Warmer Music To Offer Ring Tones To Skype SubscribersWarmer Music To Offer Ring Tones To Skype Subscribers

Warner Music Group Corp. on Monday said it would make available ring tones from its large music library to Skype subscribers.

Pop-star Madonna would be the first WMG artist to offer ring tones under the deal with the Internet telephony service provider. Other artists expected to follow include Green Day, Mike Jones, Paul Wall, D4L and T.I.

Skype subscribers can buy the ring tones through the company's online store. Skype will showcase tunes from a single artist and include a direct link to an artist-branded page where ring tones can be purchased. The tunes are used to notify Skype users when they receive incoming calls.

"Warner Music Group is pleased to partner with Skype as they launch the first music personalization products in the Internet voice calling category," Alex Zubillaga, executive vice president of digital strategy and business development at Warner Music, said in a statement.

Skype, which is owned by online marketplace EBay Inc., says it has more than 74 million registered users.

Ring tones are becoming big business in the mobile phone industry. Consumers are expected to spend $1 billion a year to listen to their favorite songs announce their calls by 2008, according to the Yankee Group.