KILLER APP.: New Service Links Radio To Downloads Via Cell SMS

In what could prove to be a killer app. for broadcasters, iTunes is in talks with  P1 SMS, a text-messaging system that allows listeners to instantly purchase songs they hear on the radio.

When a song comes on the radio, cell users can text a five-digit trigger word like the station’s call letters. They get back a menu related to the song like full-track downloads, ringtones, concert tickets, CDs, and soon videos. At least three companies Vibes Media, Zoove, and mSna are working with stations to establish a SMS link between the radio and the cell phone, but thus far only P1 SMS monetizes the relationship. View an online demo here.

Sources: Red Herring, P1 SMS