AT&T Goes After Digital Music Lovers Where They Live–Online

AT&T is going after digital music lovers online. This year AT&T is highlighting Coachella, Valley Music & Arts Festival and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The idea is to attract consumers who listen to digital music and do the majority of their searching for entertainment online.

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MediaPost Publications – AT&T Goes After Digital Music Lovers Where They Live–Online – 04/28/2008
AT&T has turned toward search advertising and marketing to connect consumers who love digital music to a series of blue room web casts planned this year. The carrier has offered live and recorded concerts through the Web site for three years, but now plans to set up efforts to connect with digital music lovers where they live, online.

Filed under: Consumer, Internet, Mobile, advertising, digital, mp3s

Network of TVs Talks to Cellphones and Trades Clips for Advertising

With Akoo’s network, named m-Venue, cellphone users can send a
text-message request for a music video, sports clip or fashion show to
be delivered to their phone or played on a nearby Akoo television
screen, which would act much like a high-tech jukebox.

In
return, companies can deliver digital coupons and promotions to the
cellphones. For instance, a customer at a John Barleycorn restaurant in
Chicago, part of the m-Venue network, might select a text message code
displayed on a big screen — say, one that would deliver Gwen Stefani’s new music video.

The customer would then receive a text message to the effect of,
“Thanks! Gwen Stefani will play shortly. Show this text to your server
and get any appetizer for $1.”

Ads on cellphones and digital
signs that can be activated by consumers are part of the rapidly
expanding business of mobile marketing.

~A

Network of TVs Talks to Cellphones and Trades Clips for Advertising – New York Times
A LITTLE-KNOWN private company, Akoo International, is setting up a network of digital screens that can send and receive messages from cellphones. The company aims to transform mobile devices into universal remote controls that can select on-demand content from big-screen TVs in airports, bars and restaurants.

With Akoo’s network, named m-Venue, cellphone users can send a text-message request for a music video, sports clip or fashion show to be delivered to their phone or played on a nearby Akoo television screen, which would act much like a high-tech jukebox.

Filed under: Consumer, Mobile, advertising, movies, mp3s, music, texting

Barbie Gets Another Accessory: An MP3 Player and More Stuff on Her Web Site

A new doll hitting retail shelves is familiar in many ways, but this Barbie is a roundabout way of charging for online content.

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Barbie Gets Another Accessory: An MP3 Player and More Stuff on Her Web Site – New York Times
First, Barbie had Ken. Now, Barbie has a docking station.

A new doll hitting retail shelves this week is familiar in many ways
— she’s got outfits galore — but she also has some unusual features:
this Barbie, who is smaller and less shapely than her standard
namesake, functions as an MP3 music player.

And when her feet
are plugged into the iPodesque docking station that she comes with, she
unlocks pages and pages of games, virtual shops and online chatting
functions on the BarbieGirls.com Web site.

Filed under: CPG, Consumer, Gen Y, Internet, Media, Toys, Virtual Worlds, kids, mp3s, websites

Kids Using Consumer Electronics At Ever Younger Ages

A new study shows that while every device has younger initial-user ages this year
than in 2005, the average number of consumer electronic devices both owned and
used by kids is actually down slightly versus 2005, along with the number of
households who own the devices.

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MediaPost Publications – Kids Using Consumer Electronics At Ever Younger Ages – 06/06/2007
IN A NEW STUDY, PORT Washington, N.Y.-based market research firm NPD finds that the age at which children start interacting with electronic media, gadgets, hand-held digital-media toys and such dropped, from 8.1 years in 2005 to 6.7 years in 2007.

The firm’s report, “Kids and Consumer Electronics Trends III,” says that children start using electronic devices at approximately 7 years of age.

Filed under: Consumer, Internet, Media, Mobile, Teens, Tweens, digital, interactive, kids, mp3s, music, trends

Disney site music to parents’ ears?

Disney has launched Disney Mix Central (disneymixcentral.com), an online store
for singles, albums and music videos where kids can download about 1,500 songs
and 19 music videos from stars such as Hannah Montana and The Cheetah Girls.
“It’s a [Disney] branded line of music, so parents know that it’s safe,” says
Chris Heatherly, head of electronics at Disney’s consumer products unit.

The online store is set up for kids to browse, and parents to pay. A
system coming this year, however, will let parents pre-pay for credits kids can
use. Pricing is similar to iTunes: singles for 99 cents, music videos for $1.99,
and albums–such as the soundtrack from “High School Musical”–begin at
$9.99.

The downloads will be compatible with most devices that support
Windows digital-rights management, which means no iPods. But it certainly
includes Disney’s Mix line of players, such as the Mix Stick MP3 player and Mix
Max video/MP3 combination.

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Disney site music to parents’ ears? – USATODAY.com
Looking to profit directly from the growing market for music downloads, Disney (DIS) has launched an online store for kid-focused singles, albums and music videos.

“This is the first direct-download service (Disney) has done,” says Chris Heatherly, the consumer products unit’s head of electronics.

Filed under: Gen Y, Internet, Media, Teens, Tweens, families, kids, living target, mp3s, podcasts, websites

The Album, a Commodity in Disfavor

Remember music singles? Well, they’re back. Fans are buying fewer and fewer full albums, in the shift from CDs to digital music.

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The Album, a Commodity in Disfavor – New York Times
LOS ANGELES, March 25 — Now that the three young women in Candy Hill, a glossy rap and R&B trio, have signed a record contract, they are hoping for stardom. On the schedule: shooting a music video and visiting radio stations to talk up their music.

But the women do not have a CD to promote. Universal/Republic Records,
their label, signed Candy Hill to record two songs, not a complete
album.

Filed under: Consumer, Internet, digital, mp3s, radio, trends

Nike Commissions a Rap Song in Honor of Its Air Force 1 Shoe

Does commissioning a rap song for Nike’s Air Force 1 Shoe make it have less street cred?

~A

Nike Commissions a Rap Song in Honor of Its Air Force 1 Shoe – New York Times
Since last summer, Nike has been selling workout music on Apple’s iTunes store, including some original tracks from several electronic music artists. Now the company is offering songs for those who enjoy its sneakers as lifestyle accessories.

To recognize the 25th anniversary of its Air Force 1 sneaker, the company commissioned a song from some prominent hip-hop musicians: the producer Rick Rubin and the rappers Kanye West, Nas and KRS-One. It also paid for a remix by D J Premier that features the rapper Rakim. The song, “Better Than I’ve Ever Been,” has been available on iTunes since Tuesday.

Filed under: Branded Entertainment, clothing, mp3s, music, websites

Fresh sounds from Paolo Nutini

I can’t get enough of Paolo Nutini!! I’m betting on him to be one of the biggest artists in 2007, so keep your eyes – and ears – out!!!

~A 

Filed under: VOD, mp3s, music, youtube

Online, P.& G. Gets a Little Crazy

P.G. is looking to reach consumers online and in nontraditional ways. They are joining the growing list of mainstays in trying to do so in ways including podcasts, blogs, video games, e-mails and of course, video-on-demand.

With consumers busy as can be and it being difficult to break through the noise and gain their attention, non-traditional ways to reach them are growing throughout the industry.

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Online, P.& G. Gets a Little Crazy – New York Times

A MARKETER once known as much for its moral rectitude as its soaps and detergents is pushing further into the brave world of new media with a provocative effort asserting that men can suffer from menstrual cramps.

Not long ago, the company, Procter & Gamble,
would have shied away from a public discussion of women’s menstrual
cramps, much less sponsoring a playful campaign pretending that they
afflict men, too. But times have changed, and even Procter, the
nation’s largest advertiser, is looking to push the envelope with viral
campaigns online.

Filed under: CPG, Consumer, Internet, Mobile, OOH, Pop Up, VOD, advertising, digital, interactive, mp3s, podcasts, viral, websites

Universal Music Group and an Online Site Plan a Joint Venture to Challenge iTunes – New York Times

Universal Music Group and an Online Site Plan a Joint Venture to Challenge iTunes – New York Times
A new online music company said yesterday that it would make a huge catalog of songs from the world’s largest record company, the Universal Music Group, available for consumers to download free.

Filed under: Internet, downloads, mp3s, music, websites