Popkomm’s annual ‘Innovation in Music and Entertainment Awards’

MIXED TAPE - Music download platform 'Mixed Tape' is a new media format used as viral traffic-driver for development of new target groups and promotion of unknown talents. Mixed Tape presents exclusive music compilations from a wide range of genres; every eight weeks, 15 songs are presented in a compilation. Young musicians submit their songs and have the chance to appear on the next 'Mixed Tape'. An intentional focus is placed on viral components through the attractiveness of content. Seven million downloads in nine months make 'Mixed Tape' the most successful online platform at Mercedes Benz. The user can listen to music online, download tracks and send them to friends via e-card.

SONIC BIDS - Sonic Bids offers an easier and cheaper way to the endless clutter of physical promo kits that are exchanged daily between musicians and the people who present music. Sonic Bids boasts a quickly growing, energetic online community of over 33,000 bands and musicians, some 3,100 festivals, music conferences, song contests, and clubs from 107 countries around the world who actively use Sonicbids' Electronic Press Kit (EPK) as their common "language" of communication and promotion. In March 2005, "Fast Company" magazine picked Sonicbids as one of America's 50 fastest growing and most innovative companies.

D) MOBILE MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT INNOVATIONS

HYPERSCORE - Harmony Line is the newest entrant in the mobile music space. Its flagship product, Hyperscore, runs on any PC and allows people to compose personalized music by drawing with virtual crayons on a canvas. Hyperscore(R) works by sketching short musical phrases - "motives" - and drawing them onto a canvas with crayons. By adjusting the shape, length, colour and position of the lines, you can produce melodies, choose harmonies, lay down a groove, or compose an award-winning classical piece. Hyperscore(R) will soon allow users to have their music converted into a ringtone and sent to any mobile phone, or uploaded to the Harmony Line online community where it can be played, discussed, ranked, re-used, or even resold and moved to other people's mobile phones or music devices.

MINIMIXA - Powered by the miniMIXA Interactive Audio Application Platform (mINT), SSEYO miniMIXA is a mini DJ mixer, sequencer, sampler, synthesiser, visualiser & recording studio all rolled into one. Combining a massive range of integrated audio technologies and capabilities in a single mobile application, SSEYO miniMIXA has done what has never been done before on a mobile phone and goes far beyond anything else currently available. It is both a tool that puts immense creative power into the hands of a user, and, through support for Artist* MIXAPaks, allows the music industry to develop new revenues from user-valued content at ringtone price points.

MFORMA BILLBOARD MOBILE - MFORMA, publisher and distributor of mobile entertainment, and Billboard Magazine have teamed up for an exclusive partnership to deliver a wide array of new music services under the Billboard brand to mobile users everywhere. Billboard Mobile, will provide users access to music, charts and music news in a way never before seen in mobile. Starting with the world-famous Billboard charts, which rank top music singles, albums and ringtones, users of Billboard Mobile will be able to access a wide range of information to help them find and download their favourite ringtones, purchase CDs and even find the location of a concert near their home town. Billboard Mobile delivers streaming audio for ringtones and music, and important music industry information such as music reviews and artist news, tour dates, concert venues and ticket information.

In addition to these finalists, Popkomm IMEA announced the IMEA 2005 awards sponsor, PassAlong Networks

Founded in December 2002, PassAlong Networks is a privately held technology company started by music industry, business and technology executives. The company's first offering, a digital music download service that encourages community among music enthusiasts by rewarding legal music sharing, launched in September 2004 on eBay and at PassAlong.com.

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