|
Service Turns the Mobile Phone into a "Remote Control" for PC Downloads of Digital
Music Tracks
Millions of Customers Can Now Discover and Buy Their Favorite Music Right From
Their Mobile Phone, and Have Purchases Billed Automatically to Their Monthly Statement
or Credit Card
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Seattle, WA - Building on the success of the company's Music ID service, AT&T
Wireless (NYSE: AWE) today announced the premier of the mMode™ 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™ 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.
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® 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 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 www.attwireless.com/music. AT&T Wireless customers on the company's GSM™/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 www.attwireless.com/mMode. |