Coldplay has debuted the first single off their upcoming album X&Y, but not on the radio -- the song is only available as a Cingular ringtone.
The British band has made a 30-second sample of Speed of Sound available through Atlanta-based Cingular Wireless' ring tone store. The sample was made available nearly a week before the song's radio debut Monday and nearly two months before the album's Capitol Records release June 7, the Seattle Times reported Wednesday.
The ringtone debut may signal a major step for the music industry, which previously relied almost exclusively on radio and television, the Times said. The step also lends credibility to the rapidly expanding ringtone market.
It was sacrosanct previously to get it out on radio first because it was perceived to be the biggest, said Roger Entner, a wireless analyst with Ovum. But now they feel more served by bringing it out with a large [wireless] carrier.
The ringtone is the first installment of a Cingular service called Cingular Sounds, which allows subscribers a first listen to songs before they hit radio.
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