mocoNews - Thumbplay Leverages Social Networks To Sell More Ringtones

Thumbplay, a New York-based mobile content provider, has launched a widget platform that allows artists and music labels to leverage social networks, like Twitter or MySpace, to sell ringtones and wallpapers. The platform, called OPEN Pro, can also be used by fans, who may want to link to their artist's favorite song in a blog post they wrote about a concert. Release.

Analysis and results from a test case after the jump?

For Thumbplay, leveraging social networks and other sites to sell ringtones is a serious lead generator, which is important as ringtone sales decline. Here's how the revenue side of the platform works: The platform is free to record labels and bands, who likely don't have the resources to make their own storefronts for web sites and social networks (The platform also allows artists to add purchase links to websites, emails, Twitter, etc., in about five minutes). When consumers make a purchase, the artists and labels get paid for the content, and also potentially up to $8 for referring a customer?if the fan signs up for a monthly $10 subscription service. If the fan chooses to purchase one song, the label would be paid for only the content. Fans will not be paid at all.

Thumbplay says it's been working well. OPEN originally launched in September 2008 for indie bands and has signed up more than 3,000 have joined up with no marketing efforts at all. Already, the OPEN Pro version has three of the four major labels testing the platform, and in a test case with Universal's A&M/Octone Records and its artist Hollywood Undead, results were positive. The band used the widget for its release of "Swan Songs," and reported that 8 percent of the fans that clicked through completed a purchase, Billboard reports.