Heavyweight producer Timbaland is bringing his newest sounds to audiences via telephone, creating a new "mobile album" available to Verizon wireless V Cast subscribers.
The Virginia hit maker, who recently buried the hatchet with rival Scott Storch, has been elected as Verizon's mobile producer in residence, a responsibility that will call for him to produce one song per month for the cell phone provider, creating magic in the studio with a different artist each month.
Tim's studio experience will be captured on film, creating making-of footage that will be available on Timbaland's channel for V Cast subscribers. For Timbo, the new deal offers him the opportunity to reach even more listeners, while also making history.
"Every place don't get a CD [but] everybody has a mobile phone," Timbaland said in an interview with Billboard.com. "Just producing a mobile album has never been done. I'm the first to ever do it."
Unlike traditional albums, V Cast subscribers will be able to access the new mobile tracks just days after they are produced, in the form of full-length download, ringtone and ringback. All Timbaland mobile tracks are accessible only via V Cast and Verizon, and fans can look forward to a mobile compilation album at the end of the year.
The new Verizon deal will call for Timbaland to cover some familiar ground, pairing him with artists from Interscope Records, the label that released his Grammy-nominated Shock Value and distributes his Mosley Music imprint. Interscope will also determine if songs will be worked to radio during the exclusive period, or more broadly distributed afterward.
"How I prepare for [the new album] is, I just do it, like any other album," Timbaland told Billboard. "The only difference is it's immediate... "I'm just going to have fun with it. I'll just do what comes in mind."
In related news, Tim's last album Shock Value has been nominated for five awards at this Sunday's (Feb. 10) 50th Annual Grammy Awards. Timbaland has also been nominated for Producer of the Year.