Sony Music Entertainment to Develop Dynamic Artist Apps Using Innovative Mobile Roadie Platform

NEW YORK, Jan. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Music Entertainment today announced plans to develop interactive mobile entertainment applications across its network of artists and labels using technology from Mobile Roadie, the premier self service platform for creating and managing mobile apps.

Under the initiative, Sony Music will create highly customized, immersive apps for its artists that reflect their aesthetic and offer fans on-the-go access to the latest news, streaming music and videos, photo galleries, tour schedules, ticketing options, chat and more.

Sony Music artists also will have the ability to offer premium content and special premium exclusives directly through the apps, including karaoke features, games, and remixes.

Functioning as a mobile hub for the artist experience, the apps of participating artists will further be able to keep fans up-to-date with push notification options about news, offers, and new features and functionality.

At launch, Sony Music is offering mobile apps built on the Mobile Roadie platform from over a dozen artists, including David Archuleta, Marc Anthony, Camila, Chayanne, Daughtry, Jerrod Niemann, Gerardo Ortiz, Brad Paisley, Passion Pit, P!nk, Mike Posner and Thalia.

Sony Music plans to roll out additional artist apps in the coming months.

"Music fans are looking for deeper levels of engagement with their favorite artists on mobile devices, and to meet that demand we are developing mobile applications that can present consumers with a variety of premium commercial experiences around our artists, including music, games and other content," said Michael Paull, Executive Vice President, Global Digital Business, Sony Music Entertainment. "We are pleased to be working with Mobile Roadie to create high quality, rich media apps across numerous popular mobile platforms."

"Mobile devices have proven to be a powerful force shaping content consumption, engagement, and entertainment," said Michael Schneider, CEO of Mobile Roadie "We look forward to working with Sony Music to develop compelling artist experiences for the mobile phone, a platform fans are increasingly turning for their content, information, and even transactions."

About Sony Music Entertainment

Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a current roster that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. It is home to premier record labels representing music from every genre, including American Recordings, Arista Nashville, Arista Records, Battery Records, Beach Street Records, BNA Records, Columbia Nashville, Columbia Records, Day 1, Epic Records, Essential Records, Flicker Records, J Records, Jive Records, LaFace Records, Legacy Recordings, MASTERWORKS, Polo Grounds, RCA Records, RCA Nashville, RCA Red Seal, RCA Victor, Reunion Records, Roc Nation, Sony Classical, Sony Music Latin, Star Time International, Verity Gospel Music Group, and Volcano Entertainment. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America.

About Mobile Roadie

Mobile Roadie is the premier self service platform for creating and managing mobile apps. Available for the iPhone, Android and BlackBerry platforms, Mobile Roadie gives media & entertainment companies, sports organizations and brands the ability to more effectively engage and monetize customers, wherever they are. Founded by Michael Schneider (CEO) and Brock Batten (Creative Director) in 2009 and headquartered in Beverly Hills, Calif., Mobile Roadie reaches more than 3 million users worldwide. For more information, visit www.mobileroadie.com.

SOURCE Sony Music