60 Ringtones Go Gold and Platinum in Canada With New Awards

    CRIA unveils ringtone certification program celebrating mobile music

    TORONTO, April 22 /CNW/ - A new Gold/Platinum awards program for mobile
ringtones was unveiled today by the Canadian Recording Industry Association
(CRIA). The program, which celebrates the most popular ringtones as measured
by sales, kicked off with 43 ringtones awarded Platinum certification - 15 of
them achieving Double-Platinum or higher - and another 17 ringtones awarded
Gold.
    Platinum certification is awarded for sales of 40,000 ringtones and Gold
for 20,000 ringtones.
    "Ringtones are another way Canada's recording industry is getting music
to fans where they want it and how they want it," said CRIA President Graham
Henderson. "The new awards program celebrates not only the artists behind the
most popular ringtones, but also the burgeoning genre of mobile music and the
fans who are discovering it."
    Canada's music industry is working actively with wireless service
providers to make more music available to more fans on their mobile phones.
Sales of master ringtones - original song recordings downloaded by mobile
phone subscribers to replace standard ring sounds - represented approximately
45 percent of Canada's digital music sales in 2007.
    "Canada's music industry is working hard to build a stronger legitimate
digital music marketplace in this country," Henderson said. "The recognition
of top-selling ringtones is another step forward in bringing digital music
sales into the consumer mainstream."

    The first Gold and Platinum-certified ringtones include:

    -   Smack That (Akon) - 8X Platinum
    -   Sexy Back (Justin Timberlake) - 6X Platinum
    -   Ridin' (Chamillionaire) - 6X Platinum
    -   This is Why I'm Hot (Mims) - 5X Platinum
    -   Promiscuous (Nelly Furtado) - 3X Platinum
    -   Temperature (Sean Paul) - 3X Platinum
    -   Beautiful Girls (Sean Kingston) - 3X Platinum
    -   Crazy (Gnarls Barkley) - 2X Platinum
    -   Girlfriend (Avril Lavigne) - 2X Platinum
    -   Paralyzer (Finger Eleven) - Platinum
    -   You're Beautiful (James Blunt) - Platinum
    -   Make it Rain (Fat Joe) - Platinum
    -   Ms. New Booty (Bubba Sparxxx) - Gold

    The full list of Gold and Platinum ringtone certifications will be posted
to www.cria.ca.
    "While the online and mobile formats are still just a small though
growing part of music sales in Canada, they offer hope to artists and the
recording industry of brighter days ahead," Henderson said.

    About the Canadian Recording Industry Association

    The Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) promotes the interests
of Canadian record companies.

    ------------------------------------------------------------
             Digital Certification Program - Sales Levels
    ------------------------------------------------------------
    CERTIFICATION      DIGITAL DOWNLOAD     MASTER RINGTONE
    LEVEL
    ------------------------------------------------------------
    Gold                   20,000                20,000
    ------------------------------------------------------------
    Platinum               40,000                40,000
    ------------------------------------------------------------
    Double Platinum        80,000                80,000
    ------------------------------------------------------------
    Triple Platinum       120,000               120,000
    ------------------------------------------------------------
    Platinum x 4          160,000               160,000
    ------------------------------------------------------------
    Platinum x 5          200,000               200,000
    ------------------------------------------------------------
    Platinum x 6          240,000               240,000
    ------------------------------------------------------------
    Platinum x 7          280,000               280,000
    ------------------------------------------------------------
    Platinum x 8          320,000               320,000
    ------------------------------------------------------------
    Platinum x 9          360,000               360,000
    ------------------------------------------------------------
    Diamond               400,000               400,000
    ------------------------------------------------------------
    Double Diamond        800,000               800,000
    ------------------------------------------------------------

For further information: Don Hogarth, Hogarth Communications, (416)
565-8920, don@hogarthpr.com