Skype Has An Ear for Music

VoIP provider Skype has announced the final agreements for worldwide distribution rights to license potentially hundreds of thousands of "musical works" as ring-tones.

The contracts were signed with three major music publishing companies - EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music and UK's MCPS-PRS Alliance.

The new licenses will allow Skype to distribute master ring-tones from recording artists affiliated to Warner Music Group, which can now be downloaded by Skype users in the US, UK, Ireland, France, The Netherlands, Belgium and Poland.

Worldwide rights for the rest of Skype's more than 94.6 million registered users will be signed within weeks, according to the firm.

The publishing licenses and addition of licensed music content coincide with other changes to the Personalise Skype store, including a more simplified user interface and a more visual presentation.

Madonna is the first artist to headline the Featured Artist section of Personalise Skype, which now features ring-tones for "Push", "Sorry", "Confessions on a Dance Floor", "Like A Virgin", "Vogue" and more.

Consumers will be able to download master ring-tones from Warner Music Group artists, including Depeche Mode, Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Sean Paul, for play back when Skype users receive incoming calls.