Friday, February 8, 2008

Beat Mobility

Super producer to release first ever 'mobile album'

LOS ANGELES - Grammy-nominated producer Timbaland is set to release a 12 song album available only to Verizon Wireless customers subscribed to its mobile entertainment service, V Cast.

According to Billboard.com, Timbaland will produce one song per month and release it within days of its completion. Verizon will then sponsor a nation-wide "Verizon Mobile Recording Studio Bus" tour in support of the venture.

Timbaland pledges to work with a variety of artists and insists he is not focusing on any one particular genre.

"I'm just going to have fun with it," he says. "I'll just do what comes in mind."

The first song, featuring Keri Wilson, will premiere today at a pre-Grammy bash, in which Timbaland's Shock Value is up for five awards.

From a marketing standpoint, this is quite genius. The continued increase in mobile phone users has forced advertisers and PR professionals to refocus their campaign efforts and finances. It is my belief that mobile ad revenue will nearly triple by the end of the year.

Sadly though, this campaign blurs the line between music and commerce even more so by presenting it as product rather than art. Innovative or not, this isn't music to my ears.

14 comments:

JDot said...

Sounds like a great feature. Too bad I could care less about this Producer. But to all of you fans of the famed, enjoy.

gdub said...

Your negativity toward the mainstream is insufferable.

JDot said...

Variant titles:

- Dial-A-Beat
- Mobil Beatdown
- Beats on the Go
- Is That a Beat in Your Pocket or are You Just Happy to See Me?

JDot said...

Insufferable Negativity: Yeah, I Figured That Much

gdub said...

Funny...a forthcoming post detailing my love for 'The Big Sleep' has been re-titled,

"Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you just gonna shoot blanks?"

gdub said...

'Beat It' would also have been clever.

JDot said...

Yes. Too bad you didn't use it. Or not. What do I care?

gdub said...

Enough to comment apparently.

JDot said...

Boredom should not be confused with caring.

gdub said...

In your case, both are the same.

gdub said...

Bored enough to care, care enough to be bored.

Either/or, you're an idiot.

gdub said...

What does that even mean?

gdub said...

I don't know what that means.

JDot said...

ok