In a first for the Australian music industry, the Australian Recording Industry Association has collaborated with wireless and broadband manufacturer Motorola to launch a new cellphone handset.
A button on the MOTOROKR Z6 ARIA edition allows consumers to access the charts and artist page, and buy download tracks, which can be played on its built-in player.
The phone comes with the brand’s S9 Bluetooth wireless stereo headphones, which automatically goes to pause or mute when a call comes through.
The ARIA edition is initially sold through the chain of Crazy John’s cell phone stores, with a minimum monthly plan of A$35 ($28.15) over 24 months.
“We are delighted to be involved with the launch of the handset which will literally put the Motorola ARIA charts into people’s hands,” ARIA chief executive Stephen Peach said in a prepared statement.
Added Stephen Amiet, marketing manager of Motorola Australia, “This exciting new handset marks a new generation of music technology in Australia. We are thrilled to be deepening our relationship with ARIA, integrating our ARIA chart sponsorship and offering direct access to the Motorola ARIA chart.”
Since February 2006, Motorola has sponsored the weekly ARIA charts and the trade body’s artist of the month page. The mobile-phone maker has co-naming rights to key industry events, such as the ARIA awards and the ARIA No. 1 Chart Awards.
Motorola’s sponsorship deal with ARIA saw the return of the printed official sales charts return to stores, a weekly radio chart show on DMG Radio’s Nova FM network, and a deal to download music content from the MyMoto site. It also gave Motorola access to at least ten Australian artists per year for private promotional performances and guest appearances.
