Cingular Wireless Debuts the Latest AMERICAN IDOL Star, Live Idol Ringtones: Another Cingular Exclusive
Only Cingular Customers Can Relive the Live Performances of Their Favorite Idol Contestants on Their Wireless Phones
Cingular Wireless, the Official Telecommunications Sponsor of AMERICAN IDOL, today announced it is now offering its 54 million customers the opportunity to enjoy the talents of their favorite AMERICAN IDOL contestants over and over again with Live Idol Ringtones. Now for the first time in history, many of the actual live performances of "Idol" finalists will be available as ringtones, exclusively to Cingular customers. For any contestant whose song may not have received publisher clearance that week, Cingular will release a new ringtone of a song performed by that contestant in an earlier round of the show.
In previous seasons, customers have been able to purchase ringtones of the AMERICAN IDOL theme song and many of the songs featured on the show by the original artists. With Live Idol Ringtones, however, this is the first time Cingular customers are able to purchase ringtones of the songs actually sung by the contestants themselves. And, if that isn´t cool enough, Cingular customers will be able to purchase and download ringtones of selected songs performed live on Tuesday night´s performance show the very next day. Typically, it takes traditional recorded music months to go from recording to distribution. With Live Idol Ringtones, Cingular is breaking new ground by turning live recorded music into ringtones in less than 24 hours.
"One of the reasons AMERICAN IDOL is the number one show in television is because it showcases people making great music," said John Burbank, vice president, marketing, Cingular Wireless. "Live Idol Ringtones allow Cingular customers to show their support for their favorite contestants while taking that great music with them wherever they go."
How Live Idol Ringtones Work
Beginning tonight, and during each subsequent AMERICAN IDOL performance show this season, a high-quality recording of the remaining finalists´ songs will be digitally remastered into a ringtone overnight, pending publisher clearance. The songs cleared and recorded will be available the very next day as ringtones for purchase and download. To make it even easier for customers to purchase a ringtone of their favorite Idol´s performance each week, Cingular allows customers to reserve songs performed that night. The next day, a text message is sent to the customer´s phone at which time he or she can purchase and download the cleared songs as Live Idol Ringtones.
Cingular provides three easy ways for customers to purchase Live Idol Ringtones:
1. Text "IDOL" to 8008 for a direct link to the latest finalist Live Idol Ringtones
2. Go to MEdia Net on your Cingular phone, choose Ringtones, and then AMERICAN IDOL
3. Go online to http://www.cingularsource.com/idol/tones.
Live Idol Ringtones are available nationwide for $2.49 per ringtone. As the weeks progress, customers will also be able to browse and buy Live Idol Ringtones from past performances for this season. Additionally, customers can sign up for weekly text alerts that inform them when Live Idol Ringtones become available.
For more information on Live Idol Ringtones, visit http://www.cingularsource.com/idol/tones.
* All songs performed on AMERICAN IDOL are subject to publisher clearance and may not be available as Live Idol Ringtones.
