Initial Trial Offer Gives 30 Days Use of the Innovative Service, and Alicia Keys Bonus CallerTune "Karma" At No Extra Charge
Bellevue, Wash. — Dec. 8, 2004
T-Mobile USA subscribers across the country now can ditch the dull switchboard ring that their callers hear, in favor of a tune that represents their unique style, with the launch today of T-Mobile's ringback tone service, CallerTunes. T-Mobile is the first company to launch a ringback tone service nationwide.
If you use ringtones, your wireless phone 'rings' with your favorite song or other audio clip when someone is calling. That's great for you, of course, but the people calling you still hear the old, dull ring until you answer the phone. Now that has changed. As a CallerTunes subscriber, you can select audio clips for the people calling you to hear before you answer the phone - whether it's for specific individuals, groups of friends, or at specific times of the day - giving you hundreds of ways to represent your style.
"The unprecedented popularity of using hit song clips as ringtones has demonstrated the desire by T-Mobile's subscribers to personalize their phones with content that is in-tune with their lives," said Michael Butler, Chief Marketing Officer, T-Mobile USA. "Ringback tones are the next evolution in personalizing wireless communication through music and audio. With the introduction of CallerTunes, we're introducing yet another fun and innovative way for our customers to use music and other audio as a way to represent their style to friends and family."
T-Mobile has partnered with the three largest music companies - SONY BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group - as well as key independent record labels and other content providers, to give subscribers the power to express themselves through the broadest collection of exciting ringback tone content to date. From platinum-selling favorites Barenaked Ladies, Beyonce, Disturbed, Simple Plan, Marvin Gaye, and Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz; to rockers, The Killers and 3 Doors Down; and classic artists Santana and Eric Clapton, T-Mobile's editorial team has culled the best content from a master catalog of more than 10,000 tracks.
As part of a CallerTunes 30-day free trial offer, T-Mobile and Sony BMG's J Records have partnered to make "Karma" by Alicia Keys the service's first Bonus CallerTune. For a limited period of time, subscribers to CallerTunes will be able to use free-of-charge a song clip from her multi-platinum, award-winning album, "The Diary of Alicia Keys".
"This service enables consumers to further personalize their mobile experience, while at the same time establishing an even stronger connection with the artists and music they love," commented Thomas Hesse, President, Global Digital Business, SONY BMG Music Entertainment. "We're delighted to be able to help launch CallerTunes with a great song from one of the most important artists in the world today -- Alicia Keys' "Karma" -- and we look forward to working with T-Mobile on the nationwide roll out of this new service."
Alicia Keys is one of the most nominated artists for this year's Grammy Awards with eight nominations including Album of the Year ("Diary of Alicia Keys"), Song of the Year ("If I Ain't Got You"), Best R&B Song ("You Don't Know My Name"), Best R&B Song ("My Boo"), Best R&B Album ("Diary of Alicia Keys"), Best Female R&B Vocal Performance ("If I Ain't Got You"), Best R&B Performance Duo or Group with Vocal ("Diary" with Tony, Toni, Tone), Best R&B Performance Duo or Group with Vocal ("My Boo" with Usher). She previously received seven Grammy nominations for her debut "Songs in A-Minor."
Users can represent their style through CallerTunes in a number of ways, including:
-- Choosing your favorite audio clips from hundreds of original artist recordings. Users will be able to assign up to eight different audio clips for their friends and other callers to hear.
-- Assigning individual audio clips to be heard by a specific caller, or groups of callers. For example, you may choose Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing" to play for that special someone when he or she calls.
-- Specifying audio clips for a specific day, or during a time of day. For example, select Simple Plan's "Welcome to My Life" to play when you’re cutting loose after work or school.
-- Since CallerTunes easily can be managed through a T-Mobile phone or on the Web, changing your CallerTunes to reflect your current mood. For instance, selecting Sheryl Crow's version of "First Cut Is The Deepest" when you're feeling bittersweet!
T-Mobile subscribers also will benefit from the reliable technology platform built for CallerTunes, and implemented and serviced by Ztango, a WiderThan company, a global mobile music industry leader. "WiderThan's ringback tone solution, which will be serviced by Ztango for T-Mobile, is a service that millions of subscribers enjoy across Asia and Europe. Now, through T-Mobile, users across the U.S. also will be able to fully experience this fun and innovative service," said Vern Poyner, CEO, Ztango.
CallerTunes is a network-based offering, making it available to all T-Mobile post-pay customers. As a special introductory offer, the first month of CallerTunes service will be available free-of-charge. Subscribers also will be offered a free Bonus CallerTune that will be rotated with a fresh new CallerTune periodically. The cost for the service is a $1.49 monthly subscription fee, and a one-time charge of $1.99 for each CallerTune.
Users can sign-up and manage their service in three ways: from their T-Mobile phone, they can dial *TUNE (*8863) or go to t-zones® under 'Download Fun™'; or on the Web, they can visit www.t-mobile.com/callertunes.
Lindsay Morio
T-Mobile USA Media Relations
425-383-4002
About T-Mobile USA, Inc.
Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. wireless operation of Deutsche Telekom AG. By the end of the first quarter of 2010, approximately 150 million mobile customers were served by the mobile communication segments of the Deutsche Telekom group - 33.7 million by T-Mobile USA - all via a common technology platform based on GSM and UMTS, the world's most widely used digital wireless standards. T-Mobile USA's innovative wireless products and services help empower people to connect to those who matter most. Multiple independent research studies continue to rank T-Mobile among the highest in numerous regions throughout the U.S. in wireless customer care and call quality. For more information, please visit http://www.T-Mobile.com. T-Mobile is a federally registered trademark of Deutsche Telekom AG.