VZW to highlight Timbaland in new music program

Verizon Wireless said its users will get exclusive access to an entire “mobile album” from hip-hop producer Timbaland.
Timbaland, a five-time Grammy nominee, will be the first subject of Verizon Wireless’ Mobile Producer in Residence program. The program will begin production next month with a series of guest artists aboard Verizon Wireless’ recording studio bus, and the album will be released “directly and exclusively” through the carrier’s Vcast Music service.
The bus will tour U.S. cities during the promotion; Verizon Wireless said the schedule had not yet been completed.
The program underscores carriers’ efforts to expand beyond simple full-track download storefronts – which have fallen on deaf ears – by leveraging exclusive deals and cross-platform marketing campaigns. Those exclusive relationships threaten to minimize the role of record labels, though, which are looking to mobile to shore up precipitous decreases in CD revenues
Verizon Wireless also has been pushing Timbaland music with a clickable banner ad atop its home deck.
“Together we hope to redefine the album as we know it by creating and distributing music straight from the studio to fans,” said Ed Ruth, director of digital music for Verizon Wireless. “As our mobile producer in residence, Timbaland’s music would be available to our customers as full-song downloads, ringtones and ringback tones, delivering exclusive music any way they want it over the air.”