobile mSpot in- initiatives for ac- technology than Internet "Crank That" is 6 JORDIN SPARKS troduced a similar Make -a- tivities are now combining the longest - Tattoo 19 /JIVE 127,461 running No. 1 on 7 SEAN KINGSTON Ringer service that lets users do these divisions and tapping The Billboard Hot Beautiful Girls BELUGA HEIGHTS/EPIC 123,361 the same with a prelicensed list their mobile gurus to oversee 100 for a solo 8 T PAIN Bartender KONVICT/NAPPY BOY /JNE 114,297 of songs and unveiled an appli- the newly merged units. male since Justin 9 RIHANNA cation called Remixer that will Clayman is one such exam- Hate That I Love You SRP/DEF JAM 113,340 Timberlake's to COLBIE CAILLAI TOOLS FOR TOOLS let users download their own ple. He was formerly VP of wire- "SexyBack " in Bubbly UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC 105,770 Drummers, rejoice! Synesthesia's Mandela electronic music collection from their PC less strategy and operations. 2006. drum kit /synthesizer version 2.0 is coming, and for to their mobile phone over the Universal Music Group made Top Videos

1 BOY TELL'EM the first time it plugs directly into a computer via a air using the carrier network. a similar move with Rio Cara - "Clumsy," the SOULJA fifth single Crank That (Soulja Boy) COLLIPARKMINTERSCOPE 998.351 new USB cable. Co- developed by Tool drummer Regardless of how content is eff, who was promoted from from "The 2 KANYE WEST Danny Carey, the Mandela 2.0 features 3,000 profes- reaching mobile phones -be it VP/GM of the Universal Music Dutchess," Stronger ROC -A- FELLA/DEF JAM 533,834 3 CHRIS BROWN sionally created, proprietary samples of an acoustic side -loaded, over a Wi -Fi connec- Mobile division to executive VP bows on The Kiss Kiss JIVE 334,949 Billboard Hot 100 drum kit that will sound off based on where and how tion or via the cellular network- of the entire eLabs digital unit. 4 NICKELBACK this week. Rockstar ROADRUNNER 325,529

hard the electronic drum pad is hit. It also features the overall effort is to make the "Ifthe wireless guy at Verizon 5 FALL OUT BOY sounds of more than 100 other instruments if used phone an interoperable part of is looking to do a deal across all fm Lie a Lawyer (Me & You) FUELED BY RAMENISLAND 308,712 6 TIFFANY EVANS as a synthesizer, including guitar, harp and marimba. the broader digital entertain- their different platforms, then Promise Ring COLUMBIA 266,178 7ALY &AJ Mandela works with most music creation software ment experience rather than a you definitely want the folks Potential Breakup Song HOLLYWOOD 257,401

programs, including Apple's GarageBand and Able - stand -alone element. they're used to dealing with at e COLBIE CAILLAT Bubbly UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC 255.084 ton Live. Players can add their own music samples "It's about building bridges media companies to also be 9 FERGIE to the library, and the system supports up to five between the different plat- working across those platforms Big Girls Don't Cry (Personal) WILL.I.AM/A&M 246,389 lo PLIES drum pads. forms," says Greg Clayman, as well," Clayman says. Hypnotize SLIP- N- SLIDE/ATLANTIC 211,197

The Mandela 2.0 will be available Nov. 1 for $350. executive VP of digital distribu- First Listen /First View " Network Live ' Breaker Artist r For 24/7 digital news AOL Sessions Source: AOL Music for the four weeks -Antony Bruno tion and business development and analysis, see ending Oct. 11. at MTV. "When you take a PC .Z billboard.biz /digital.

16 BILLBOARD OCTOBER 27, 2007