Wednesday 31 October 2007

Ringles getting ready

Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group had been shooting for an October debut of the ringle, which combines a physical CD single with a digital ringtone download. But Sony has pushed that launch back to November 6, according to Amazon. UMG's debut has probably been moved to next year.

Retail sources said they have been told by the two majors that the holdup is due to both companies' efforts to improve customers' experience in redeeming ringtones from the discs. Sources close to UMG also said that if a new format is introduced later in the holiday selling season, it might get lost in the retail shuffle.

Nevertheless, traditional retailers have high hopes for the ringle, which they believe could fill a long-vacant sales niche. "We used to do a hell of a lot of single sales, and the ringle could bring back the single in the store," one senior retail executive said. "Also, we are not participating in the ringtone business at all, so we like that aspect of it."

Sony BMG and Universal see ringles as a way to get consumers to place CDs into the computer, which would help acclimate customers to the concept of "connectivity" to label and artist sites. Labels consider connectivity a key ingredient in helping buttress sales of physical product.

Amazon already lists some 101 ringles, with Cyndi Lauper's "Girls just want to have fun" regularly turning up at the top of its ringles page. Amazon is preselling the title for $4.97. Other top pre-order titles come from such artists as Carrie Underwood, Pink and Beyonce. Ringles on the release schedule are a mixture of current records and old favorites. Genres range from pop, R&B, rock and country to New Age, Christmas and Latin.

(Reuters/Billboard)



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