Wohnout's Karton veverek album available at www.t-music.cz

• The album released by T-Mobile and Soundmachine can be downloaded at www.t-music.cz beginning 1 March  
• T-Mobile and Wohnout are testing a new method of releasing music
• The price of individual tracks and the entire album is determined by fans
• The tracks are in MP3 format without digital rights management (DRM) protection

Prague, 2 March 2009 - The new album titled Karton veverek by the popular Czech band Wohnout will be available for downloading in digital format at the www.t-music.cz music portal beginning 1 March 2009. The price of the album and individual tracks is determined by the fans. The album will be released on a standard CD one month later. The album may be downloaded by both T‑Mobile's and other operators' customers and paid for via a Premium SMS.

"The ?pay-as-much-as-you-think-the-band-deserves' model was first used by Radiohead some time ago and we followed this experiment with great interest," says Michal Němec, Vice President Mobile Portal & Content Services at T-Mobile, commenting on the project.

The band's singer, Honza Homola, is glad that it was Wohnout who had the chance to carry out this revolutionary project in collaboration with T-Mobile. "The future of downloading music is a frequently discussed issue. We have brought the future into the present. With the support of a strong sponsor, we can afford to do the same thing as Radiohead. We probably would not be so bold if we were releasing the album on our own."

However, neither the band nor the publishing companies have the slightest idea of the amount that will be paid by the fans during the first month. "We have set up a small betting pool for that at T-Mobile," says Michal Němec with a smile, adding: "We are really curious how much people will be willing to pay for Karton veverek."  If Honza Homola was one of the fans downloading the album, he would pay a hundred crowns. He's not making any predictions. "It is very much like sailing into uncharted waters. New things are received with and caution. If they are accepted, they are later perceived as normal. By this I mean that this method of releasing albums may be common after some time. Maybe."

All tracks from the Karton veverek album will be available for download in MP3 format and without DRM protection against copying. "The entire album and individual tracks may be downloaded by anyone - whether customers of T-Mobile or other operators. Payment is made with a Premium SMS," says Michal Němec. If a fan wants to pay, for example, CZK 99 for the entire album, he or she will send a SMS with KARTON to 900 11 99 and CZK 99 will be deducted from his or her credit or invoiced at the end of the billing period.

The album's release does not by any means mark the end of collaboration between t-music and Wohnout. Another t-music tour headlined by Wohnout and UDG starts in the second half of April. The t-music Wohnout and UDG tour will cover seven venues, including the Small Sports Arena in Prague.

After the project ends, T-Mobile will publish its results. "We would also like to create a discussion platform with the participation of music publishers, selected producers and other persons active in the music industry," says Michal Němec, revealing T-Mobile's plans.  

About Wohnout
Wohnout was formed thirteen years ago and still has its original line-up. The band has released five albums and one DVD and its members have been involved in various side projects. Wohnout came to the attention of audiences mainly thanks to their frequent concerts in clubs, arenas and at festivals, where they are now regular headliners. Wohnout's members are Matěj Homola (vocals, guitar), Zdenek Steiner (drums), Jiří Zeman (bass) and Jan Homola (vocals, guitar).

t-music
t-music represents all music-related activities of T-­Mobile intended particularly for young people for whom music comprises an important part of their lives.
The www.t-music.cz portal features caller tunes and ringtones, and the t­-music chart with video clips and music-related news. An integral part of this portal is t-music PLAY!, the largest Czech digital-music outlet, offering more than one million songs by more than 60,000 artists from around the world.
Through t-­music, T­-Mobile presents concerts of Czech and foreign artists, supports music festivals and, through the www.stage.cz portal, also new singers and bands.

For more information, please visit www.t-music.cz.

T-Mobile Czech Republic, a member of the international telecommunications group Deutsche Telekom, has almost 6.2 million customers, the number-one operator in the Czech market. T-Mobile is an integrated operator: in addition to telecommunications services, it offers comprehensive ICT solutions not only for companies, but also for other organizations and individuals. It provides outstanding services in the high-speed network, which was proved repeatedly by benchmark testing performed by umlaut (former P3) with Best-in-Test seal.

T-Mobile Czech Republic places emphasis on taking a responsible approach to the environment and society. It adheres to fair business practices, helps beneficial applications and services to see the light of day, supports non-profit organizations, small businesses and individuals, and lends a helping hand whenever crisis situations arise. The company’s employees serve as volunteers in many places across the entire Czech Republic.

More information about the company is available at www.t-mobile.cz, www.t-press.cz (the portal for journalists) and www.t-mobile.cz/pomahame (information on the company’s CSR activities).

Contact details of the press unit: press@t-press.cz.