The J@pan Inc Music Media Watch Newsletter has an interesting feature about the increasing use of QR codes to promote music in Japan (QR Codes being a two-dimensional barcode). “Many mastertone and full-song mobile download sites have magazine tie-ups in which a QR code is included in an article or advertisement to provide a free song or listening sample. Local indie bands include a code on their flyers linking to their mobile sites. Several CDs here include codes that link to ‘extras’ such as mastertones, videotones and artist wallpaper.” It seems to be a good way for indie artists to offer samples of their music.
Napster Japan and Tower Records have a promotion involving posters of a QR codes and a line saying things like “A song for when you just can’t keep that feeling inside anymore!” The idea being to capture people’s attention long enough for them to take a picture, and then follow up the link at their leisure. That’s a lot less intrusive than Bluetooth marketing, but does require a bit more effort (and an over the air download) by the consumer, so it is likely to be a while before it takes off anywhere else.
The newsletter also links to a couple of articles in Japanese… KDDI now has 10 million FM radio-enabled handsets on the market, and an online streaming music vendor Nifty has gone mobile.