Music and Youth
Warner Music Group announces ringtone agreement with Skype
MUMBAI: The music company Warner Music Group inks a deal with a global Internet calling company Skype to make available the master recordings from WMG’s roster of world-renowned recording artists as ringtones.
With this deal, more than 74 million registered users of Skype will benefit from unlimited voice and video calls for free over the Internet.
According to an official release, in the coming months, consumers will be able to download master ringtones from WMG artists to Skype’s leading Internet calling service for playback when Skype users receive incoming calls.
Always at the forefront of musical trends, Madonna will be the sole artist to headline the Featured Artist section of the Skype online retail store upon its launch.
In addition, Skype’s online retail store (http://personal.skype.com) will feature master ringtones of ‘Hung Up’, ‘Push’ and ‘Sorry’, the eagerly anticipated new single from Madonna’s latest multi-platinum album, ‘Confessions on a Dance Floor’, as well as past Madonna hits ‘Like A Virgin’, ‘Vogue’ and more.
Skype’s Featured Artist Program will showcase content from a single artist and will include a direct link to an artist-branded page where ringtones can be purchased.
“Warner Music Group is pleased to partner with Skype as they launch the first music personalization products in the Internet voice calling category,” said Warner Music Group digital strategy and business development executive VP Alex Zubillaga. “Furthermore, this agreement exemplifies our commitment to finding new ways our artists’ music can be experienced across emerging platforms and distribution channels.”
“As Skype continues to grow as a mass market phenomena we are excited to partner with industry leaders in the entertainment industry like Warner Music, to offer great content from artists, such as Madonna, to Skype’s fast growing global user base,” said Skype VP worldwide marketing Saul Klein.
The Skype retail store is expected to eventually expand to include ringback tones and other music-based personalisation content from WMG artists.
MUMBAI: Mumbai is about to witness something it has never seen before. The Global Youth Festival arrives on 6-7 December at Jio World Garden with 15,000 attendees and 60-plus experiences sprawled across six sprawling arenas. On its sixth edition, this is no ordinary jamboree—it is a carefully orchestrated collision of wellness, adventure, arts, music, yoga and social change.
Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis will throw open the proceedings with a landmark ceremony, signalling the state’s backing for a movement that has already mobilised youth across 20-plus countries and 170-plus cities. The sheer scale is staggering: 500-plus volunteers powering the machine, 600,000-plus volunteer hours logged across previous editions, and millions of lives touched annually.
The speaker roster is formidable. Diipa Büller-Khosla and Dipali Goenka, chief executive of Welspun India, will share the stage with Malaika Arora in conversations spanning leadership, creativity and culture. Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Mansukhbhai Mandaviya will also attend, reinforcing GYF’s reach into the corridors of power.
But this is not mere talk. The Solaris Mainstage promises concerts from renowned Indian artists. Innerverse delivers a 360-degree LED spectacle of art, technology and sound. The Love and Care Arena houses hands-on projects spanning women’s empowerment, child education, rural upliftment and animal welfare. India’s largest outdoor sound-healing experience awaits. An inflatable obstacle course, neon drifter karts and open-sky bouldering cater to thrill-seekers.
Some have branded GYF the “Coachella of Consciousness.” Others call it “India’s Largest Sober Festival.” Spiritual visionary Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji, who inspired the festival, will deliver the Wisdom Masterclass. Every rupee goes to charity.
After Mumbai comes Kolkata on 14 December. New York looms next year. For one weekend in December, Mumbai becomes the epicentre of youth-driven change—and nothing will be quite the same after.
Tickets available on BookMyShow. Visit youthfestival.srmd.org or follow @globalyouthfestival on Instagram.
