(31 October 2007 6:00 pm)

MUMBAI: US broadcaster MTV is creating entertainment and gaming experiences built around the universal appeal of music lyrics.

MTV, Vh1 and CMT music brands are creating this experience across each brand's multiple touchpoints - from on-air to online and mobile - and will be designed to tap into the emotional rush and sense of discovery that music fans feel when they learn the true lyrics to their favourite songs.

This makes MTV the first media/entertainment company to deeply thread lyrics into the fabric of its programming on all platforms.

MTV Music and Logo Group president Van Toffler says, "Powerful lyrics speak to everyone in deeply emotional ways, so it's only fitting that we create equally moving experiences that bring an artist's words to life.

"By tightly linking lyrics with video and other curated programming, we are harnessing the full power of all of our screens to strengthen the emotional connections so many of us have with our favorite songs."

MTVN Music and Logo Group executive VP digital media Courtney Holt says, "Our audiences love searching for their favourite lyrics. By threading innovative ways for them to seek out and interact with lyrics throughout our musical eco-system, we're creating even more unique ways for them to connect with their favourite music."

MTV's Spankin' New Music Week, which begins on 26 November will become Spankin' New Lyrics Week, in which lyrics - and the artists' inspirations for their words - take center stage during the weeklong celebration of new music.

VH1 will integrate lyrics into music programmes like Boxset, the online music series that made the jump to TV last year. And CMT is exploring ways to air interviews with heartland viewers discussing the meaning behind their favorite country songs.

Lyrics also will be integrated into MTV's recently green-lit Name That Tune series, which will air on all three networks. Name That Tune and the lyrics search capabilities both appeal to viewers' strong charge they get when they can quickly identify a song or decipher an elusive line.

Online, each music brand will augment lyrics search capabilities with comprehensive artist information and unique editorial. Viewers who search for lyrics on MTV.com, Vh1.com or CMT.com will get the full lyrics, as well as links to music videos, links to purchase the song, and comprehensive artist information, such as bios and discographies.

Vh1Classic.com will launch a similar lyrics experience next year. Over time, the brands also will deliver unique editorial perspectives that highlight the important social, political and historical implications of select artists' lyrics.

In the mobile realm, MTV Mobile, VH1 Mobile and CMT Mobile will let viewers discover lyrics directly on their handsets. Viewers who text an artist's name, song name or a portion of a line will receive a link to a special WAP, or mobile Internet, page displaying the full lyrics, along with other artist and track information.

Additionally, all three brands will develop single and multiplayer trivia games for online and the mobile platform. The lyrics-based experiences will be rolled out in phases beginning in November and continuing through the first half of next year.

The online and mobile lyrics data is provided by Gracenote.