This blog is dedicated to artists, bands, songwriters, singers, beatmakers, producers and music professionals who want to network and brand using mobile devices and equipmentsuch as cell phones. It also discusses the advances in mobile music technology and discusses the effects of this technology on the music industry and music rights holders.
In my previous blog, I introduced you to SayNow, a mobile company that's helping artists and bands stay connected to their fans. Here's some more ways that SayNow can help artists and bands:
If you want to connect with your audience on their phone, SayNow can help you...
Get a local phone number*, text-in code, and Flash badge for your website so you can reach new subscribers wherever they are.
Broadcast voice messages by recording from your phone, uploading an MP3, or linking to an audio RSS feed.
Broadcast text messages to your mobile fans from your computer.
Create a mobile channel that allows fans to listen to and record messages, take part in polls, and purchase mobile content (e.g. ringtones) directly from their phone.
Respond to individual messages by replying with a voice message (press 2) or calling the person directly (press 5). Actual phone numbers are kept private on SayNow. Easily gain new subscribers. First time callers can optionally be subscribed to your broadcasts and notified of new messages via SMS, phone ring, and/or email.-->
Get detailed reports via our web interface - we can tell you how many fans you have, where they're calling from, number of times a message has been played, land line vs. mobile usage, etc.
Click here to learn more about the benefits of using SayNow.
SayNow is another company that I think you, as an artist, band, comedian and community leader should be aware of. SayNow is a mobile company that helps artists, bands, comedians and community leaders stay in touch with their fans. Personally, I think this company's concept is hot!
Here's the information from their website:
What makes SayNow different? SayNow lets stars and fans connect - quickly and easily.
Fans love it. Hearing their favorite star's voice feels personal and direct. And signing up is a cinch!
Stars love it. With SayNow it's easy to grow a fan base - all stars need to reach out to their best fans is a few minutes and a mobile phone. They can tell fans about new events and releases, or polls and contests that fans can participate in. Stars make money from every SayNow message. Plus, there's no privacy hassle - fans never see a personal mobile number, just the star's SayNow number.
Revenue from every message Stars earn revenue from action-oriented ads. For example, "press 1 to buy my new ringtone" or "press 1 to buy tickets to my next live performance." SayNow connects stars to devoted fans who are likely to buy, so this is a great way to boost revenue from announcements about new releases, broadcasts, or concerts.
For some artists, SayNow shares the revenue from ads that accompany SayNow voice and text messages. Every time a SayNow fan sees or hears a star-approved ad, the star gets paid. Stars can generate even more revenue with premium content like special messages or occasional fan conference calls. SayNow will be rolling out premium services in 2008.
SayNow by the numbers We now have more than 2 million unique subscribers!
More than 55,000 visitors attended the world’s premier mobile event, the GSMA’s Mobile World Congress, in Barcelona to do business and debate the future of the mobile phone industry, making this year’s event the largest yet. The three-day conference, which featured more than 230 chief executives and other high-level speakers from across the world, attracted more than 8,000 delegates.
Arun Sarin, CEO of Vodafone, actor and filmmaker Robert Redford, Wang Jianzhou, CEO of China Mobile, John Chambers, CEO of Cisco, Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, CEO of Nokia, Black-Eyed-Peas front man will.i.am and film actress and filmmaker Isabella Rossellini were among the diverse range of speakers at the Congress.
“The record attendance figures at this year’s Congress reflect both the extraordinary and compelling conference programme, which covered a broad range of topics from Long-Term Evolution to made-for-mobile short films to the environment, and the high quality of the exhibition,” said John Hoffman, CEO of the GSMA’s conference division. “We are also delighted by the seniority of the people that have travelled from all over the world to Barcelona for the Congress - more than 43% of conference attendees hold C-level positions within their organisations.”
Observing, analysing and reporting on the Congress were 2,700 international print, Web and broadcast media and the event made headlines across the globe. The Congress also hosted 1,300 exhibitors across 1,500 stands with approximately 29,000 square metres of exhibition space and 30,000 of square metres of hospitality space, reflecting the fact that people come to the show to network and do business. Mobile entertainment and content formed a major theme throughout the show with an entire hall (Hall 7) dedicated to multimedia content for mobile devices. In addition, the Mobile Backstage event at the National Palace explored the creation of compelling and high-quality content for mobile devices.
“Once again, Barcelona has successfully accomodated a further increase in the size of the Congress,” added Mr. Hoffman. “We would like to thank the city, Catalonia, Fira and all our Barcelona partners for being such warm and efficient hosts. We would also like to thank our sponsors, particularly LG and Telefonica, for their support.”
The Mobile World Congress’s sister event, the Mobile Asia Congress, which takes place in the vibrant city of Macau from November 18th to November 20th, will also stage a world-class conference programme and exhibition, attracting mobile industry leaders from across the globe.
*This figure covers everyone who attended the event, including delegates, exhibitors, contractors and media
About the Mobile World Congress: The GSMA’s Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Congress are the world’s leading mobile communications conference and exhibition events, where top executives from mobile operators, equipment vendors, IT companies and entertainment providers meet to do business. In 2007, 52,000 people attended the Mobile World Congress.
The Mobile World Congress in 2009 will take place at the Fira de Barcelona, Spain, between 16th and 18th February 2009. For more information please visit www.mobileworldcongress.com.
About the GSMA: The GSM Association (GSMA) is the global trade association representing more than 700 GSM mobile phone operators across 218 countries and territories of the world. In addition, more than 200 manufacturers and suppliers support the Association’s initiatives as key partners.
The primary goals of the GSMA are to ensure mobile phones and wireless services work globally and are easily accessible, enhancing their value to individual customers and national economies, while creating new business opportunities for operators and their suppliers. The Association’s members serve more than 2.5 billion customers - 85% of the world’s mobile phone users.
Again, keeping up with new technology and new companies on going mobile with your music, here's a company that I think you should keep an eye out on and that's Mobile Backstage.
Mobile Backstage thinks it has a new way to tap music fans using mobile phones. Customers download the company’s free Java-based application and buy credits that are then used to obtain downloadable ring tones, songs, and videos featuring their favorite artists. A key element of the service is the company’s My Own Backstage application, which lets users store multimedia they’ve created and share it with others.
Created by members of a Finnish record company with experience in fan marketing, Mobile Backstage hopes to partner with record companies, advertisers, and phone companies and service operators. The company is already working with musicians in Finland and hopes to expand its operation to international markets within three years. Mobile Backstage officials also believe the software has potential in other entertainment markets.
If your music is not being played on somebody's cell phone, then you as an artist, musician, songwriter, garage band, and rapper are missing out. Why? Check out this video to see where mobile phones are headed, how integral music is playing in the business, and how artists are making money just by random people hearing their music.
Black-Eyed-Peas front man will.i.am was one of the headline speakers at a brand new Mobile Entertainment Conference, Mobile Backstage at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February 2008.
Although this is old news, it still shows that more and more artists, producers, and the like are going mobile with their marketing. Jermaine Dupri used this opportunity, however, to raise funds for his charity, the Jermaine Dupri Foundation. I think that's hot!!! Check out the video and then check out the article below from top40-charts.com all to get more information about how this deal came about with LG and Jermaine Dupri!
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (LG Electronics MobileComm U.S.A.) - Last night, June 27th, LG Electronics MobileComm U.S.A., Inc. (LG Mobile Phones) and Jermaine Dupri presented the FUSIC Launch Party. All of Hollywood's finest including Janet Jackson, Dem Franchize Boyz, DJ AM, Jamie Foxx, Missy Elliot, Shaquille O'Neal and many more were on hand for a night of celebration and glamour with a star-studded guest list at a Hollywood hot spot. The celebration continues today with the announcement that Jermaine Dupri and LG will pair up once again to auction off the Limited Edition So So Def FUSIC Phone by LG.
"As much fun as the LG & Jermaine Dupri FUSIC Party was last night, I am very pleased that LG has agreed to help me raise funds to support the Jermaine Dupri Foundation, an organization that I started as a way of giving back to the kids in local communities around the U.S. There is no better feeling to me than being able to raise money to support our future generations," said Jermaine Dupri. "The auction of the Limited Edition So So Def FUSIC Phone by LG allows fans to be able to get special content, including my favorite songs, while helping to raise money for a great cause."
The Limited Edition So So Def FUSIC Phone by LG comes with the same features as the traditional FUSIC including a FM transmitter, microSD memory port, ring tone composer, camera/camcorder, four interchangeable faceplates, and the ability to access your entire music collection on the handset - but this FUSIC has so much more! Jermaine Dupri added his personal flair to the phone by helping to create the Swarovski crystal design that blings out the front and back of this limited edition phone. The phone also includes So So Def content including videos, songs, and photos and personal content from JD and is appropriately packaged with your very own Afroman doll and blinged out portable speakers.
"We here at LG are excited to continue our relationship with Jermaine Dupri and are proud to match up to $5,000 in donations raised by the auction of the Limited Edition So So Def FUSIC Phone by LG," said senior director of marketing for LG MobileComm USA, Inc. Jon Maron. "We recognize the great work that Jermaine is doing through the Jermaine Dupri Foundation and look forward to helping out in any way we can for this auction and in the future."
To bid on the Limited Edition So So Def FUSIC phone by LG and to find out more information about FUSIC, the party, and the auction please visit http://www.LifewithLG.com. The phone with be auctioned off on eBay starting June 28, 2006 and all proceeds will go to the Jermaine Dupri Foundation.
ABOUT LG ELECTRONICS, INC. LG Electronics, Inc., (KSE: 06657.KS) is the leader in consumer electronics and mobile communications. The company has more than 72,000 employees working in 77 subsidiaries and marketing units around the world. LG Electronics is the world's largest producer of CDMA handsets, optical storage devices, residential air conditioners and home theater system. With total revenue of more than USD 35 billion (consolidated USD 45 billion), LG Electronics is comprised of four business units: Mobile Communications, Digital Appliance, Digital Display and Digital Media.
ABOUT LG ELECTRONICS MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company is the world's leading manufacturer of WCDMA (UMTS), CDMA. The company provides a total range of wireless solutions, and is rapidly establishing a global presence as it cultivates international market share in 3G handsets. For more information please visit http://www.lgusa.com.
Background on Jermaine Dupri Foundation Jermaine "JD" Dupri, President of Urban Music for Virgin Records USA, CEO of So So Def Recordings, Inc., renowned artist and producer understands the need to impart his knowledge and acquired accomplishments back into the youth of America. JD is as committed to producing a hit record as he is in making his voice heard in the community. The many examples of the community service provided by the Jermaine Dupri Foundation include his assistance with victims of Hurricane Katrina from sponsoring two families who relocated to Atlanta, to performing at local charity concerts, providing autographed items for various Katrina-related auctions as well as undisclosed monetary donations and being a part of the BET Telethon. In addition to his work with the Hip Hop Action Network, JD is also a board member of Hip Hop 4 Humanity. Whether through the Jermaine Dupri Foundation or from his personal wallet, JD is very committed to anything that he can do to help underprivileged children. Along with good friend Nelly, JD hosted Atlanta's Biggest Christmas Party in 2004 where they distributed toys to more than 3,000 children from shelters in the Atlanta-metro area. In 2005, JD created limited edition Cartier eyewear with 20% of the proceeds benefited various charities related to Hurricane Katrina. From sponsoring an Atlanta-based Little League Baseball team to purchasing Christmas gifts, Jermaine "JD" Dupri proves over and over again that he has a heart for the community and is committed to do whatever he can to make a difference in their lives. The Jermaine Dupri Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization and has been established to provide funding to children's organizations that help improve children's quality of life.
