Ringtone Briefs
Source: RCR Wireless News

Sir Mix-A-Lot's "Pick up the Phone'' ringtone has sold more than half a million copies, according to Versaly Entertainment, which produced the ringtone. "This is way beyond what I expected, both for sales numbers and for me having a blast creating the music,'' said Sir Mix-A-Lot. "As I talk with other musicians, they agree with me that ringtones are a perfect way to test new music ideas.'' The MixTone mobile products are offered via Jamster commercials as well as through most major U.S. and Canadian carriers, several international carriers and Versaly's ForFones mobile storefront, said the company.

Dwango Wireless will create and deliver master tones and polyphonic ringtones from the library of digital music and comedy distributor The Orchard, the companies announced. Dwango, which offers 2,000 ringtones through Rolling Stone Ringtones, said the new licensing agreement includes access to more than 375,000 songs from artists including Ray Charles, Beck, Coldplay and Simply Red. The deal also includes comedy from George Carlin, Jerry Seinfeld and Woody Allen. "Based on the high demand for more quality content, we are looking forward to launching Orchard labels and artists in our distribution channels late in the first quarter of 2005,'' said Alexander Conrad, Dwango's president and chief operations officer. Dwango delivers content from Playboy, Napster and Beliefnet through several major U.S. carriers.

The "moan tone'' industry is already getting crowded. Brickhouse Mobile and New Frontier Media said they'll bring R- and X-rated pillow talk from porn stars to U.S. wireless users, disclosing details of a deal announced earlier this year. The offerings will include groans, moans and other racy sounds, as well as explicit images for mobiles and brief adult videos. Content will be branded under The Erotic Network (TEN), New Frontier's TV subsidiary, and will be available via Internet and WAP sites, as well as through J2ME and BREW applications. Earlier this year, New York-based content provider Wicked Wireless began marketing moan tones featuring porn star Jenna Jameson to subscribers in several Latin American markets.