Warner Music Canada is the First Major Label in Canada to Launch its Own Shortcode. By: Christine Albrecht

Warner Music Canada is the First Major Label in Canada to Launch its Own Shortcode. By: Christine Albrecht

Warner Music Canada has, today, become the first major music label in Canada to launch its own direct to consumer, shortcode mobile content solution. On that date, Canadian music fans will be able to purchase Truetones directly from Warner Music Canada via the mobile content purchase code 311311 utilizing all major mobile carriers available in Canada.

Warner will launch this program with one of the world's most popular hip hop artists, Diddy. All that music fans will have to do is text the keyword 'Diddy' to 311311 and they will get a text message back that allows them to purchase Truetones extracted from Diddy's new single, "Come To Me." Diddy's new album, Press Play, is scheduled for release on Tuesday October 17, 2006. Other Truetones will be made available shortly from many of Warner Music Canada's most popular artists.

In the coming weeks, Warner will also roll out their first strategic partnership program with Canada's leading music retailer, HMV Canada. The campaign will include 20 current WMC releases including Billy Talent, James Blunt, Madonna, Green Day and Panic! At The Disco, and will be featured in HMV's marketing campaigns in store, in print and on TV across Canada from October to January. For example, consumer will be able to download Billy Talent Truetones by texting 'HMV BT' to 311311.

"We are excited to be partnering with Warner Music Canada in order to expand our current offering by making ringtones available to our consumers," noted Humphrey Kadaner, HMV Canada President. "This new initiative further supports HMV's vision as Canada's world class destination for music."

Charlie Millar, Manager of Digital Business, Warner Music Canada commented "Warner Music Canada recognizes the value of this new mobile distribution model and the purchase code has been developed to allow for further third party consumer and retail brands to market and sell Warner content."

"This shortcode will help bring our artists to a wider market place," says Warner Music Canada President Steve Kane. "Fans will have the opportunity to opt in to receive communiqués from their favourite artists for additional unique content and tour information."

MyThum Interactive has partnered with Warner Music Canada to design, develop and deploy the mobile content solution that will enable WMC to retail Truetones directly to music fans. The distribution platform will allow consumers to text in a specific keyword to download content items promoted in album packaging or through various other media.