Off-deck ringtone service Thumbplay unveiled a beta program called Thumbplay Open that allows unsigned artists and indie labels the ability to upload and sell ringtones and other content through the Thumbplay platform.
Rather than negotiating individual deals with interested parties, the Open platform is a Web interface that automates rates, content delivery and other common features.
The Open platform also extends to Web site developers and application providers, who can use a different interface to add links to Thumbplay's online sales tool to their services, again, without the necessity to establish more formal partnership agreements.
As such, the service allows Thumbplay to expand both its content portfolio and customer reach. Thumbplay is one of the largest off-deck ringtone providers in the world, along with other content like games, images, etc. It is planning an off-deck full-track download service as well, expected before the end of the year, and which will also apply to the new Open platform.
By adding links to Thumbplay sales in such highly trafficked sites like AOL Music, Clear Channel Radio Web sites, MTV and several others, Thumbplay has seen a large spike in sales. The Open platform is designed to extend that through incremental sales on less-trafficked, niche sites and services.
In other Thumbplay news, the company added yet another Web distribution deal with Comcast, adding its mobile entertainment catalog to the cable operator's mobile Web portal.
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