UPDATED: Ringtone sales are in a slump and labels are scrambling to new ways to revive them. Many of the initiatives attempt to boost revenues by cutting out the middle man an
d aiming for direct sales. That includes the new deal between Universal Music Group and ID Interactive to provide a custom-ringtone solution for its labels.
ID's UrTone player allows consumers to select any part from any track and customize a ringtone to be delivered instantly to their cell. Users can alter start and end points of the ringtone, as well as the actual duration of the tone to within 1/10 of a second. These online stores will be compatible with every major U.S. phone carrier.
From the press release:
“Universal is dedicated to offering music fans the very best in phone personalization and our new agreement with ID Interactive is a great way to start the new year,” stated Rio Caraeff, Executive Vice President of eLabs, UMG’s market-leading division responsible for digital business strategy, business development and new technology opportunities. “Their UrTone TM player is an elegant and excellent platform to showcase the high quality and depth of UMG’s extensive catalog.”
“We are thrilled to have been given this opportunity to partner with the world’s leading music company. The UrTone TM player is ideal to power UMG content, as these stores will provide consumers unlimited options with unprecedented access to creating ringtones from an amazing and unparalleled roster of artists across all the UMG labels,” added Bobby Israeli, Senior VP of Sales & Marketing at ID Interactive.
