Ztango partners with EMI-CMG on Christian content

ATLANTA--

Ztango this week announced it has signed a music licensing agreement with EMI-CMG to create and distribute ringtone versions of EMI-CMG’s vast Christian music library.

EMI-CMG, the world’s largest Christian music company, will have access to Ztango’s wireless network customer base, which covers more than 90% of the U.S. subscriber base. Among the biggest artists in the EMI-CMG stable are Switchfoot, Orrico, and DC Talk. Christian music overall accounted more than 45 million units in sales worldwide in 2003.

“The interesting thing about Christian contemporary is there is great word of mouth,” said Adrian McAloon, head of marketing for Ztango.

The move to offer the EMI-CMG catalog is part of an overall strategy to follow emerging trends that are fracturing the market into smaller segments, McAloon said. The company recently launched an application focused on the Latin music market.

“Three years ago, the top ringtones were Mission Impossible and stuff that everybody recognized,” he said. “Now we can’t get enough urban content.”