Are Mobile Platforms a Life Raft for the Music Industry?
Mobile World Congress Shows Music Initiatives from LG, Tim McGraw

Posted by Mike Tunnicliffe in ad Age Songs For Soap on 02.19.08 @ 02:20 PM

The Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona last week played host to a number of music-related initiatives, including the introduction of a pre-loaded, music-focused device from LG and Omnifone, The Music Station Max. According to a report in Business Week, it's "the latest entrant into what amounts to a (music) gold rush for the mobile platform."



LG and Omnifone's Music Station Max

The service, which will be offered through Europe and Asia, will enable consumers who buy the pre-licensed handsets to download an unlimited amount of music that can be organized into playlists and shared with other users.

Artists have been out in force at the MWC too, with Tim McGraw unveiling a new mobile website that can be accessed by any mobile phone, regardless of model or carrier, and will enable fans to receive SMS and e-mail alerts, view breaking news, tour dates, photos or videos and purchase electronic media. Users can also access The Neighbor's Keeper Foundation, the charity he established with Faith Hill.

The seemingly ubiquitous Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.i.am presented the conference keynote, where he said: "The mobile industry, not the record business, will create the next wave of music superstars." Will.i.am, who is fast becoming acknowledged as a visionary in new music development and has been involved in the revolutionary use of mobile technology to interact with fans, also called on all artists to embrace the creative and marketing possibilities offered by the mobile industry.

All of this coming hot on the heels of the exclusive Timbaland/Verizon album release that we reported on last week makes phones a hot space indeed at the moment and perhaps marks the coming of age of mobile as one of the saviors of the future music business.