Thumbplay News

Thumbplay Supports Adobe "Strobe"

2009-05-12T07:47:00.001-07:00

Today, Adobe Systems Incorporated (NASDAQ: ADBE) announced the global media companies, content delivery networks (CDNs), publishers and advertising networks which are embracing Adobe’s open framework for building custom media players – Thumbplay among them. Code-named “Strobe”, the new framework will help establish an industry standard for media players and offers production-ready components to streamline the development process, reducing the time content publishers spend creating playback technologies. Click HERE to see the Adobe announcement.

Remarked Thumbplay’s Chris Phenner (EVP, Business Development):

“Thumbplay relies on the Flash Platform™ for our web site’s audio and video samples, for widgets that Thumbplay OPEN provides to artists to sell mobile content, and for the Flash Lite titles we sell – Thumbplay is living the Open Screen Project’s strategy every day. Strobe is a great framework that we plan to leverage to help sites monetize and extend their embedded video players to include mobile features.”

Billboard: ON EVERY SITE A RINGTONE

2009-05-11T12:11:00.000-07:00

ON EVERY SITE A RINGTONE
A New Service Extends the Reach Of A Faltering Mobile Music Format
By Anthony Bruno for BILLBOARD
May 11, 2009

Ringtone Sales are dropping sharply but record labels and mobile content providers are doing everything they can to shore up sales.

Several mobile carriers have begun offering a make-your-own-ringtone service from provider mSpot. Labels like Warner Music Group have explored bundling ringtones with full-song download sales. And services like Myxer have even tried ad-supported ringtones.

Now, The mobile content provider Thumbplay has quietly unveiled a new service called OPEN Pro that allows labels to sell ringtones almost anywhere online without striking deals with each wireless operator. OPEN Pro is an extension of a tool Thumbplay launched in September that allows unsigned artists to sell ringtones by uploading their content to the Thumbplay system.

“It helps labels and artists’ managers sell mobile content from the Web sites they manage,” says Thumbplay director of business development Mike Park. “It’s basically a way for them to keep track of sales for all their labels, drill down into specific artists and track performance.”

Even when ringtone sales were still growing, the format faced two key distribution bottlenecks. The vast majority of sales came through mobile operators, which maintain complete control over which artists get prime placement on their crowded mobile entertainment menus. That inevitably leads to a focus on chart-topping artists, at the expense of others.

Bypassing the carriers and selling directly to fans brought its own set of challenges, most important of which was that ringtones have to be formatted for each mobile handset and mobile network.

Thumbplay is breaking through these logjams. It has agreements to deliver ringtones to each mobile operator and has the ability to determine the proper format based on the user’s phone. It also has partnerships with music sites like AOL, MTV, Clear Channel Online, MSN and iLike, so that tracks listed on these sites carry a “buy ringtone” link from Thumbplay.

The new OPEN system allows labels to add that same buy link to any service that doesn’t already have a deal with Thumbplay, including the artist’s own Web site, Twitter and MySpace Page. It also includes a widget creation tool that gives fans the ability to sell their favorite artist’s ringtones from their own blogs and social-networking profiles. Labels can use the OPEN content management and data reporting systems to track ringtone sales across a variety of sites. Thumbplay hopes to add mobile full-track downloads to the OPEN Pro program in a few months.

Thumbplay takes a cut of each sale. And while it sells a la carte ringtones, its primary business model is signing up fans to a monthly $10 subscription plan through which users get credits that can be redeemed for ringtones, games and other mobile content. Labels get the same amount per ringtone whether it’s sold a la carte or downloaded through a subscription.

To enlist the help of labels in growing its subscriber base, the OPEN Pro service pays labels a bounty for each new Thumbplay subscriber acquired through their artists’ widgets.

A&M/Octone tested the service late last year with a campaign for Hollywood Undead. Ringtones for developing artists usually get little attention on carrier-controlled ringtone menus, so Rome Thomas, head of sales and artist development at the label, was looking for a “back door” of sorts to the mobile market. Using Thumbplay’s widget to drive sales from the artist’s site, as well as other social network outlets, was exactly what he needed.

“Thumbplay gives me the opportunity to make an amount of mobile revenue via all of our Web surfaces,” he says. “I’m always looking at how to be more competitive on the mobile side.”

As a result, the campaign saw an 8% conversion rate of those clicking through to the “buy ringtone” link and completing a purchase, about four times the average.

But Thomas says the bounty for new subscribers has proved to be the more interesting opportunity.

“The bounty income was more compelling than the per-unit sales of an a la carte product,” he says. “We’re making a significant, very high dollar amount per acquisition, and we’re also being paid on the back end for each piece of content sold. This affiliate fee was higher than any other affiliate fee that I’ve ever seen from any of our online retailers.”

To date, ringtone sales have focused on mining more revenue out of radio hits. If programs like Thumbplay take off, the faltering format my find some relief in the long tail.

Thumbplay "OPEN Pro" Launched for Music Labels, Artist Managers - Makes Digital Music Sales Quick + Easy

2009-05-11T07:33:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK - MAY 11, 2009 - Thumbplay, the #1 mobile entertainment destination in the U.S., today launched Thumbplay OPEN Pro (http://open.thumbplay.com), a first-of-its-kind online marketing tool that makes it effortless for music labels, artist managers and media companies to sell their digital content to millions of mobile customers. By using the tools within the Thumbplay OPEN Pro service, which are free and available for the first time anywhere, content owners have access to more than 230 million mobile customers in the U.S.

From just one interface, users can now manage online and mobile marketing campaigns for multiple artists across multiple websites and they have access to detailed traffic and sales reporting. Moreover, within Thumbplay’s OPEN Pro service, the company has introduced the new Widgetron™ widget maker, an automated tool that allows users to create widgets with custom sizes, colors and playlists with a click of a button. Content owners generate income two ways: content sales and customer referrals.

Thumbplay built OPEN Pro in collaboration with several of its partners to ensure that the service addressed their needs. In particular, Universal’s A&M/Octone Records beta-tested the Widgetron for the Hollywood Undead release “Swan Songs,” which has famously built much of its considerable steam online.

Rome Thomas, Head of Sales & Artist Development for A&M/Octone said: "Wherever a Hollywood Undead fan exists online, we’re there with a number of promotional and commercial offers for the band's growing worldwide community. Thumbplay's OPEN Pro customized widget has given us a channel to better merchandise Hollywood Undead mobile, creating sizeable revenue and adapting our strategy for a number of other A&M/Octone artist mobile campaigns."

Added Are Traasdahl, CEO and Founder of Thumbplay: “With Thumbplay OPEN Pro, we’ve taken Thumbplay’s greatest expertise -- reaching hundreds of millions of mobile customers who are hungry for great entertainment -- and we’ve put it in the hands of every marketing team out there. It is not only extremely easy to use; it saves time, generates money, and ensures that fans have broad and instant access to the content they love. It’s the ultimate Thumbplay win-win.”
-- more --

Page Two of Two: Thumbplay OPEN Pro Launched

Thumbplay OPEN Pro features include:

Dynamic Landing Pages – Add purchase links to websites, emails, Twitter and social profiles in less than five minutes. Create customized pages for every band and every song.
Widgetron™ Widget Maker – Create and manage multiple widgets from a single dashboard; customize playlists, colors, sizes and purchase options, including a-la-carte.
Thumbplay API – Build custom, rich experiences into websites and mobile apps.
Reporting Console – Track and compare every click on purchase links, widgets and campaigns with detailed, daily reports.

Featuring music, videos, games and more, Thumbplay’s extensive and ever-growing entertainment library is accessible on more than 2,500 mobile phones among every major carrier in the U.S., reaching more than 230 million U.S. wireless subscribers. The company has maintained and grown its leadership position by delivering an optimal user experience, which includes its live, “24/7/365,” customer service and an unparalleled catalog of mobile entertainment options. Each month, Thumbplay.com gets more than five million unique visitors and its mobile (WAP) site (m.thumbplay.com) receives more than 12 million page views, making it one of the most popular mobile Web sites.

ABOUT THUMBPLAY
Thumbplay’s award-winning, direct-to-consumer service features licensed content from some of the world’s largest entertainment companies, including EMI Music, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Pictures Television, as well as several independent labels and artists and video game companies. Thumbplay’s mobile entertainment catalog is integrated into Clear Channel Radio, AOL and MSN Mobile sites, as well as iLike.com, one of the Web’s leading social music discovery services. Moreover, based on Thumbplay’s reputation for exceptional customer care and technological innovation, MTV recently tapped the company to power personalization content for the music giant’s mobile content site. The recently-launched Thumbplay OPEN provides artists, music labels, developers and Web site publishers the tools to package and sell their own digital media to millions of mobile customers. Each month, Thumbplay.com gets more than five million unique visitors and its mobile (WAP) site (m.thumbplay.com) receives more than 12 million page views, making it one of the most popular mobile Web sites.

Headquartered in New York City, Thumbplay was founded in September 2004 by Are Traasdahl and Evan Schwartz. It is backed by Bain Capital Ventures, SoftBank Capital, i-Hatch Ventures, Redwood Partners, New Enterprise Associates, Meritech, Brookside Capital Partners and Cross Creek Capital. More information can be found at http://www.thumbplay.com/ or at m.thumbplay.com from a mobile phone.

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Spice Things Up With Music From Thumbplay For Cinco De Mayo

2009-04-30T10:50:00.000-07:00

-- Festive Mobile Content Brings a Fiesta to Your Phone --

NEW YORK – APRIL 30 – Thumbplay, the #1 mobile entertainment destination in the U.S., is celebrating Cinco de Mayo with a broad selection of party content on this festive holiday. Make your mobile phone the life of the fiesta with downloadable MP3s, graphics, videos and more.

Check out some of the spicy party MP3s and Mexican pride graphics
on Thumbplay.com – the hotspot for all Cinco de Mayo mobile content. It’s a fiesta for your phone! ¡Viva el Cinco de Mayo!

MP3s to get the party started:

Fun Mexican Pride Graphics:

Top Regional Tones:

Fun Tones:

Music Videos:

Featuring music, videos, games and more, Thumbplay’s extensive and ever-growing entertainment library is accessible on more than 2,500 mobile phones among every major carrier in the U.S., reaching more than 230 million U.S. wireless subscribers. The company has maintained and grown its leadership position by delivering an optimal user experience, which includes its live, “24/7/365,” customer service and an unparalleled catalog of entertainment options. Each month, Thumbplay.com gets more than five million unique visitors and its mobile (WAP) site (m.thumbplay.com) receives more than 12 million page views, making it one of the most popular mobile Web sites.

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Thumbplay Names Thomas Tracey Vice President, Product

2009-03-23T08:12:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK -- March 23, 2009 -- Thumbplay (www.thumbplay.com), the #1 mobile entertainment destination in the U.S., today announced the appointment of Thomas Tracey as Vice President, Product. He reports directly to Evan Schwartz, Thumbplay’s co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer.

Tracey will spearhead the development and introduction of new products, particularly in the area of advanced media such as MP3s and videos. He will also ensure the continued delivery of best-in-class mobile entertainment services for smartphones and mobile devices. Tracey joins Thumbplay from Vindigo, where, as director of product development, he managed a portfolio of cross-carrier and cross-handset mobile applications including MapQuest Mobile, The New York Times, NBC Weather, Vindigo City Guide, MovieGoer and Plaxo.

“Thomas is an accomplished addition to Thumbplay, home to the industry’s best and most innovative team of professionals,” said Are Traasdahl, CEO and Founder of Thumbplay. “He will play an important role as we continue to evolve our products while simultaneously preserving the exceptional entertainment experience our customers have come to expect.”

Tracey will leverage his deep experience in web and mobile product development to further enhance the Thumbplay customer experience across all platforms. Prior to his time at Vindigo, he spent six years in various product development and sales positions with Yesmail, an InfoUSA company, where he was responsible for the strategy, development and support of Yesmail’s online marketing products and services.

Featuring music, videos, games and more, Thumbplay’s extensive and ever-growing entertainment library is accessible on more than 2,500 mobile phones among every major carrier in the U.S., reaching more than 230 million U.S. wireless subscribers. The company has maintained and grown its leadership position by delivering an optimal user experience, which includes its live, “24/7/365,” customer service and an unparalleled catalog of entertainment options. Each month, Thumbplay.com gets more than five million unique visitors and its mobile (WAP) site (m.thumbplay.com) receives more than 12 million page views, making it one of the most popular mobile Web sites.

About Thumbplay
Thumbplay’s award-winning, direct-to-consumer service features licensed content from some of the world’s largest entertainment companies, including EMI Music, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Pictures Television, as well as several independent labels and artists and video game companies. Thumbplay’s mobile entertainment catalog is integrated into Clear Channel Radio, AOL and MSN Mobile sites, as well as iLike.com, one of the Web’s leading social music discovery services. Moreover, based on Thumbplay’s reputation for exceptional customer care and technological innovation, MTV tapped the company to power personalization content for the music giant’s mobile content site. Thumbplay OPEN provides independent music and visual artists, application developers and Web site publishers the opportunity to package and sell their own digital media to millions of mobile customers (open.thumbplay.com).

Headquartered in New York City, Thumbplay was founded in September 2004 by Are Traasdahl and Evan Schwartz. It is backed by Bain Capital Ventures, SoftBank Capital, i-Hatch Ventures, Redwood Partners, New Enterprise Associates, Meritech, Brookside Capital Partners and Cross Creek Capital. More information can be found at www.thumbplay.com or at m.thumbplay.com from a mobile phone.

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ARTISTdirect Partners With Thumbplay For Mobile Content Downloads

2009-03-17T15:49:00.000-07:00

-- Arrangement Brings Together Two Major Music and Entertainment Ventures --

NEW YORK -- March 17, 2009 -- Thumbplay (www.thumbplay.com), the #1 mobile entertainment destination in the U.S., and ARTISTdirect Internet Group, Inc. (www.artistdirect.com), the premiere online resource for music and entertainment news and information, announced today their partnership to offer ARTISTdirect.com visitors direct access to Thumbplay’s extensive catalog of mobile content. Links to mobile content, powered by Thumbplay.com, are now available on hundreds of thousands of artist pages throughout the ARTISTdirect site.

With one of the web’s deepest and broadest catalogues of content, covering every genre of music and film, ARTISTdirect.com has established itself among the top online destinations for 24/7 in-depth coverage of entertainment. ARTISTdirect features one of the largest selections of free music content that ranges from over 10,000 music videos and 7 million albums, tracks and samples to millions of artist pages, as well as news that includes behind-the-scenes interviews, reviews and exclusive artist content with everyone from 50 Cent to Bruce Springsteen.

As the 5th largest Entertainment - Music network property on the Internet according to comScore, the ARTISTdirect Network attracts more than 12 million unique visitors per month. ARTISTdirect’s user demographic is characterized as young, net-savvy and extremely mobile--a highly desirable segment among national advertisers.

“This partnership with Thumbplay gives our visitors and fans access to the best and latest mobile content available,” said Dimitri Villard, CEO of ARTISTdirect Internet Group, Inc. and its parent, ARTISTdirect, Inc. “Thumbplay has been at the forefront of providing first class content and we’re delighted to be in business with them.”

Featuring music, videos, games and more, Thumbplay’s extensive and ever-growing entertainment library is accessible on more than 2,000 mobile phones among every major carrier in the U.S., reaching more than 230 million U.S. wireless subscribers. The company has maintained and grown its leadership position by delivering an optimal user experience, which includes its live, “24/7/365,” customer service and an unparalleled catalog of entertainment options. Each month, Thumbplay.com gets more than five million unique visitors and its mobile (WAP) site (m.thumbplay.com) receives more than 12 million page views, making it one of the most popular mobile Web sites.

About ARTISTdirect Internet Group, Inc.
Headquartered in Santa Monica, CA, Artist Direct Internet Group (“ADID”) controls some of the Internet’s leading consumer music and entertainment information properties. Its flagship website www.ARTISTdirect.com is the premier destination for all things related to music and film and their artists. Through its rich, multimedia repository of contextually relevant information and entertainment, the company creates deep connections between artists and fans that deliver benefits to both the entertainment consumer and the entertainment industry. ARTISTdirect.com receives over 3 million unique visitors per month while the ARTISTdirect Network, a family of related Web sites, draws more than 12.4 million monthly unique visitors. Featuring the latest hit videos, streams, free downloads, breaking news, in-depth interviews with musicians, actors, filmmakers and film score composers, a huge data base filled with biographies and discographies plus hard-to-find information, as well as CDs, concert and movie tickets for purchase, ARTISTdirect.com is the ultimate resource for anyone with an appetite for finding new and interesting content about their favorite artists and their music and films. ADIG’s other properties include the legendary Ultimate Band List, www.UBL.com, one of the web’s first music properties.

About Artist Direct, Inc.
ARTISTdirect, Inc. (OTC BB ARTD – NEWS) is a publicly-held holding company with two operating subsidiaries: ARTISTdirect Internet Group, Inc. operates one of the largest destination sites on the Internet for music and motion picture news, information and streaming music. ADIG also operates an ad network that is currently ranked 5 in comScore’s ranking of music sites. MediaDefender, Inc. provides intellectual property protection and business information services to major motion picture studios, record labels, television networks, gaming companies and software publishers and Internet marketing services to advertising agencies and other clients.

About Thumbplay
Thumbplay’s award-winning, direct-to-consumer service features licensed content from some of the world’s largest entertainment companies, including EMI Music, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Pictures Television, as well as several independent labels and artists and video game companies. Thumbplay’s mobile entertainment catalog is integrated into Clear Channel Radio, AOL and MSN Mobile sites, as well as iLike.com, one of the Web’s leading social music discovery services. Moreover, based on Thumbplay’s reputation for exceptional customer care and technological innovation, MTV recently tapped the company to power personalization content for the music giant’s mobile content site.

The recently-launched Thumbplay Open provides independent music and visual artists, application developers and Web site publishers the opportunity to package and sell their own digital media to millions of mobile customers (open.thumbplay.com).

Each month, Thumbplay.com gets more than five million unique visitors and its mobile (WAP) site (m.thumbplay.com) receives more than 12 million page views, making it one of the most popular mobile Web sites.

Headquartered in New York City, Thumbplay was founded in September 2004 by Are Traasdahl and Evan Schwartz. It is backed by Bain Capital Ventures, SoftBank Capital, i-Hatch Ventures, Redwood Partners, New Enterprise Associates, Meritech, Brookside Capital Partners and Cross Creek Capital. More information can be found at www.thumbplay.com or at m.thumbplay.com from a mobile phone.

Media at your Thumbtips

2009-03-11T08:58:00.000-07:00

This Web site is the one-stop destination for your cell phone. From ringtones and videos to wallpapers and games to MP3s, there is a lot to choose from to customize a cell phone.What sets it apart:There are a host of sites offering digital music downloads, but what differentiates Thumbplay is its comprehensive collection of songs. "We have deals with every major record company, independent labels and artists, as well as game and video content providers," said Susan Lietz, vice president for Corporate Communications of Thumbplay. "And specifically, our selection of full-songs, games and videos is really great - so whatever your tastes are, we've got something for you.

"The site includes Aggie fight songs in the music library, and during the election season the site offered Obama ringtones and videos. It is pretty much up to the imagination to what digital music and videos can be found.Thumbplay has great coverage and works with major mobile carrier services. It reaches out to more than 2,500 models, so in all probability your phone will be covered.

"The moment you enter your mobile number, our service 'recognizes' what type it is and provides specific recommendations for the best media for your handset," Leitz said.The customer service on the Web site is top-notch and available at all times. What's great about the customer service is that instead of being greeted by voice recording machines, you get to speak with real people no matter when you call. Customer service is not restricted to phones; it is accessible by text messages.

One feature of Thumbplay is if you are an independent artist or you invented a ringtone, you can sell it on "Thumbplay Open" and get paid for your work. Signing up is free, and the application provides a platform for amateur artists to sell their work. You can also sell mobile applications you developed on Thumbplay.Another function of the site is the "locker." This automatically stores purchases from Thumbplay on your computer. In case you change your phone or lose it, you always retain all your Thumbplay entertainment.

Price:
Thumbplay does not have individual prices for each service.

Instead, you sign up for an account subscription for $9.99 a month. You earn credits, which you can use for any of the services. New subscribers get bonus credits. For example, a subscription will give you 10 credits a month, an MP3 purchase gives you two credits and a ringtone comes for one credit. This gives you a lot of flexibility in choice and lets you browse the huge range of offered entertainment. The flipside of this subscription is if you want only one song, you end up paying more. Subscriptions can be cancelled anytime.

Conclusion:
Thumbplay is an awesome site for people wanting more applications on their phone. Thumbplay.com is one of the best mobile entertainment sites on the Internet and won an award for "Best Mobile Infotainment Portal" for News/Entertainment in Visiongain's 2008 Mobile Entertainment Awards and Conference in London.

Thumbplay's Michael Biondo Wins Stevie® Award for "Customer Service Leader of the Year"

2009-02-10T14:19:00.000-08:00

-- Thumbplay's Unparalleled, 24-7 Customer Service Features
Four Touch Points: Phone, E-mail, Live Chat and Mobile Live Chat --

NEW YORK -- February 10, 2009 -- Thumbplay's unrivaled, 24-7-365 customer service was highlighted at the third annual Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service on February 9, where the company’s head of Customer Operations, Michael Biondo, won the prestigious Stevie® Award for “Customer Service Leader of the Year.” Thumbplay was also honored as a Finalist in the category of Best Use of Technology in Customer Service.

Thumbplay (www.thumbplay.com), the #1 mobile entertainment provider and destination in the U.S., recently announced several key customer service enhancements and innovations to its award-winning service. Dedicated to providing optimal service to the 24-7 mobile generation, the company recently launched live mobile chat support, a first in the customer service sector. With four touch points – phone, e-mail, live chat and mobile live chat – Thumbplay offers an unparalleled number of options among retailers for helping customers troubleshoot and manage their accounts.

“Thumbplay is committed to delivering the highest-quality service and support for our customers, and Michael and his team have done an extraordinary job of ensuring we deliver on that promise," said Are Traasdahl, CEO and Founder, Thumbplay, Inc. “Our ongoing commitment to technological innovation, exceptional customer service and strategic partnerships continues to pay off for our customers and our company. I am extremely proud of Michael’s accomplishments and we’re honored to be recognized with a Stevie Award.”

The awards are presented by the Stevie® Awards, which organizes several of the world’s leading business awards shows, including the prestigious American Business Awards. Nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word “crowned,” winners were announced during a gala banquet on Monday, February 9 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

“This year’s honorees demonstrate that even in challenging economic times, it’s possible for organizations to continue to shine in sales and customer service, the two most important functions in business: acquiring and keeping customers,” said Michael Gallagher, president of the Stevie Awards.

Nominated customer service and sales executives from the U.S.A. and several other countries attended. There are 27 categories for customer service professionals, including Contact Center of the Year, Award for Innovation in Customer Service, and Customer Service Department of the Year; as well as 41 categories for sales professionals, ranging from Global Sales Leader of the Year to Sales Training Program of the Year to Sales Department of the Year of the Year.

Members of the Awards' Board of Distinguished Judges & Advisors and their staffs selected Stevie Award winners from among the Finalists. Finalists were chosen by business professionals worldwide during preliminary judging.

ABOUT THUMBPLAY
Thumbplay’s award-winning, direct-to-consumer service features licensed content from some of the world’s largest entertainment companies, including EMI Music, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Pictures Television, as well as several independent labels and artists and video game companies. Thumbplay’s mobile entertainment catalog is integrated into Clear Channel Radio, AOL and MSN Mobile sites, as well as iLike.com, one of the Web’s leading social music discovery services. Moreover, based on Thumbplay’s reputation for exceptional customer care and technological innovation, MTV recently tapped the company to power personalization content for the music giant’s mobile content site. Thumbplay OPEN provides independent music and visual artists, application developers and Web site publishers the opportunity to package and sell their own digital media to millions of mobile customers (open.thumbplay.com).

Each month, Thumbplay.com gets more than five million unique visitors and its mobile (WAP) site (m.thumbplay.com) receives more than 12 million page views, making it one of the most popular mobile Web sites.

Headquartered in New York City, Thumbplay was founded in September 2004 by Are Traasdahl and Evan Schwartz. It is backed by Bain Capital Ventures, SoftBank Capital, i-Hatch Ventures, Redwood Partners, New Enterprise Associates, Meritech, Brookside Capital Partners and Cross Creek Capital. More information can be found at www.thumbplay.com or at m.thumbplay.com from a mobile phone.

ABOUT THE STEVIE AWARDS
Stevie Awards are conferred in four programs: The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, The Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about The Stevie Awards at www.stevieawards.com.

Sponsors of the third annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service are John Hancock Mutual Funds, Sales Partnerships, and ValueSelling Associates.

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Wallets May Be Light, But Hearts (And Mobile Phones) Are Filled With Love

2009-02-05T09:02:00.000-08:00

-- Thumbplay Data Indicates that the Mobile Generation is Feelin' the Love this Valentine's Day, Despite Tough Times --

NEW YORK -- February 5, 2009 -- Thumbplay (http://www.thumbplay.com), the #1 mobile entertainment destination in the U.S., continues to keep a finger on the evidently racing pulses of the mobile generation. Today, the company reports that from November 2008 through January 2009, they have seen a 40 percent rise in love ballad downloads compared to the same period a year ago. Despite depressing economic indicators, it appears romantic indicators are decidedly on the rise heading into Valentine’s Day ‘09.

As of Feb. 4, following is the top love-inspired content helping to spread the “mobile love” at Thumbplay.com and m.thumbplay.com:

Top-Selling Favorite Valentine MP3s:
• Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got To Do With It”
• Kanye West’s “Love Lockdown”
• Keyshia Cole’s “Heaven Sent”

Top-Selling Love Tunes “Country Style:”
• Taylor Swift’s “Love Story”
• Brad Paisley’s “Waitin’ On A Woman”
• Rascal Flatts’ “Love You Out Loud”

Top-Selling “Naughty or Nice” Videos:
• Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”
• Akon’s “Don’t Matter”
• Robin Thicke’s “Lost Without You”

Top-Selling Valentine’s Day Voicetones:
• “I’m Taken”
• “Cupid Calling”
• “Who Needs A Man”

Top-Selling Tear-Jerkers:
• Percy Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Woman”
• Lionel Richie & Diana Ross’ “Endless Love”
• Foreigner’s “I Want to Know What love Is”

Top-Selling Anti-Love Downloads:
• Ne-yo’s “So Sick”
• Pussycat Doll’s “I Hate This Part”
• Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love A Bad Name”

Dedicated to providing the best and most sought-after entertainment for the mobile generation and beyond, Thumbplay.com is home to the broadest selection of seasonal content available.

ABOUT THUMBPLAY
Thumbplay’s award-winning, direct-to-consumer service features licensed content from some of the world’s largest entertainment companies, including EMI Music, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Pictures Television, as well as several independent labels and artists and video game companies. Thumbplay’s mobile entertainment catalog is integrated into Clear Channel Radio, AOL and MSN Mobile sites, as well as iLike.com, one of the Web’s leading social music discovery services. Moreover, based on Thumbplay’s reputation for exceptional customer care and technological innovation, MTV recently tapped the company to power personalization content for the music giant’s mobile content site. The recently-launched Thumbplay Open provides independent music and visual artists, application developers and Web site publishers the opportunity to package and sell their own digital media to millions of mobile customers (open.thumbplay.com).

Each month, Thumbplay.com gets more than five million unique visitors and its mobile (WAP) site (m.thumbplay.com) receives more than 12 million page views, making it one of the most popular mobile Web sites.

Headquartered in New York City, Thumbplay was founded in September 2004 by Are Traasdahl and Evan Schwartz. It is backed by Bain Capital Ventures, SoftBank Capital, i-Hatch Ventures, Redwood Partners, New Enterprise Associates, Meritech, Brookside Capital Partners and Cross Creek Capital. More information can be found at www.thumbplay.com or at m.thumbplay.com from a mobile phone.

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Photobucket and Thumbplay Launch New "Send to Mobile" Service

2009-01-29T14:09:00.000-08:00

-- More Than 25 Million Photobucket.com Visitors Can Easily Send Photos to Phones With Improved Service Powered by Thumbplay --

NEW YORK, January 26, 2009 -- Photobucket, the Web’s premiere standalone photo and video sharing Web site, and Thumbplay, the #1 mobile entertainment destination in the U.S.*, today announced a new “send to mobile” service, providing a two-click solution that enables Photobucket users to customize their mobile phones with photos sent from their Photobucket albums.

For only $1.99, photos posted on Photobucket can now be downloaded as a wallpaper image onto any of the 2,000-plus mobile phones supported by Thumbplay. All images are optimized for consumers’ phones’ screen size and resolution. The process takes just seconds to complete and does not require membership.

“Increasingly, mobile phones are becoming the sole entertainment device of choice for people, a place to store all of their favorite images, music, games and more,” said Are Traasdahl, CEO and founder of Thumbplay. “Through Photobucket, it is easier than ever to customize devices and keep favorite memories close at hand.”

Added Alex Welch, president of Photobucket, “Photobucket is committed to making its service available to our users on every possible platform. Thumbplay gives our users another great way to interact with and utilize their Photobucket images in a way that is effortless, fast, and works on the phones of more than 230 million mobile users in the U.S.”

Thumbplay has agreements in place with every major carrier and works on more than 2,000 mobile phones. Thumbplay subscribers that do not currently have a Photobucket account can create one for free at http://photobucket.com/. For more information, please visit http://photobucket.com/mobile.

*Source: Nielsen Mobile’s “Mobile Content Storefront Revenue” Report, Q3 and Q4 2007 and Q1 and Q2 2008(based on non-carrier revenue generation at the top U.S. wireless carriers)

ABOUT THUMBPLAY
Thumbplay’s award-winning, direct-to-consumer service features licensed content from some of the world’s largest entertainment companies, including EMI Music, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Pictures Television, as well as several independent labels and artists and video game companies. Thumbplay’s mobile entertainment catalog is integrated into Clear Channel Radio, AOL and MSN Mobile sites, as well as iLike.com, one of the Web’s leading social music discovery services. Moreover, based on Thumbplay’s reputation for exceptional customer care and technological innovation, MTV recently tapped the company to power personalization content for the music giant’s mobile content site. The recently-launched Thumbplay Open provides independent music and visual artists, application developers and Web site publishers the opportunity to package and sell their own digital media to millions of mobile customers.

Each month, Thumbplay.com gets more than five million unique visitors and its mobile (WAP) site (m.thumbplay.com) receives more than 12 million page views, making it one of the most popular mobile Web sites.

Headquartered in New York City, Thumbplay was founded in September 2004 by Are Traasdahl and Evan Schwartz. It is backed by Bain Capital Ventures, SoftBank Capital, i-Hatch Ventures, Redwood Partners, New Enterprise Associates, Meritech, Brookside Capital Partners and Cross Creek Capital. More information can be found at http://www.thumbplay.com/ or at m.thumbplay.com from a mobile phone.

About Photobucket
Photobucket is the largest standalone photo and video sharing site, with 45 million unique users worldwide* linking billions of personal photos, graphics, slideshows and videos daily to hundreds of thousands of Web sites, including Bebo, Blogger, Craigslist, eBay, Facebook, Friendster, hi5, MySpace, Orkut, Xanga and many others. In addition to linking content, Photobucket users share their personal digital media by email, instant messaging, and mobile devices. Every day, more than 10 million personal photos, graphics and videos are uploaded to Photobucket for sharing with family, friends and the online world. The company actively moderates content to create a safe environment for its users, partners and advertisers. Photobucket has offices in San Francisco, California and Denver, Colorado and is located online at http://photobucket.com. For the latest feature announcements and news, please visit the Photobucket blog at http://blog.photobucket.com.
*comScore Media Metrix, November 2008

# # #

Thumbplay Ups Chris Phenner to EVP, Business Development

2009-01-20T08:23:00.000-08:00

--Expanded Role Encompasses Content Licensing, Partnerships and Programming--

NEW YORK — January 20, 2009 — Thumbplay, Inc., the #1 mobile entertainment destination in the U.S., today named Chris Phenner executive vice president, business development. Phenner, who joined Thumbplay in 2005 and most recently held the title of senior vice president, business development, is responsible for integrated partnerships, content licensing and content programming for the company. He reports to Evan Schwartz, co-founder and CMO.

The role is an outgrowth of Phenner’s accomplishments in securing partnerships for Thumbplay with some of the biggest names in digital media, including AOL, MSN, Comcast, RIM, Adobe, iLike, Clear Channel and some 2,000 self-service partners, thanks to the scale of Thumbplay OPEN. As executive vice president, business development, he will focus on Thumbplay’s category-leading relationships with content partners, expanding the company’s extensive catalog of MP3s, and deepening the company’s catalog of videos, games and graphics.

“In the past three years, Chris and his team have done amazing work developing and launching vital distribution partnerships,” said Are Traasdahl, CEO and founder of Thumbplay. “With the launch of Thumbplay OPEN less than five months ago, we are seeing significant overlap in content licensing and distribution partnerships which has made the process far more efficient for our company and our partners. With Chris leading the charge, we expect to see continued momentum and growth. His promotion is well deserved.”

Thumbplay OPEN, launched in September 2008, provides independent music and visual artists, application developers and Web site publishers the opportunity to package and sell their own digital media to millions of mobile customers. As Thumbplay's offering of tools for major label and studio partners continues to expand, many content partners are using Thumbplay OPEN as a means to drive subscribers, in addition to managing their content catalogs through Thumbplay. The success and widespread acceptance of Thumbplay OPEN has expanded Thumbplay¹s relationships to some 2,000 content partners. To learn more about Thumbplay OPEN and view a demo video, visit http://open.thumbplay.com.

Phenner has more than 12 years experience around software, digital media and online subscription services. Since joining Thumbplay in 2005, he has been responsible for driving new customer acquisition via numerous integrated partnerships. Phenner has also been the business lead for Thumbplay OPEN, enabling the self-service upload and sales of mobile content that is delivered over-the-air; opening up a marketplace that is accessible to more than 230 million U.S. wireless subscribers.

Prior to Thumbplay, Phenner was director of business development at Audible, Inc., business development manager at CNET Networks' Download.com and director of business development at Napster (1.0). He was also business development manager at RollingStone.com and in marketing with Spyglass, Mosaic's original licensor.

Phenner has a B.A. in Political Science from Miami University and an MBA from a dual-degree program with U.C. Berkeley and Columbia University.

ABOUT THUMBPLAY

Thumbplay’s award-winning, direct-to-consumer service features licensed content from some of the world’s largest entertainment companies, including EMI Music, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Pictures Television, as well as several independent labels and artists and video game companies. Thumbplay’s mobile entertainment catalog is integrated into Clear Channel Radio, AOL and MSN Mobile sites, as well as iLike.com, one of the Web’s leading social music discovery services. Moreover, based on Thumbplay’s reputation for exceptional customer care and technological innovation, MTV recently tapped the company to power personalization content for the music giant’s mobile content site.
Each month, Thumbplay.com gets more than five million unique visitors and its mobile (WAP) site (m.thumbplay.com) receives more than 12 million page views, making it one of the most popular mobile Web sites.

Headquartered in New York City, Thumbplay was founded in September 2004 by Are Traasdahl and Evan Schwartz. It is backed by Bain Capital Ventures, SoftBank Capital, i-Hatch Ventures, Redwood Partners, New Enterprise Associates, Meritech, Brookside Capital Partners and Cross Creek Capital. More information can be found at http://www.thumbplay.com/ or at m.thumbplay.com from a mobile phone.

###

Exclusive Mobile Downloads from Rihanna, Kanye, Ludacris, The Killers and The-Dream Available Now, Only on Thumbplay

2009-01-05T13:40:00.000-08:00

New York — December 23, 2008 — Five hot new mobile downloads from chart-topping Rap, Hip-Hop, Pop, Alternative and R&B artists will be available exclusively on Thumbplay.com and its mobile site, m.thumbplay.com. These downloads have been made possible through an agreement between Thumbplay, the #1 mobile entertainment destination in the U.S., and Universal Music Group (UMG), the world’s leading music company.

Effective immediately, fans can download the following:

· Kanye West’s, “Love Lockdown (Outro)”
· Ludacris’, “Press the Start Button”
· Rihanna’s, “Disturbia” (Craig C’s Disturbstamental Mix)
· The Killers’, “Tidal Wave”
· The-Dream’s, “Rockin’ That Thang”

Dedicated to providing the best and most sought-after mobile entertainment, Thumbplay.com is home to the broadest selection of trendsetting content available and is guaranteed to take care of all your mobile entertainment needs.

###

Thumbplay Wins a "Best Mobile Infotainment Portal" Award

2009-01-05T13:35:00.000-08:00

THUMBPLAY WINS A “BEST MOBILE INFOTAINMENT PORTAL” AWARD
FOR NEWS/ENTERTAINMENT IN VISIONGAIN’S
2008 MOBILE ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS AND CONFERENCE

NEW YORK – December 23, 2008 – Thumbplay® (http://www.thumbplay.com/), the #1 mobile entertainment provider and destination in the U.S.*, has won an award for “Best Mobile Infotainment Portal” for News/Entertainment in Visiongain’s 2008 Mobile Entertainment Awards and Conference. Hosted in central London, the Mobile Entertainment Awards recognizes the technologies, companies, innovations and campaigns that have enabled the industry to move forward over the years. The winners were chosen by a panel of judges, not affiliated with either Visiongain or any other participating company, who reviewed all of the submissions and sent in their votes for the winners without conferring with each other.

“Thumbplay’s ongoing commitment to technological innovation, exceptional customer service and strategic partnerships continues to pay off,” said Are Traasdahl, CEO and founder of Thumbplay. “This approach has placed us firmly at the forefront of what is happening in mobile entertainment, and it has allowed us to enjoy the accelerated growth recognized today by Visiongain.”

Thumbplay, Inc. is defining the mobile entertainment experience for U.S. consumers. As the largest and fastest growing mobile entertainment content destination, Thumbplay gives consumers access to the broadest and deepest catalog in the industry, spanning audio, video and gaming content from the leading music labels and artists, game publishers and media companies. Its innovative delivery and marketing platform makes it easy for users to discover, manage, store and share mobile content online and on their mobile phones.

Thumbplay’s extensive and ever-growing entertainment library features music, videos, games and more. Their award-winning direct-to-consumer service is accessible on more than 2,000 mobile devices among every major carrier in the U.S.

The company has maintained and grown its leadership position in the industry by providing its consumers with the best possible customer experience, including live, “24/7/365” customer service and a commitment to delivering the largest catalog of entertainment possible. Thumbplay’s “locker” service also allows users to automatically back up and store purchased items.

ABOUT THUMBPLAY
Thumbplay’s award-winning, direct-to-consumer service features licensed content from some of the world’s largest entertainment companies, including EMI Music, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Pictures Television, as well as several independent labels and artists and video game companies. Thumbplay’s mobile entertainment catalog is integrated into Clear Channel Radio, AOL and MSN Mobile sites, as well as iLike.com, one of the Web’s leading social music discovery services. Moreover, based on Thumbplay’s reputation for exceptional customer care and technological innovation, MTV recently tapped the company to power personalization content for the music giant’s mobile content site. The recently-launched Thumbplay Open provides independent music and visual artists, application developers and Web site publishers the opportunity to package and sell their own digital media to millions of mobile customers. Each month, Thumbplay.com gets more than five million unique visitors and its mobile (WAP) site (m.thumbplay.com) receives more than 12 million page views, making it one of the most popular mobile Web sites.

Headquartered in New York City, Thumbplay was founded in September 2004 by Are Traasdahl and Evan Schwartz. It is backed by Bain Capital Ventures, SoftBank Capital, i-Hatch Ventures, Redwood Partners, New Enterprise Associates, Meritech, Brookside Capital Partners and Cross Creek Capital. More information can be found at http://www.thumbplay.com/ or at m.thumbplay.com from a mobile phone.

###

Billboard and Thumbplay Team Up in Exclusive Deal That's Off the Charts

2008-12-11T10:25:00.000-08:00

-- Thumbplay.com to Exclusively Power Billboard.com Mobile Music Downloads --

NEW YORK – December 11, 2008 – Thumbplay (www.thumbplay.com) – the #1 mobile entertainment destination in the U.S. – and Billboard – the world’s premier music brand – today announced that they have joined forces to offer Billboard.com visitors direct access to Thumbplay’s extensive catalog.

Links to mobile music previews and downloads, available exclusively from Thumbplay.com, will be available on all chart and artist pages throughout the Billboard.com site, effective immediately. Whether you are checking out the latest Hot 100 chart where TI’s “Live Your Life” is #1, a historical chart from 1979 where The Knack’s “My Sharona” is #1 or Zac Brown Band’s #1 Country Song “Chicken Fried,” Thumbplay has you covered. Thumbplay’s unparalleled content library has something to please everyone.

“Thumbplay is thrilled to be a part of this partnership,” said Are Traasdahl, CEO and Founder of Thumbplay. “Obviously, Billboard.com is a must-visit online destination for music enthusiasts and, through access to all of our chart-topping artists, we give them a chance to take that experience with them on their mobile phones.”

Billboard Publisher Howard Appelbaum added, “As the authoritative source for music fans, it’s our goal to provide our readers with the deepest possible connection to their music. As of today, with Thumbplay’s extensive library and exceptional service, Billboard.com will deliver the instant gratification fans demand.”

Featuring music, videos, games and more, Thumbplay’s extensive and ever-growing entertainment library is accessible on more than 2,000 mobile phones among every major carrier in the U.S. The company has maintained and grown its leadership position by delivering an optimal user experience, which includes its live, “24/7/365,” customer service and an unparalleled catalog of entertainment options.

ABOUT THUMBPLAY
Thumbplay’s award-winning, direct-to-consumer service features licensed content from some of the world’s largest entertainment companies, including EMI Music, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Pictures Television, as well as several independent labels and artists and video game companies. Thumbplay’s mobile entertainment catalog is integrated into Clear Channel Radio, AOL and MSN Mobile sites, as well as iLike.com, one of the Web’s leading social music discovery services. Moreover, based on Thumbplay’s reputation for exceptional customer care and technological innovation, MTV recently tapped the company to power personalization content for the music giant’s mobile content site. The recently-launched Thumbplay Open provides independent music and visual artists, application developers and Web site publishers the opportunity to package and sell their own digital media to millions of mobile customers. Each month, Thumbplay.com gets more than five million unique visitors and its mobile (WAP) site (m.thumbplay.com) receives more than 12 million page views, making it one of the most popular mobile Web sites.

Headquartered in New York City, Thumbplay was founded in September 2004 by Are Traasdahl and Evan Schwartz. It is backed by Bain Capital Ventures, SoftBank Capital, i-Hatch Ventures, Redwood Partners, New Enterprise Associates, Meritech, Brookside Capital Partners and Cross Creek Capital. More information can be found at www.thumbplay.com or at m.thumbplay.com from a mobile phone.

ABOUT BILLBOARDNow in its 114th year, Billboard is the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends. Billboard magazine is the flagship property for the brand, which also consists of Billboard.biz, Billboard.com, Billboard en Español, Billboard Chart Alert, Billboard Information Network (BIN), Billboard Directories, Billboard Books, and Billboard Licensing & Events. Billboard’s many strategic partners include Microsoft, Reuters, Sirius Satellite Radio, Telemundo, ABC Radio Networks, AT&T, Sandisk and Billboard sister companies Nielsen SoundScan and Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems. These partnerships leverage Billboard’s proprietary data, charts and information resources to develop broadcast entertainment, digital and mobile platforms and contextual commerce applications that expand Billboard’s franchise and consumer reach. Billboard is published by the Entertainment Group at Nielsen Business Media, a part of The Nielsen Company, a global information and media company.

# # #

Sounds of Faith are Everywhere this Holiday Season, Including Your Mobile Phone

2008-12-11T09:01:00.000-08:00

Faith Hill Debuts Holiday Ringtone, “O Holy Night,” Exclusively on Thumbplay

New York — December 11, 2008 — With a promise to fill hearts and phones with the joyous sounds of Faith this season, Thumbplay launches Faith Hill’s exclusive holiday ringtone, “O Holy Night.“ The song is from her critically-acclaimed new album, Joy to the World, Faith Hill’s first holiday collection.

Fans can download “O Holy Night” exclusively on Thumbplay, either directly from mobile phones by visiting m.thumbplay.com or online at http://www.thumbplay.com/. While there, fans can also try the other mobile downloads from Joy to the World, including:

· “A Baby Changes Everything”
· “Joy To The World”
· “Silent Night, Holy Night!”
· “Holly Jolly Christmas”
· “Little Drummer Boy”

Dedicated to providing the best and most sought-after mobile holiday entertainment, Thumbplay.com is home to the broadest selection of seasonal content available.

###

Island Def Jam & Thumbplay Introduce Jay-Z Videos for Mobile Phones

2008-12-02T08:58:00.000-08:00

Chart-Topping Videos Debut Exclusively on Thumbplay

New York — December 2, 2008 — Island Def Jam Music Group, a division of Universal Music Group (UMG), the world’s leading music company, and Thumbplay, the one-stop entertainment shop for today’s mobile devices, today announced that, for the first time ever, nine of JAY-Z’s most popular video clips will be available for download on mobile phones exclusively through Thumbplay.com and its mobile site, m.thumbplay.com. The video clips from JAY-Z are available for download immediately, and are made possible through a pre-existing agreement between Thumbplay and UMG. Thumbplay customers can now personalize their mobile phones with a collection of 9 exclusive chart-topping videos from the multiplatinum-selling, Grammy Award-winning artist. These include:

Blue Magic
Dirt Off Your Shoulder
Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up)
Excuse Me Miss
I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)
I Know
Izzo (H.O.V.A.)
Money, Cash, H**s
Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)

Thumbplay’s extensive and ever-growing entertainment library and award winning, direct-to-consumer service is accessible on more than 2,000 mobile devices among every major carrier in the U.S. Each month, Thumbplay.com gets more than five million unique visitors and its mobile (WAP) site — m.thumbplay.com — receives more than 12 million page views, making it one of the most popular mobile Web sites.

Thumbplay's Automated Open Service Is a Hit With Artists & Developers

2008-11-20T13:24:00.000-08:00

-- In Just Two Months, Thousands of Developers and Artists Join Service;

New Marketing Dashboard with Online Reporting System and “Top 10 Charts” API Launch --

NEW YORK – November 20, 2008 – Thumbplay OPEN, which launched in Beta in September 2008, already has thousands of developers and independent artists on board. Today, the company announced the launch of the Thumbplay OPEN online reporting system as well as a “Top 10 Charts” API.

Through the fully-automated Thumbplay OPEN service, anyone – from bloggers, bands and beat makers, to Web developers, marketers and business development executives – can sell digital content to the more than 230 million mobile customers in the U.S. Both independent artists and site publishers/Web developers generate income through OPEN, ranging from $5 - $8 per new Thumbplay subscriber. Artists also receive 50 cents each time their content is downloaded.

Thumbplay OPEN’s new marketing dashboard allows all members to track every click, subscription referral and content download from their Web sites, widgets and social profiles. OPEN developers can now employ Thumbplay’s dynamic landing pages (click HERE for sample landing page), and they can access detailed click-through tracking information, allowing them to test and measure the impact of online marketing campaigns.
In addition to the online reporting system, the service now also offers a “Top 10 Charts” API for developers. This provides an automated way to showcase the “Top 10” music, graphics, videos and games directly from any Web site, mobile site, widget or mobile application.

“It is very gratifying to see the enthusiastic support of our OPEN service by so many developers, business partners and independent artists,” said Are Traasdahl, CEO and Founder of Thumbplay. “I believe the enhancements we launched today make it an even greater service.

In particular, the daily reporting tools provide a great way for all OPEN members to assess their marketing efforts, vital in today’s competitive business climate. And, by being fully-automated, we are able to effortlessly continue to expand our offerings and meet the growing demand for the service.”

HOW THUMBPLAY OPEN WORKS:
ARTISTS – In just minutes, independent music and visual artists can begin selling their content. There is no charge to the artists for the service and artists retain all rights to their content. After uploading music and images, artists can see their unique artist page appear on the Thumbplay Web and mobile sites.

Artists are also given access to a number of promotional tools, such as customized widget creation. They can hand-select content, personal images and even preferred colors and buttons for their widgets, reaching millions of new fans through social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, blogs and Web sites. For offline promotion, artists have the ability to promote their content through the Thumbplay GET program. GET allows fans to text “GET,” plus the artist’ name (e.g., “GET TAY ZONDAY”), to 84862 (THUMB) and download the content directly to their phone. Click HERE to see the artist’s demo video. For more information, send a blank e-mail to: artists@thumbplay.com.

DEVELOPERS AND SITE PUBLISHERS -- Web site developers and publishers are able to add mobile downloads to any site, application or widget. They can access the Thumbplay API for rich Web and mobile integrations, while increasing their page views and return visits. Unique tracking parameters for URLs and API keys can be accessed in less than five minutes and generate additional revenue on a same-day basis. For more information, please send a blank e-mail to devs@thumbplay.com.

Featuring music, videos, games and more, Thumbplay’s extensive and ever-growing entertainment library currently consists of more than 100,000 pieces of licensed content. Their award-winning direct-to-consumer service is accessible on more than 2,000 devices among every major carrier in the U.S.

The company has maintained and grown its leadership position in the industry by providing its consumers with the best possible customer experience, including live, “24/7/365” customer service and a commitment to delivering the largest catalog of entertainment possible. Thumbplay’s “locker” service also allows users to automatically back-up and store purchased items.

Each month, Thumbplay.com gets more than five million unique visitors and its mobile (WAP) site (m.thumbplay.com) receives more than 12 million page views, making it one of the most popular mobile Web sites.

LET'S 'CHAT': Thumbplay's Unparalled Customer Service Bolstered; Targets '24-7' Generation

2008-11-18T10:58:00.000-08:00

First-of-its-kind Live Mobile Chat and New Spanish Language Services Round Out Thumbplay's Extensive Customer Service Offerings

NEW YORK – November 18, 2008 – Thumbplay® (http://www.thumbplay.com/), the #1 mobile entertainment provider and destination in the U.S., today announced several key customer service enhancements and innovations to its award-winning service. Dedicated to providing optimal service to the 24-7 generation, the company has launched live mobile chat support, a first in the customer service sector. With four touch points – phone, e-mail, live chat and, now, mobile live chat – Thumbplay offers an unparalleled number of options among retailers for helping customers troubleshoot and manage their accounts.

Something to chat about:
For customers who prefer to “IM” their way to a solution, Thumbplay now offers a new mobile chat customer support service. This innovation allows customers to connect to customer service representatives through Thumbplay’s mobile phone Instant Message (IM) service. Subscribers simply need to visit m.thumbplay.com from their mobile devices and click the “live chat” URL under the “Help” area. This service is available on all of the more than 2,000 phones supported by Thumbplay.

In addition to the ability to IM with Thumbplay’s customer support team, the service also provides the following options:

--24/7/365 live voice support (1-877-848-6299). Thumbplay’s North American call center responds in 20 seconds or less more than 80% of the time;

--Expedient e-mail support, with response times averaging less than two hours
Live, IM support on the Thumbplay.com site;

--A do-it-yourself, 24/7/365, self-care section where subscribers receive step-by-step
instructions on how to manage their accounts on-line;

--A robust, 24/7/365, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system that answers customers’ questions through a series of voice prompts; and,

--Support with downloading and/or technical issues on more than 2,000 different phones.

¡Nosotros Hablamos Espanol!:
Additionally, to better serve its ever-growing Hispanic customer base, Thumbplay has added new Spanish-language customer support in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) area of the site as well as in its 24/7/365 IVR system.

"Thumbplay is committed to delivering the highest-quality service and support for our customers," said Michael Biondo, Senior Director, Customer Operations. "Customers want fast, friendly and effective service and support. We are proud to offer these new, industry-leading services that will make the customer experience even more convenient."

Thumbplay’s extensive and ever-growing entertainment library and award winning, direct-to-consumer service is accessible on more than 2,000 mobile devices among every major carrier in the U.S. Each month, Thumbplay.com gets more than five million unique visitors and its mobile (WAP) site — m.thumbplay.com — receives more than 12 million page views, making it one of the most popular mobile Web sites.

Thumbplay, Cellular South Partner for Content Distribution

2008-11-13T15:39:00.000-08:00

Mobile entertainment service Thumbplay is making its content library available to Cellular South-supported phones.

The carrier’s subscribers will have access to Thumbplay content on the Cellular South on-deck portal. Cellular South customers will now be able to browse, buy and download Thumbplay content.

“Basically our goal is to help consumers get the most out of their wireless devices,” said Wade Smith, senior manager of product development and management at Cellular South, Ridgeland, MS. “What better way to do that than engage them with one of the nation’s largest content providers?

“We will have a link on our main WAP page,” he said. “I think this is more about helping consumers use their more phones.

"Ultimately, we think this will lead to more data consumption.”

Both companies claim this is the first time a U.S. wireless carrier has engaged a direct-to-consumer content provider to populate its on-deck portal.

Thumbplay offers more than 100,000 pieces of licensed content including music, videos and games that will be available for purchase by Cellular South customers either a la carte or via subscription-based credits.

Featuring music, videos and games, Thumbplay’s direct-to-consumer service is accessible on more than 2,000 devices among every major carrier in the U.S.

Thumbplay features licensed music, video and gaming content from some of the world’s largestentertainment companies, including EMI, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Pictures Television.

Thumbplay’s mobile entertainment catalog is integrated into Clear Channel Radio, AOL and MSN Mobile sites, as well as iLike.com, one of the Web’s social music discovery services.
Cellular South is a privately-owned mobile communications company.

“This is an exciting partnership for us because we can offer Cellular South customers Thumbplay games, ringtones and images,” said Evan Schwartz, chief marketing officer and cofounder of Thumbplay, New York.

“This is a great way for subscribers to be able to discover new content,” he said. “Although there is no advertising for the partnership, Thumbplay does ads on our Web and WAP pages.
“Cellular South is promoting this in-store to get people excited about their new handsets and to drive more data consumption.”

Associate Editor Giselle Abramovich covers ad networks, advertising, content, email, media, messaging, legal/privacy, search, social networks, television and video. Reach her at giselle@mobilemarketer.com.

Thumbplay, Cellular South Partner for Content Distribution

2008-11-13T14:33:00.000-08:00

Mobile entertainment service Thumbplay is making its content library available to Cellular South-supported phones.

The carrier’s subscribers will have access to Thumbplay content on the Cellular South on-deck portal. Cellular South customers will now be able to browse, buy and download Thumbplay content.

“Basically our goal is to help consumers get the most out of their wireless devices,” said Wade Smith, senior manager of product development and management at Cellular South, Ridgeland, MS. “What better way to do that than engage them with one of the nation’s largest content providers?

“We will have a link on our main WAP page,” he said. “I think this is more about helping consumers use their more phones.

"Ultimately, we think this will lead to more data consumption.”

Both companies claim this is the first time a U.S. wireless carrier has engaged a direct-to-consumer content provider to populate its on-deck portal.

Thumbplay offers more than 100,000 pieces of licensed content including music, videos and games that will be available for purchase by Cellular South customers either a la carte or via subscription-based credits.

Featuring music, videos and games, Thumbplay’s direct-to-consumer service is accessible on more than 2,000 devices among every major carrier in the U.S.

Thumbplay features licensed music, video and gaming content from some of the world’s largestentertainment companies, including EMI, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Pictures Television.

Thumbplay’s mobile entertainment catalog is integrated into Clear Channel Radio, AOL and MSN Mobile sites, as well as iLike.com, one of the Web’s social music discovery services.
Cellular South is a privately-owned mobile communications company.

“This is an exciting partnership for us because we can offer Cellular South customers Thumbplay games, ringtones and images,” said Evan Schwartz, chief marketing officer and cofounder of Thumbplay, New York.

“This is a great way for subscribers to be able to discover new content,” he said. “Although there is no advertising for the partnership, Thumbplay does ads on our Web and WAP pages.
“Cellular South is promoting this in-store to get people excited about their new handsets and to drive more data consumption.”

Associate Editor Giselle Abramovich covers ad networks, advertising, content, email, media, messaging, legal/privacy, search, social networks, television and video. Reach her at giselle@mobilemarketer.com.

Cellular South Customers Now Have Direct Access to Thumbplay's Extensive Libarary

2008-11-11T08:56:00.000-08:00

Thumbplay Becomes First DTC Provider to Support Carrier Portal;
Brings Vast Entertainment Choices Directly to Cellular South Customers

New York — November 11, 2008 — Thumbplay® (www.thumbplay.com), the #1 mobile entertainment service in the U.S.*, today announced that its extensive library will now be featured on-deck with all Cellular South-supported mobile phones. Based in Ridgeland, Mississippi, Cellular South is the nation's largest privately owned wireless carrier. This is the first time a U.S. wireless carrier has engaged a direct-to-consumer content provider to populate its on-deck portal.

Cellular South customers will now be able to browse, buy and download Thumbplay content directly from their handsets or Thumbplay's Web site. Thumbplay offers more than 100,000 pieces of licensed content including music, videos and games that will be available for purchase by Cellular South customers either a la carte or via subscription-based credits.

"Increasingly, our customers are using their mobile phones as full-service, mobile entertainment devices," said Jim Richmond, Director of Corporate Communications at Cellular South. "Thumbplay allows us to offer our customers the broadest and deepest offering available coupled with fast, easy-to-use service and unmatched customer support."

Are Traasdahl, Thumbplay's CEO and founder, added: "Our ongoing investment in building the biggest and the best mobile catalog and in providing customers with a fun, hassle-free experience, continues to pay off. We are extremely proud to become the first direct-to-consumer mobile content provider in the U.S. to support a wireless carrier's portal."

Featuring music, videos, games and more, Thumbplay's award-winning direct-to-consumer service is accessible on more than 2,000 devices among every major carrier in the U.S.

The company has maintained and grown its leadership position in the industry by providing consumers with the best possible customer experience, including live, "24/7/365" customer service and a commitment to delivering the largest catalog of entertainment possible. Thumbplay's "locker" service also allows users to automatically back-up and store purchased items.

Thumbplay features licensed music, video and gaming content from some of the world's largest entertainment companies, including EMI, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Pictures Television, as well as several independent labels and artists and video game companies. Thumbplay's mobile entertainment catalog is integrated into Clear Channel Radio, AOL and MSN Mobile sites, as well as iLike.com, one of the Web's leading social music discovery services. Based on Thumbplay's reputation for exceptional customer care and technological innovation, MTV recently tapped the company to power personalization content for the music giant's mobile content site.

Each month, Thumbplay.com gets more than five million unique visitors and its mobile (WAP) site (m.thumbplay.com) receives more than 12 million page views, making it one of the most popular mobile Web sites.

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Obama or McCain? Thumbplay.com Could Hold The Answer!

2008-10-29T10:04:00.000-07:00

In 2008, Purchases of Mobile Entertainment Content Provide Unique Insights of
America’s Tech-Savy Electorate

NEW YORK – October 29, 2008 – According to Thumbplay® (www.thumbplay.com), the #1 mobile entertainment destination in the U.S.*, the public is turning out in force to support their candidates through purchases of mobile entertainment content. While electoral votes are still up for grabs, the tech-savvy “e-lectorate” has clearly thrown its support – and its purchasing power – behind Senator Obama. Thumbplay customers are, on average, age 18 – 34, 59 percent of whom are female, and reside predominantly in the Top 20 U.S. markets.

As of 10/28/08, Thumbplay.com confirms that Obama-related content has out-sold McCain-related content by a 9 to 1 margin. The results are based on Obama and McCain related content -- including ringtones, videos and wallpapers – purchased on Thumbplay.com

Following provides a snapshot of top content for each candidate:

Top Obama-related entertainment content sold on Thumbplay.com:
• #1 Real tone -- Tell Yo Mama, Vote Obama
• #1 Video – Candidates-Obama Video
• #1 Wallpaper – Obama, My Homeboy (Election O8)

Top McCain-related entertainment content sold on Thumbplay.com:
• #1 Real tone -- McCain Love Ballad
• #1 Video -- Palin Moose Call
• #1 Wallpaper – McCain Republican Elephant Blue (Election 08)

Visit www.thumplay.com to check out the leading ringtones, wallpaper and video content from both candidates.

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Thumbplay Management Dubbed "Best Executive Team" at Executive Councl's 2008 New York Ten Awards

2008-10-29T07:47:00.000-07:00

Team Recognized For "Business Leadership & Innovation"

NEW YORK – October 29, 2008 – At the sixth annual New York Ten Awards™ Gala held yesterday by the Executive Council of New York, the premier business forum for leaders and innovators, Thumbplay® (www.thumbplay.com) received the award for "Best Executive Team." Are Traasdahl, Founder & CEO of Thumbplay, the #1 mobile entertainment service in the U.S.*, had the honor of receiving the award along with Evan Schwartz, co-founder and CMO; Scott Marshall, COO and CFO; Markus Thorstvedt, CTO; Joe Bilman, chief product officer; and Lasse Hamre, EVP/Technology. The Ten Awards is a selection of ten companies and individuals in the greater New York business community that display extraordinary innovation and leadership in their industries and beyond.

The Executive Council of New York selected the Thumbplay team as "Best Executive Team" from hundreds of entrants. Other finalists for the award included teams from The Blackstone Group and iSeatz. This is the third Ten Award given to Thumbplay by the Executive Council of New York. In 2006, the company received the "Best New Product or Service" award; and in 2007, for his innovation and leadership as CEO of Thumbplay, Traasdahl received the honor of "Best Emerging CEO."

"We have achieved our success by concentrating on three key areas: customer satisfaction, product innovation and building strategic partnerships," said Are Traasdahl, CEO and founder of Thumbplay. "This focus requires a dynamic, committed leadership team, and I could not be more proud of the executives who have brought us to such extraordinary heights. We’re extremely honored to have their daily guidance and thank the Executive Council for its recognition."

The Ten Awards winners were chosen from open nominations submitted to the Executive Council of New York. Hundreds of nominations were screened and evaluated by a panel of judges comprised of prominent journalists from New York-based local and national business media outlets, and evaluated based on the individual’s contributions to his or her organization’s objectives and leadership; the organization’s impact on business innovation, both in New York and nationally; and the individual’s industry leadership beyond his or her organization.

Featuring music, videos, games and more, Thumbplay’s extensive and ever-growing entertainment library currently consists of more than 100,000 pieces of licensed content. Their award-winning direct-to-consumer service is accessible on more than 2,000 devices among every major carrier in the U.S.

The company has maintained and grown its leadership position in the industry by providing its consumers with the best possible customer experience, including live, "24/7/365" customer service and a commitment to delivering the largest catalog of entertainment possible. Thumbplay’s "locker" service also allows users to automatically back-up and store purchased items.

Thumbplay features licensed music, video and gaming content from some of the world’s largest entertainment companies, including EMI, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Pictures Television, as well as several independent labels and artists and video game companies. Thumbplay’s mobile entertainment catalog is integrated into Clear Channel Radio, AOL and MSN Mobile sites, as well as iLike.com, one of the Web’s leading social music discovery services. Moreover, based on Thumbplay’s reputation for exceptional customer care and technological innovation, MTV recently tapped the company to power personalization content for the music giant’s mobile content site.

Each month, Thumbplay.com gets more than five million unique visitors and its mobile (WAP) site (m.thumbplay.com) receives more than 12 million page views, making it one of the most popular mobile Web sites.

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Thumbplay Unveils Full-Song Mobile Music Service

2008-10-28T15:06:00.000-07:00

By Antony Bruno, Denver

The music industry's bid to sell full-song downloads from ringtones gained an ally today with the unveiling of Thumbplay's new full-song mobile music service.

Hoping to do for full-song music downloads what it did for ringtones, Thumbplay's beta-store lets subscribers of all mobile operators buy and download music to more than 2,000 compatible phones. At launch, it has licensing deals with Universal Music Group and EMI Music Group, as well as independent aggregators The Orchard and INgrooves, totaling about 1.5 million tracks. Other independent labels, as well as majors Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group, continue to be courted.

Tracks will be DRM-free, and will cost 99-cents through an eMusic-like subscription model. Thumbplay will charge $9.99 a month for access to the full-song service, for which customers will get 10 credits redeemable for one song each. New subscribers will get 10 free credits as a bonus for signing up.

Read the entire article on Billboard.biz here.

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Thumbplay Launches Direct-To-Consumer Digital Music Store in Beta

2008-10-28T12:47:00.000-07:00

Millions of Music Fans Now Have Instant Access to DRM-Free Songs, Downloadable to Multiple Mobile Devices and Players

NEW YORK –October 28, 2008 – Thumbplay® (www.thumbplay.com), the #1 mobile entertainment destination in the U.S.*, has launched a full-service digital music store in Beta. Through Thumbplay, millions of music fans can now download -- wirelessly -- DRM-free songs directly to select MP3-enabled phones as well as PCs.

To date, Thumbplay has secured rights to more than 1.5 million songs from major labels including Universal Music Group and EMI Music, and from independent digital music providers The Orchard and INgrooves. Additional relationships and content deals are underway and are likely to be announced soon.

With access to music through both the Thumbplay web and mobile sites, customers now receive the instant gratification of fast, easy song downloading from any location. Moreover, audio quality has been optimized for superior mobile playback while file sizes have been kept to a minimum. In addition to the ability to download songs, to select MP3-enabled phones and PCs, the music can be transferred to most portable music players, including the iPod™. Customers can instantly and easily search for and purchase music in addition to the extensive array of other content the company offers, including games, videos and more. Thumbplay’s MP3 downloads are .99¢ per song through monthly subscriptions. For $9.99 per month, Thumbplay customers are given 10 credits to be used toward any content on the service; MP3s are one credit, or .99¢ each. The value to new customers is even greater, as they automatically receive 10 bonus credits in their first month of service.

"Right now, there are millions of customers who own phones that are already able to serve as excellent MP3 players; and, in fact, a significant number of consumers are now using their phones as their primary entertainment devices,"** said Are Traasdahl, CEO and Founder of Thumbplay. "The number of our customers with MP3-enabled phones has grown five-fold in the last 18 months alone. Naturally, we had to respond to such demand, and at the same time, we had to deliver the great customer-experience Thumbplay users have come to expect. I’m proud to say we’ve accomplished both goals today with our new digital music store, thanks in large part to such terrific launch partners as Universal Music, EMI Music, The Orchard and INgrooves."

Thumbplay offers a wide range of entertainment content, direct-to-consumers, on more than 2,000 devices among every major carrier in the U.S.

The company has maintained and grown its leadership position in the industry by providing its users with the best possible customer experience, including live, "24/7/365" customer service and a commitment to delivering the largest catalog of entertainment possible.

Thumbplay features licensed music, video and gaming content from some of the world’s largest entertainment companies, including EMI, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Pictures Television, as well as several independent labels and artists and video game companies. Thumbplay’s mobile entertainment catalog is integrated into Clear Channel Radio, AOL and MSN Mobile sites.

Each month, Thumbplay.com gets more than five million unique visitors and its mobile (WAP) site (m.thumbplay.com) receives more than 12 million page views, making it one of the most popular mobile Web sites.

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