The announcement was made by Billboard Executive Director, Digital/Mobile Content & Programming at Billboard. ZOOZbeat Sprite will be featured in the best apps of the year listing in the Billboard Magazine September 4, 2010 edition.

ZOOZbeat Sprite Named Best Branded App Finalist by Billboard Magazine

The Coca-Cola Company launched ZOOZbeat Sprite to promote its Sprite brand, emphasizing that mobile has become an integral part of its 360-dgree marketing strategy. Sprite teamed with ZOOZ Mobile, Inc., developers of the ZOOZbeat mobile music studio application (app), to launch ZOOZbeat Sprite: the first iPhone app to be offered through Sprite’s ongoing Under the Cap promotion.

“ZOOZbeat Sprite is an innovative and integrated marketing program that rewards customers for purchasing a real good (a bottle of Sprite) with a digital virtual good (beats to remix inside the app),” said ZOOZ Mobile CEO & President Scott Geller. “The ZOOZ Mobile team is thrilled that our expertise in designing, creating and launching branded entertainment music apps has been acknowledged by Billboard Magazine: the premier trade publication for the music business.”

Susan Stribling, Atlanta-based spokeswoman for Coca-Cola North America, as quoted in Mobile Marketer (12/24/09):

• If you’re a smart marketer today, you have to be looking at all the different ways you can communicate with people – traditional, in-store, out-of-home, online and mobile.
• Since the Sprite brand is focused on youth, we want to focus on mobile in particular, and [ZOOZbeat Sprite] is the first big Under the Cap program we’ve launched in the U.S., which we’re looking to grow moving forward.
• If you’re not taking that 360-degree approach today, then you’re not  marketing effectively.
• The target demographic for the iPhone application is the same as overall target demographic for Sprite …
• First and foremost it’s music, and music is something that’s very appealing to young people. This is something that’s completely on the go and accessible via their mobile phone, and young people have their iPhones attached to their wrist, so an app was a natural fit for that consumer.
• We’re using the [ZOOZbeat Sprite] app to keep people engaged. We will continue to add rewards to the pool, and this app is something new and fresh that people participating in the under-the-cap initiative can download.

The ZOOZbeat Sprite app engages young multi-cultural, music-lovers with iPhones Sprite consumers enabling them to remix music letting them create their own tracks with downloadable beats and samples from these nine music Producers and Artists:

• Dallas Austin
• Phil Ade
• Tabi Bonney
• LaRon Brant
• Alex Christie
• Novel
• SHeeD
• Spree Wilson
• XO

ZOOZbeat Sprite works by shaking, tilting or taping the iPhone screen to create and combine rhythmic and melodic tracks that can be uploaded to ZOOZbeat.com for listening and sharing in .mp3 format with friends via Facebook and Twitter.

“When consumers enter Sprite Under the Cap codes via text message, they receive mobile rewards, including the Sprite-branded, music-focused ZOOZbeat Sprite application (app). The ZOOZbeat Sprite app development stretched over nine months and involved complex integration between the:

• ZOOZbeat Sprite iPhone application
• Amazon S3 cloud servers
• Coca-Cola’s code generation SMS messaging system
• Coca-Cola’s code validation SMS messaging system

ZOOZ Mobile designs, creates and launches branded entertainment music recreation and remixing mobile studio apps, including:

1. ZOOZbeat ($0.99)
2. ZOOZbeat Lite (free)
3. ZOOZbeat Sprite (free)
4. ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix ($2.99)
5. ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix 3 Pack ($1.99)

Various versions of ZOOZbeat apps have been downloaded 1.5 million time since launching in the Apple iTunes App Store in November 2008.

Coca-Cola launched the iPhone application as an enhancement to the larger Under the Cap program Sprite has been running. Consumers participating in the program can opt in to receive SMS alerts and other messages from Sprite.

The Sprite Under the Cap program is promoted on packaging for the Sprite brand, encouraging consumers to text in to receive various rewards. “We offer incentives to people who participate in the campaign using mobile technology,” Ms. Stribling said [Mobile Marketer 12/24/09] “We didn’t have anything along the lines of what ZOOZ offers, an app focused on music and interactivity.

Billboard created the first-ever Music Apps Awards to recognize the most innovative music-focused apps created for smartphones. Here are the finalists in each category:

• Best Branded App - ZOOZbeat Sprite; 50s Sound Lab, Vitamin Water; and Gibson Learn & Master Guitar
• Best Artist-Based App - Linkin Park 8-bit Rebellion; I Am T-Pain; and TouchChords: Jimmie Vaughan
• Best Music Streaming App - Rhapsody: MOG and Thumbplay
• Best Music Engagement App - Tap Tap Reverge 3; SoundHound Infinity and Mix Me In2 Taylor Swift
• Best Music Creation App - LaDiDa; AmpliTube iRig; and MorphWiz
• Best Touring App - Live Phish; R5 and Bonnaroo

The Coca-Cola Co. is the world’s largest beverage company, with nearly 500 sparkling and still brands. The company’s portfolio includes Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid and Georgia Coffee.

Check here for the Billboard Magazine Official Press Release announcing the finalists.

“Our new ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix 3-Pack app - for just $1.99 - allows more people to remix beats, loops and samples from multi-platinum Jackson 5 songs: ABC, Dancing Machine and I Want You Back,” said ZOOZ Mobile, Inc. CEO and President Scott Geller.

“We continue to offer the ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix app for just $4.99 that includes beats, loops and samples from five Jackson 5 songs: ABC, Dancing Machine, I Want You Back, Mama’s Pearl and The Love You Save.”

Plus, when you remix Jackson 5 music with either ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix or ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix 3-Pack, you can enter our ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix Challenge Contest to win your share of $6,000 in cash and Jackson 5 swag. The Grand Prize is $1,500, plus a Jackson 5 Swagger Like Us wearable art “hoodie” sweatshirt, t-shirt and tote bag; and a premium 3-CD Michael Jackson Hello World: The Motown Solo Collection courtesy of Universal Music Enterprises.

To enter the Contest, upload your remixed Jackson 5 song to ZOOZbeat.com between now and Tuesday, June 1, 2010 using the Save/Contest button on either ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix or ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix 3-Pack apps.

In addition to ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix 3-Pack ($1.99) and ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix ($4.99), ZOOZ Mobile offers two additional music remixing apps in the Apple iTunes App Store …

ZOOZbeat app (formerly $1.99: now free through Tuesday, June 29, 2010.) It’s our way of celebrating the third anniversary of the launch of the Apple iPhone on June 29th.

ZOOZbeat Sprite app (free and available through May 31, 2010) - ZOOZ Mobile teamed up with Sprite to launch the first iPhone app to be offered through the Sprite ‘Under the Cap’ promotion and features beats from eight hot Artists including Dallas Austin.

Both new musical instruments were the brain-child of ZOOZ Mobile, Inc. Founder and Chief Technology Officer Dr. Gil Weinberg who is also the Founder and Director of the Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology and both new musical instruments were featured in CNN stories.

Dr. Gil Weinberg

“The ad might read, ‘Percussionist wanted, preferably marimba player, for jazz-influenced band. Must be able to improvise, bob head and wear metal,” writes CNN Reporter Valerie Streit in her April 29, 2010 story. “And the perfect candidate? It may be Shimon, a marimba-playing robot that, despite having four arms, is remarkably human. It has a shiny aluminum-steel head that bobs with the music and acknowledges other people when they’re nearby.”

And, when the new ZOOZbeat app launched in October 2009, CNN Reporter John Sutter wrote: “The iPhone’s accelerometer, which allows users to control apps by titling the phone, makes the ZOOZbeat app possible, said [Dr.] Gil Weinberg, director of the Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology and founder of ZOOZbeat.”

The CNN stories feature video of ‘Shimon’ - the head-bobbing, marimba-playing robot and the ZOOZbeat app.

It’s our way of celebrating the third anniversary of the launch of the Apple iPhone on June 29, 2010.

Buy TOO $HORT Beats in the ZOOZbeat in-App Store

The sale of iPhones and iTunes apps downloads are a huge success. We want to leverage Apple’s success to enable even more ZOOZbeat Musicians - like you - to remix music on the go.

In just the last three months, Apple sold almost 9 million iPhones. “Revenue for the phones made up 40% of Apple’s total business,” according to The Wall Street Journal (4/21/10). “Apple said sales from its iTunes store hit a record $1.1 billion [in the first quarter 2010] due to strong demand for music, video and iPhone apps.”

Since you have both the ZOOZbeat Music reCreation Studio app - and an iPhone or iPod Touch - you can appreciate how ZOOZbeat on an iPhone or iPod Touch can enable everyone, anywhere, to creatively express themselves musically - easily through gesture.

ZOOZbeat Would Like Your Help (Please)

And, while various versions of ZOOZbeat have been downloaded more than 1.4 million times, we would like to dramatically increase the number of ZOOZbeat Musicians in the next 60 days - way beyond 1.4 million.

Because the more ZOOZbeat-enabled musicians, the more likely artists and record labels will want to offer their beats through the ZOOZbeat In-App Store. The more Artists and beats: the more opportunities for you to remix music with the ZOOZbeat app. So, free can be great for everyone!

Please let your family and friends know that the ZOOZbeat app is free now through June 29, 2010 on the Apple iPhone or iPod Touch. And, thanks for ZOOZin’ and sharing your reCreated song at: ZOOZbeat.com.

Postscript 4/28/10 • 11:09 am ET: The ZOOZbeat app is among the Top 40 free music apps in the Apple iTunes App Store.

This means there’s still time for you to download ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix ($4.99) app and enter your Jackson 5 multi-platinum song - with your remix - for your chance to win your share of more than $6,000 in cash and Jackson 5 merchandise - 34 prizes in all!

More Than $6,000 in Cash and Jackson 5 Prize Packs!

• ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 RemixGrand Prize (1) - $1,500, plus a Jackson 5 Swagger Like Us wearable art “hoodie” sweatshirt, t-shirt and tote bag; and a premium 3-CD Michael Jackson Hello World: The Motown Solo Collection courtesy of Universal Music Enterprises.
• Second Prizes (3) - $250, plus a Jackson 5 Swagger Like Us wearable art “hoodie” sweatshirt, t-shirt and tote bag.
• Honorable Mentions (30) - a Jackson 5 Swagger Like Us wearable art “hoodie” sweatshirt, t-shirt and tote bag.

“As easy as ZOOZbeat (4.2) already is for anyone to remix music regardless of musical ability, ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix Apphas new ways to make learning how to remix music easier,” says ZOOZ Mobile Founder and Chief Technology Officer Dr. Gil Weinberg. “First, we added a step-by-step video tutorial to show different way the Jackson 5 beats can be remixed; we also made the music re-creation experience more intuitive and richer - including adding more loops and longer samples from the original Jackson 5 songs as well as reverb, filters and other music re-mixing tools. ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix iPhone app is the next generation of ZOOZbeat.”

For your chance to win, download the new ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix app (US $4.99) and remix the bass, lead vocals, background vocals, keyboard, etc. You can even record your own vocals. The judges will score re-mixed Jackson 5 songs based on a 99 point scale: a) Overall Creativity (33 points); b) Originality (33 points), and: c) Entertainment value (33 points).

The new ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix app includes these five multi-platinum Jackson 5 songs:

• Dancing Machine
• ABC
• I Want You Back
• Mama’s Pearl
• The Love You Save

The new ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix app ($4.99) is available now in the Apple iTunes App Store.

To enter, upload your remixed Jackson 5 song to ZOOZbeat.com between now and Tuesday, June 1, 2010 using the Save/Contest button on the ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix app.

For details, see the Official Rules for the ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix Challenge contest; or visit: ZOOZbeat.com.

[Click Here for the ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix Media Release or visit: ZOOZbeat.com]

More Than $6,000 in Cash and Jackson 5 Prize Packs!

• Grand Prize (1) - $1,500, a Jackson 5 Swagger Like Us wearable art “hoodie” sweatshirt, t-shirt and tote bag; and a premium 3-CD Michael Jackson Hello World: The Motown Solo Collection courtesy of Universal Music Enterprises.
• Second Prizes (3) - $250, a Jackson 5 Swagger Like Us wearable art “hoodie” sweatshirt, t-shirt and tote bag
• Honorable Mentions (30) - a Jackson 5 Swagger Like Us wearable art “hoodie” sweatshirt, t-shirt and tote bag.

“As easy as ZOOZbeat (4.2) already is for anyone to remix music regardless of musical ability, ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix Apphas new ways to make learning how to remix music easier,” says ZOOZ Mobile Founder and Chief Technology Officer Dr. Gil Weinberg. “First, we added a step-by-step video tutorial to show different way the Jackson 5 beats can be remixed; we also made the music re-creation experience more intuitive and richer - including adding more loops and longer samples from the original Jackson 5 songs as well as reverb, filters and other music re-mixing tools. ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix iPhone app is the next generation of ZOOZbeat.”

For your chance to win, download the new ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix app (US $4.99) and remix the bass, lead vocals, background vocals, keyboard, etc. You can even record your own vocals. The judges will score re-mixed Jackson 5 songs based on a 99 point scale: a) Overall Creativity (33 points); b) Originality (33 points), and: c) Entertainment value (33 points).

The new ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix app includes these five multi-platinum Jackson 5 songs:

• Dancing Machine
• ABC
• I Want You Back
• The Live You Save

The new ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix app ($4.99) is available now in the Apple iTunes App Store.

To enter, upload your remixed Jackson 5 song to ZOOZbeat.com betwee now and Saturday, May 1, 2010 using the Save/Contest button on the ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix app.

For details, see the Official Rules for the ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix Challenge Contest; or visit: ZOOZbeat.com.
[Click Here for the ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix Media Release or visit: ZOOZbeat.com]

Austin, TX – SXSW Music Conference – March 19, 2010 – A-B-C. Easy as 1-2-3.  Starting today, Jackson 5 fans can remix five multi-platinum Jackson 5 songs and win over $6,000 in prizes. Universal Music Enterprises and EMI Music Publishing teamed up with ZOOZ Mobile, Inc., developers of the first mobile music studio, to launch ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix for Apple iPhone and iPod Touch users. ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix – the second in a series of custom branded ZOOZbeat music apps – features five Jackson 5 signature songs that helped sell more than 250 million albums worldwide in 40 years: Dancing Machine, ABC, I Want You Back, Mama’s Pearl and The Love You Save. ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix transforms the Apple iPhone or iPod Touch into a mobile music studio, enabling anyone – with or without music training – to remix and re-create their own tracks with beats and samples from pop sensation Jackson 5 featuring Michael Jackson and brothers Jermaine, Jackie, Tito and Marlon.

“The Jackson 5 international phenomenon started with their first four major label singles on Motown all reaching #1 on the pop charts and the next three years every single they released made the Billboard Top 20,” said ZOOZ Mobile CEO & President Scott Geller. “Now, the Jackson 5 will help change how fans experience the Jackson 5 music; by enabling their fans to actively participate in remixing the Jackson 5 music. The new ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix app gives a whole new generation of fans a way to express themselves musically and connect with the Jackson 5 in a personal, interactive music experience.”

Jackson 5 in 1970

The ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix iPhone app works by shaking, tilting or tapping the iPhone screen to create and combine Michael Jackson’s amazing isolated vocals with funky rhythmic tracks, and soulful harmonies that can then be uploaded to the web for listening on ZOOZbeat.com and sharing with friends via Twitter, Facebook, and other social media. ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix is accessible to the visually impaired using Apple’s VoiceOver feature (available on the iPhone 3GS).

“ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix iPhone app is also the next generation of ZOOZbeat,” says ZOOZ Mobile Founder and Chief Technology Officer Dr. Gil Weinberg. “As easy as ZOOZbeat (4.1) already is for anyone to remix music regardless of musical ability, ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix has new ways to make learning how to remix music easier. First, we added a step by step tutorial to show different ways the Jackson 5 beats can be remixed;, we also made the music recreation experience more intuitive and richer – including adding more loops and longer samples from the original Jackson 5 songs as well as reverb, filters and other music remixing tools.”

The ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix app (US $4.99) is available for sale today, March 19, 2010, in the Apple iTunes App Store.

Over $6,000 in Cash and Prizes Available to Contest Winners

ZOOZbeat Musicians will have until Saturday, May 1, 2010 to submit their contest entries, and voting will be open until Tuesday, June 1, 2010 on the ZOOZbeat.com website. Winners will be announced on or around Thursday, July 1, 2010. One Grand Prize Winner will receive a check for $1,500, a Jackson 5 “hoodie” sweatshirt, t-shirt and tote bag, and a premium 3-CD Michael Jackson Hello World: The Motown Solo Collection, three (3) Second Prize Winners will receive $250 checks and a Jackson 5 “hoodie” sweatshirt, t-shirt and tote bag; and thirty (30) Honorable Mention Prize Winners will receive a Jackson 5 “hoodie” sweatshirt, t-shirt and tote bag. Cash prizes courtesy of Zooz Mobile, apparel prizes courtesy of Swagger Like Us, and Michael Jackson CD collection courtesy of Universal Music Enterprises. Please see ZOOZbeat.com for Official Rules including eligibility.

Jackson 5 Prize Pack Tee

Featuring Five Jackson 5 Favorites:

• I Want You Back – sold 6+ million copies worldwide; the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. It was number one on Billboard Magazine’s Hot 100 single chart for the week ending January 31, 1970. Motown Records historian Don Waller called the song, “probably the best pop record every made.”
• ABC – knocked The Beatles song, Let It Be, out of the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970. It was on the Billboard Magazine Soul chart for four weeks. ABC and I Want You Back are among The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
• Dancing Machine – sold 3+ million records and received a Grammy nomination in 1975 for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. The song popularized the physically complicated robot dance technique (devised by Charles Washington) and immortalized by Michael Jackson.
• Mama’s Pearl – it was one of six consecutive top 5 singles for the Jackson 5; reaching number two on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
• The Love You Save – held the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100 single chart for two weeks in 1970; replacing The Long and Winding Road by The Beatles.

Additional Jackson 5 Songs – Later in 2010, Universal Music Enterprise, EMI Music Publishing and ZOOZ Mobile will offer additional Jackson 5 songs within the ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix in-App Store and at ZOOZbeat.com.

Remix Jackson 5 songs for your chance to win your share of $6,000 in cash and prizes.

ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix is the second strategic alliance between ZOOZ Mobile and a major entertainment brand since it launched the new ZOOZbeat app in October 2009. ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix follows the December release of ZOOZbeat Sprite®: the first iPhone app to be offered through Sprite’s ongoing ‘Under the Cap’ promotion where people enter Sprite cap codes via text message to unlock Artist beats from Dallas Austin, Khayree, Alex Christie, Sy Scott, Novel, Sheed, Laron Brant and Spree Wilson.

ZOOZbeat (4.1) features Artist beats from: Too $hort, Easy Star All-Stars, Kutiman, Richard Devine, Street Lotto, and Cato. ZOOZ Mobile is in negotiations with major and indie labels to provide beats from more artists as well as exploring other potential ZOOZbeat custom branded apps.

Various versions of ZOOZbeat have been downloaded more than 1.4 million times since its initial launch on the Apple iTunes App Store. For more information about the ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix app, please visit ZOOZbeat.com.

Continued …

[Click Here for the entire ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix Official Media Release]

[Click Here for the ZOOZbeat Update eNewsletter coverage of ZOOZbeat Jackson 5 Remix App]

Mobile panel participants include:

• Mandar Thakur - Founder, Thakur Company, Mumbai, India
• Scott Geller – CEO & President ZOOZ Mobile, Inc., Atlanta, GA
• Will Mills - Music & Content Director, Shazam Entertainment, London
• Shawn Cooper - Chief Architect, The Mobile Cartel, Toronto, Canada

“CMW is the single longest running and premiere conference focusing on business of Music and New Media, bring together Sound Recording, New Technology and Broadcast for one spectacular week of events,” according to Conference Coordinator Danya Dixon. “Our Conference is for those who truly shape the entertainment industry. The Conference attracts [attendees] from around the world.”

A ZOOZbeat Musician (GamerPops Blog Author Jeff) Writes:

[My question] deals with semi-tones, as in I couldn’t figure out how to do them. In Pro mode [iPhone or iPod Touch held horizontally], it seems that you can only go up or down a full tone from note to note on the graph. Is there a way to work with semi-tones that I missed? One of the things I’m noting is that I can play the Meow Mix jingle (silly, I know : ) on pretty much any [traditional] instrument, but I can’t do it with [the new ZOOZbeat] app because the first four notes of the jingle are C, B, A, G, and C to B is a semitone, and I couldn’t make that work since I could only make it go down from C to B-flat. Not being able to use all 12 semitones in the musical scale could present an issue for some folks if they were trying to create something specific. … I wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing something …

Dr. Gil Writes:

Dr. Gil Weinberg

Currently, different ZOOZbeat beats come in different scales, to make it easier for our ZOOZbeat Musicians like you to create meaningful melodies that fit the song.

For your Meow Mix song, try one of our seven notes scale beats, such as Glitch. Moreover, in our next ZOOZbeat update (by December 25. 2009), we will allow ZOOZbeat Musicians like you to change and customize the scale to your liking, so you will be able to play the Meow Mix song in every genre.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Dr. Gil Weinberg is ZOOZbeat Founder & Chief Technology Officer. Dr. Gil is also the founder of Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology. In his spare time, he enjoys playing jazz on his piano.

Got a question for Dr. Gil? Please email us. All notes will receive a personal reply. If we publish your question, please let us know if we can use your ZOOZbeat Musician name and link to your ZOOZbeat Musician page.