AT&T Wireless Debuts First-Ever Mobile Music Store in the U.S.
October 05 2004 - 1:01AM
PR Newswire (US)
AT&T Wireless Debuts First-Ever Mobile Music Store in the U.S.
Service Turns the Mobile Phone Into a 'Remote Control' for PC
Downloads Of Digital Music Tracks SEATTLE, Oct. 5
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Building on the success of the company's
Music ID service, AT&T Wireless (NYSE:AWE) today announced the
premier of the mMode(TM) Music Store, making the entire music
discovery, sampling, and purchase process mobile for the first time
in U.S. history. With the AT&T Wireless mMode(TM) Music Store,
customers can discover, browse, listen to(*) and purchase digital
music tracks from a library of approximately 750,000 songs -- all
right from the handset. Built in cooperation with Loudeye and
Microsoft, the mobile music store is seamlessly integrated with the
PC, so digital music tracks are downloaded to users' Windows PCs
and billed automatically to their monthly AT&T Wireless
statement or credit card. (Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041005/NYTU015 ) For years,
AT&T Wireless' mMode service has informed and entertained
customers with some of the best-in-class applications available,
from news and sports to gaming and dating. Today, the company turns
up the volume on mobile music and significantly expands the
functionality of the mobile phone to meet the insatiable demand for
digital music. By tying to the company's popular Music ID service,
when customers receive a text message with the name and artist of a
song they've discovered while mobile, they can now click on a link
to go straight to the AT&T Wireless mMode Music Store to buy
that digital music track. "When it comes to digital music,
consumers don't want to be tied to their PC; they want their music
experience to be mobile," said Sam Hall, vice president of mMode
services for AT&T Wireless. "Now, consumers no longer have to
scribble down the names of songs they've discovered and wait until
they get home to download them onto their computers. The
convenience and immediacy of our mobile digital music store lets
users remotely explore and buy digital music while on the move." As
the market matures, the unique aspects of the music store's
wireless distribution platform will allow for expanded music
service offerings, as additional online music stores "go wireless"
and handsets incorporate direct- to-device song downloads
capabilities in the months ahead. "For years, many companies have
been promising to liberate music from the PC to give consumers ways
to purchase virtually anytime, anywhere. The new AT&T Wireless
mMode Music Store makes this a reality and makes it a snap to buy
songs -- all purchases can go straight on your phone bill or credit
card," said Ted Cohen, senior vice president, EMI Music Digital
Development and Distribution. "The mobile platform is an important
new marketing and distribution channel for our artists. Now, as
soon as fans hear music they like, they can acquire it instantly
using their phones and access it easily on their PCs." The AT&T
Wireless Music Store is powered by Loudeye Corp. (NASDAQ:LOUD), a
leader in business to business digital media solutions, built using
Microsoft Windows Media(R) Audio 9 (WMA) and Windows Media Digital
Rights Management (DRM). Loudeye provides a complete, branded
digital music distribution solution, including an integrated online
and mobile digital media storefront, scalable digital media
application platform, and a suite of turnkey services. "We are
thrilled to be an instrumental part of the first mobile digital
music store in the country, together with leading companies such as
AT&T Wireless and Loudeye," said Maria Martinez, corporate vice
president of the Communications Sector at Microsoft. "The
integrated music scenarios that AT&T Wireless is bringing to
market deliver a more complete consumer experience and are the
perfect illustration for the range of capabilities Windows Media 9
Series enables." "The AT&T Wireless mMode Music Store
demonstrates how digital media services can provide substantial
value to end user experiences across a wide range of devices," said
Jeff Cavins, Loudeye's president and chief executive officer. "The
launch of the AT&T Wireless mMode Music Store is a significant
step forward for the mobile music industry, and we look forward to
working together in the future to build upon this foundation and
continue to push the lines of innovation in the wireless music
market." Michael Nash, Senior Vice President, Internet Strategy and
Business Development at Warner Music Group said: "We are excited
about this important evolution of mobile music, enabling consumers
to move beyond simply personalizing their handsets with ring tones,
but also to acquiring full- length songs to their PCs through
AT&T Wireless' mMode Music Store. This is a clear indication
that the wireless space is fast becoming a diverse and significant
new marketplace for our labels and artists." How the mMode Music
Store Works AT&T Wireless subscribers access the mMode Music
Store through mMode on their handset or online at
http://www.attwireless.com/music. Subscribers can search and browse
the available music catalog by genre, artist, or song. When a track
is selected, PC users or users with compatible handsets may then
listen to a 30-second song sample and/or purchase that track, all
with just a few clicks from their wireless phone. Once a song or
album has been purchased, subscribers then visit the AT&T
Wireless mMode Music Store online to download the track to their
computers. Users may then burn that track to a CD, or move it to
any of the more than 70 portable devices supporting Windows Media.
Key features of the AT&T Wireless mMode Music Store include: --
Seamless integration - offers seamless integration between the
wireless phone and PC -- Unique functionality and billing mechanism
- users can search, discover, preview and buy digital music,
download tracks directly to their PCs, and bill purchases
automatically to their monthly wireless statement or credit card --
Sample tracks before buying - customers can listen to approximately
750,000 30-second clips on select AT&T Wireless phones,
including Nokia models 6620, 3650, 3620, and N Gage, and Motorola
models MPX200. -- Mobile wish list - lets users save song titles
they like to their phone and check them out online at a later time
-- Broad choices - digital tracks are downloaded to a Windows PC
and can be transferred to more than 70 compatible devices for
playback, including phones and digital music players -- "Send to a
Friend" - users can share information about artists with other
wireless subscribers from their handsets -- Celebrity play lists -
users can check out music recommendations from their favorite
celebrities Pricing and Availability The AT&T Wireless mMode
Music Store is available to all AT&T Wireless subscribers and
is open for business at http://www.attwireless.com/music. AT&T
Wireless customers on the company's GSM(TM)/GPRS service may access
the Music Store via their compatible handsets or the Web.
Individual full-song downloads cost $.99 each. Entire albums are
generally competitively priced as low as $9.99. Standard mMode
charges also apply. For more information about the AT&T
Wireless mMode Music Store or mMode, visit
http://www.attwireless.com/mMode. (*) Customers must have a
compatible phone to listen to streaming audio clips. About AT&T
Wireless AT&T Wireless (NYSE:AWE) is the second-largest
wireless carrier, based on revenues, in the United States. With
21.737 million subscribers as of June 30, 2004, and revenues of
more than $16.9 billion over the past four quarters, AT&T
Wireless delivers advanced high-quality mobile wireless
communications services, voice and data, to businesses and
consumers, in the U.S. and internationally. Forward Looking
Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements'
which are based on management's beliefs as well as on a number of
assumptions concerning future events made by management with
information that is currently available to management.
Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation,
management's expectations regarding: our future financial and
operating performance and financial condition, including the
company's outlook for the fiscal year 2004 and subsequent periods;
the outcome of our pending transaction with Cingular; subscriber
growth; industry conditions; the strength of our balance sheet; our
liquidity and needs for additional financing; and our ability to
increase revenue, margins and operating free cash flow. Readers are
cautioned not to put undue reliance on such forward-looking
statements, which are not a guarantee of performance and are
subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of
which are outside AT&T Wireless' control, that could cause
actual results to differ materially from such statements. Without
limitation these factors include: the risks associated with the
implementation of our technology migration strategy, uncertainty
concerning the effects of our pending transaction with Cingular,
our ability to continue to reduce costs and increase the efficiency
of our distribution channels, the potential competitive impacts of
industry consolidation or alternative technologies, potential
impacts on revenue and ARPU from competitive pricing and slowing
penetration in the wireless industry, the effects of vigorous
competition in the markets in which we operate, the risk of
decreased consumer spending due to softening economic conditions,
acts of terrorism, and consumer response to new service offerings.
For a more detailed description of the factors that could cause
such a difference, please see AT&T Wireless' filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, including the information under
the heading "Additional Factors That May Affect Our Business,
Future Operating Results and Financial Condition" and "Forward
Looking Statements" in its quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed on
August 6, 2004. About Loudeye Corp. Loudeye is a worldwide leader
in business-to-business digital media solutions and the outsourcing
provider of choice for companies looking to maximize the return on
their digital media investment. Loudeye combines innovative
products and services with the world's largest music archive and
the industry's leading digital media infrastructure enabling
partners to rapidly and cost effectively launch complete,
customized digital media stores and services. For more information,
visit http://www.loudeye.com/. Contacts: AT&T Wireless -
Danielle Perry (201) 576-7707 or Loudeye - Karen DeMarco (323)
933-3399 or http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041005/NYTU015
DATASOURCE: AT&T Wireless CONTACT: Danielle Perry of AT&T
Wireless, +1-201-576-7707 or ; or Karen DeMarco, +1-323-933-3399,
or , for Loudeye Corp. Web site: http://www.attws.com/
http://www.loudeye.com/ http://www.attwireless.com/music
http://www.attwireless.com/mMode
Copyright
Loudeye (NASDAQ:LOUD)
Historical Stock Chart
From Oct 2024 to Nov 2024
Loudeye (NASDAQ:LOUD)
Historical Stock Chart
From Nov 2023 to Nov 2024