• by Phil Leggiere , November 28, 2006

People speculate about video being the killer app for mobile, but the fact is, people use their cell phones first and foremost not for viewing or even texting, but for listening. For that reason, Evanston, Ill.-based mobile music firm SixtySeven Kilohertz, Inc. believes the true jump-starter for mobile advertising will be music.

The company’s personal music player software lets consumers receive and store music on a wireless network. The software tracks when and where each song on the network is downloaded and played back, and allows short audio ad messages to be inserted between tracks or before or after music plays.

Because usage is tracked not only by the aggregate number of downloads but by artist, music type, or individual song, advertisers have a rich array of targeting possibilities.

“Mobile music downloads open up the option of targeting by individual songs and individual listeners,” says company founder Marc Cohen.