Kazza to Sell Ringtones Along WithMP3 Downloads

UK-based wireless entertainment provider The Music Solution (TMS) has been selected to provide mobile phone ringtones to the peer-to-peer application, Kazaa, through the Ringtone Channel. TMS has selected Netsize to support the global delivery and European billing of content. Kazaa is the world's most downloaded peer-to-peer software application with over 60 million global users.

The content will be available through Kazaa via a search facility, a dedicated ringtone and logo channel and through an intelligent ringtone-matching link that corresponds with the users' music search requests with a matching ringtone. Users can purchase content from more than 90 countries through TMS's WiDE platform, with mobile business and entertainment solutions provider Netsize managing the global delivery of content and European billing via premium rate SMS across 52 mobile operators.

Kazaa's "Ringtone Channel" will be run through TMS WiDE, which enables international payment (including support for carrier billing) and delivery of all types of wireless content, not only to the GSM market but also to other network standards such as CDMA and TDMA.

The platform provides Kazaa users with a unique product code relating to their country of origin and handset type. This is sent to the Netsize Content Hosting Platform, which selects the correct piece of content and manages the international delivery and billing (via premium rate SMS where available in Europe). In countries where premium rate SMS is not available as a billing mechanism, users are able to purchase ringtones using an IVR system or with a credit card.

"The launch of Kazaa's Ringtone Channel represents an unparalleled opportunity to open up a significant new revenue stream," comments David Warburton, CEO of TMS. "Kazaa brings together the world's largest online audience of dedicated music fans, and as TMS already provides high quality ringtone content to companies such as MTV, Universal Music and Real Networks, we are the logical content provider for this exciting new initiative."

"The global market for ringtones is expected to reach US$4 billion by 2008 ," adds Craig Barrack, UK country manager at Netsize. "TMS's ringtone content will be hosted on the Netsize Content Management Hosting Platform, which enables us to deliver an international billing, hosting and delivery solution. With a user base of over 60 million, it was vital that TMS partnered with a company like Netsize that could manage consistently high traffic loads, deliver local support and correctly bill for content irrespective of the user's location."

Posted to the site on 21st November 2003