Ad2One will sell across dedicated mobile sites including those for the label's artists Justin Timberlake, Pink and Westlife. Sony BMG also represents Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera and Judas Priest.
It is the first time a record label has sold third-party ads on its mobile sites and follows Sony BMG's move to sell ads on its artists' websites.
Sony BMG is getting into mobile before it takes off as a major advertising medium. Many dedicated mobile operators are only trialling advertising on their WAP portals, while individual WAP sites struggle to gain enough traffic to justify advertising. This is in contrast to the label's decision to take third-party ads online, which comes at a mature time for the web market.
Sony BMG said recently that advertising would go live throughout its portfolio of websites, yet ads have still to appear. It is thought that advertising on the label's mobile sites could go live within a month.
The win would also mark Ad2One's first move into mobile. It is understood that mobile clients will be handled under Screen, the video-focused part of Ad2One that has just been created. Jon Wildman, ex-head of Discovery Networks Europe's UK operation, was hired last week to head Screen.
Ad2One will add Sony BMG to entertainment clients that include Last.fm, Discovery Channel and NME.com. Sony BMG's move into mobile also marks a boost for mobile advertising, which has flattered to deceive for years. Operators Orange and 3 currently sell ads on their portals, while others including O2 and Vodafone are trialling formats.
Last month, Sony BMG changed its policy so that it would not accept demos from artists on physical formats such as CDs. Instead, it launched a blogging service where musicians can write about their music and submit their work for consideration by music executives.
Sony BMG's increased reliance on digital is the latest symptom of falling CD sales. Record labels have tried to open alternative revenue streams. Bebo last month became the first social network to sell music directly to its users after striking deals with major record labels.
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