Sing When You’re Ringing

Published 29th March 2006

Ring ‘n Sing™ telephone karaoke pits your voice against the stars...

Singing enthusiasts can now test their ability to carry a tune by pitching their favourite song over the phone, promising a lucrative revenue opportunity for media and telecommunications firms.

The Ring ‘n Sing service has been developed by UK speech recognition specialist VoxGen, in association with Vocability, a leading provider of hosted speech applications in the Benelux. It promises to cash in on the popularity of talent shows, which are gripping audiences across the globe.

The first phone-based game of its kind uses a pitch-tracking algorithm to compare different voices and score each one against a professional artist. For the user, this means calling a number and selecting the song from those on offer. After listening to the song, they then sing their version down the line. The system compares the two renditions before giving a mark out of ten.

The application is highly customisable, so it can be adapted to the specific needs of each client. At the same time it enjoys low set-up costs helping firms to maximise revenues.

“The massive impact of TV talent shows is evidence that people want to show off their skills,” said Maarten H. Schuiling, Managing Director at Vocability. “This new service allows people to use a traditional communications channel to discover a new form of entertainment, and perhaps even become a star!”

Ring ‘n Sing has been developed by VoxGen and the technology works for any voice and any song in any language so its success with Vocability in Holland should quickly expand to other nations and languages.

“There are a variety of business models that can benefit from a speech recognition solution, and this is an example of how the technology is increasingly being used beyond simple transactional procedures,” said Simon Loopuit, CEO at VoxGen. “The potential of the technology is more advanced than people realise, and the research and expertise that have gone into Ring ‘n Sing have taken the concept to another level. This opens the door for the development of more diverse applications.”

To try out the Ring ‘n Sing service for yourself just call 0870 350 2560 or visit www.voxgen.com for further details.