Sony Ericsson and Orange search for new music talent

Sony Ericsson and Orange are sponsoring a competition to find new music talent in the UK. MobileAct Unsigned will air on Channel 4 and will allow viewers to download tracks and vote for their favourite bands.

The show, which will launch in October, will appear on Channel 4’s T4 and 4Music strands and will be presented by Alex Zane. The search for the brand will be led by a panel of “credible” musicians and music mentors, which has yet to be revealed.

The competition aims to find young bands that write and create their own music. There will be 50 bands in the finals, 25 chosen by the public and 25 by the expert panel. The winning band will receive a record deal with a major record label.

The sponsorship is part of Orange and Sony Ericsson’s ongoing music partnership, which launched last year to promote the Walkman handsets and the mobile operator’s download service, Orange Music Store.

The campaign will use content from the show across TV, online and mobile and will promote three new Sony Ericsson Walkman phones, the W660i, the W910i and the W580i. The show will be filmed using two cameras, one for TV and one for creating mobile and online content.