Adva Mobile Home
Below is detailed Q&A which we believe should answer every question you may come up with. Let us know if we missed something!

Artists

  • What is a Mobile Fan Club?
    A mobile fan club is a new way for you to reach your fans and connect with them in a relevant and personal way. In addition to your fans trying to find you on the web through MySpace, you can reach out to them directly by sending text messages, content, and useful information right to their cell phones.
  • Who can use it?
    Anyone can use our mobile marketing service for music artists. It's free to the fan and free to the band. (In fact you might even make some money!)
  • How much does it cost?
    It's free. Music Artists pay nothing for the service. Fans need to be able to text message and have the Internet on their mobile phones, and the cell phone companies charge for message and data plans, but that's it. Fans are probably already paying for message and data plans.
  • Why use Adva Mobile?
    Your fans want to hear from you and you can reach them on their mobile phones. Their mobile phones are with them all the time and they're excited to hear from you about new gigs, tour dates, updates on the band activities, and new free content you may want to offer them. You have a web presence – MySpace – but no mobile presence – until now!
  • Who is Adva Mobile?
    We are a software company in the Boston area started to help music artists create closer relations with their fans through new services available on mobile phones, including text messaging, mobile webpages, and mobile content downloaded right to your cell phone.
  • In which countries is the service available?
    Right now, we only work in the United States. However, music is everywhere and we expected to expand quickly to the rest of the world and most of the habitated planets.
  • What about privacy?
    Adva Mobile has a comprehensive privacy policy intended to protect your privacy and the privacy of your fans. We will never sell or otherwise provide lists of personal information about bands or fans to anyone. We do collect information about your fans, and on a non-individual basis, use that information to provide them relevant advertising on your mobile webpages. You can read our complete privacy policy at AdvaMobile.com/Privacy.
  • How does the service work?
    For music artists, the service lets them go to our website to view AdvaMobile.com and create a keyword (usually their band name), use our shortcode 88704 and create mobile webpages that will provide fans with interesting information, recommendations, gigs, and free content. The site also lets music artists set up a schedule for sending regular text messages to the fans who have signed up for their mobile fan club. These text messages include links to your mobile webpages, which can be (and should) be updated on a fairly regular basis, just as you update your MySpace and web pages.
  • What is a mobile internet page?
    A "mobile" internet page is a web page that was designed or optimized to be viewed on mobile phones. Regular web pages have way too much information to display on the small screen of a mobile phone - don't you agree!
  • What’s a text message (SMS), Keyword & Shortcode?
    SMS is short for Short Message Service. If your phone supports SMS, you can send or receive short text messages (up to 160 characters in length) using your mobile phone. This is also known as "Text Messaging" or "SMS Texting".
    A keyword is the unique string of letters and/or numbers that you send within the body of a text message to a shortcode (such as 88704). A keyword is associated to a specific mobile product (such as a ringtone) or a service (such as subscribing to your favorite artist's mailing list or when entering a sweepstakes). Your keyword will usually be your band name, unless it’s too long (no one wants to text echoandthebunnymen.)
    A shortcode is a unique string of numbers, like a phone number, that identifies a provider of mobile services to mobile phone customers. The Adva Mobile shortcode is 88704. You can text a unique keyword to this shortcode to receive a specific product.
    To summarize: When you hear a promotion like: Text McAlister to 88704 to join our mobile fan club, the shortcode is 88704 and the keyword is McAlister.
  • How do I sign up for the service?
    You can start by going to AdvaMobile.com and clicking on the Join tab. Give us your MySpace URL and we’ll set you up.
  • How does registration work?
    You choose a username, email and give us your MySpace URL. We will send you an activation email to the email you gave us. if you didn't receive the email, go to our Recover Password page and you can send yourself a new password. Once you got your username and password, you can login. You can also then change your password.
  • What’s ready for me?
    Everything you need to start your mobile fan club. Give us your MySpace ID and will go build you an initial set of mobile webpages and give you a keyword and all the tools you need to start promoting your mobile fan club including promotional ideas and widgets for your MySpace and Facebook pages.
  • Can I start promoting? How?
    You'll need to build up your mobile fan club in order to connect with them. Be sure to shout out at the concerts to get your fans to sign up right at the show. Watch the shoutout movie on our web site. And, we've given you a widget to put on your Facebook and MySpace pages. Every time you use your MySpace or web URL, in print, listings, posters etc. you should use your keyword and short code to help get the word out.
  • How do I create mobile web pages?
    We can create a number of mobile web pages for you automatically when you give us your MySpace URL. You can modify these, and create new pages using our mobile webpage creation tool. As we add more and more features to this tool, you'll be able to do more and more things with your mobile webpages to make it interesting for your fans.
  • Can I sell music or merchandise using this service?
    Yes you can! We have an easy and secure way for your fans to purchase and pay for your merchandise with our integration to PayPal. All you need to do is setup your items for sale on the artist portal. To learn more click here.
  • What content can I give my fans and how?
    Anything in a file format that you can upload to our server can be offered up to your fans, including music, videos, ring tones, wallpaper, pictures, etc. We recommend you keep this to under 4Mb until the cellular networks improve their bandwidth, as anything bigger than that takes a really long time to download for your fans.
  • What about DRM, licensing, sharing etc.?
    We are not managing DRM for you so we presume that the content you're offering for free to your fans is DRM free and okay to pass around. If you want to offer content with rights managements you can link to the services that offer your content for sale, like iTunes or Amazon.
  • What kind of content will my fans like?
    Your fans are interested in everything about you. Of course, they want your music, but short videos -- everything from goofing off in the studio to small interviews - is especially interesting to your fans. Pictures, wallpapers, links to YouTube - be creative, and be consistent with them and they will reward you with loyalty.
  • How do I create campaigns?
    With MySpace, you update your MySpace page so that when your fans find you there the information is current. Mobile fan clubs are different than MySpace, because you can reach out to them, but the information you send them has to be fresh, current, and accurate. So you should think about sending them a message every 2 to 4 weeks with new news and content. Adva Mobile gives you all the tools to create ongoing campaigns so that you can send out text alerts that link to mobile webpages on a regular basis. You can even schedule these to go out in advance.
  • How often should I create campaigns?
    Fans tell us it's okay to contact them every 2 to 4 weeks with new news. However, if you got some latebreaking news, they're anxious to hear about it right away so don't hesitate to send out a text blast with news, shows, songs, and your multimillion dollar record deal announcement.
  • How can I make money?
    When your mobile fan club has 1000 fans, we will start sharing our advertising revenue with you. Your fans see small ads in the mobile webpages and one way Adva Mobile makes money by presenting these ads. If your fan club is this size or larger, we will pass along 20% of what we make on these ads.
  • How do I get paid?
    When you have made at least $100 we will send out a check or do a transfer to your bank account. We haven't set it up yet, but will set up a page for you to securely pass along information that would let us pay you.
  • Do I have to be 18 to sign up?
    No! But you do have to be at least 18 years old to do a financial transaction.
  • What reports are available to me?
    We're planning a very robust tool for report generation telling you everything you need to know about the growth of your mobile fan club. Stay tuned!
  • Do the numbers I acquire belong to me?
    Yes. Our Privacy Policy, with which you agree, describes how you can use personal information of fans, but the numbers you acquire are yours and we will not message your fans except on your behalf.

Fans

  • Who is Adva Mobile?
    We are a software company in the Boston area started to help music artists create closer relations with their fans through new services available on mobile phones, including text messaging, mobile webpages, and mobile content downloaded right to your cell phone.
  • What is the fan experience?
    This is a great experience for the fan. Fans text their favorite bands keyword to our short code 88704 and get a text message back from the band with a link to the band’s mobile website. From there, you can explore information about the band, download free stuff from the band, and share it with your friends. You'll be asked if you want to join the club and if you do, you get a text message every 2 to 4 weeks from the band. The text message has a link to their mobile web site with updates and new information.
  • What does it cost me?
    The service is free to use from Adva. You will need to have a data plan to access the mobile Internet and also be able to text message from your phone. Typically, these services are charges from your wireless operator. You may already be subscribed to these services.
  • How does the service work?
    For fans, the service lets them text to the band and receive text messages back that include links to mobile webpages. From here, they can download content and explore information about the band, whatever the band chooses to share. If you sign up for the mobile fan club, you will get a text message every 2 to 4 weeks with new information, gig dates, and content from the band.
  • Can I download content (movies, tracks, images) to my phone?
    Yes you can! In addition to music, fans tell us they are especially interested in short video clips and other pieces of snackable content like pictures, wallpaper, and ringtones. Some wireless operators do not allow you to download content to your phone. Sorry about that. We hope that will change someday too.
  • What phones are supported?
    Our service uses the mobile web, so it works with virtually every phone that can access the mobile web. You don't have to install a special application on your phone to use our service.
  • Which carriers are supported?
    We support all the major USA carriers including Alltel, AT&T Mobility, Boost Mobile, Cellular One, Cincinnati Bell, Cricket, Nextel, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, and Virgin Mobile.
  • Do I need a special plan?
    Your wireless plan has to allow you to text message and also give you access to the Internet. Otherwise, there's nothing special about your plan to use our service.
  • How can I try the service?
    You can try the service by texting your favorite bands keyword to our short code 88704. For example, text "getAdva" to 88704. If your favorite bands do not yet have an Adva Mobile keyword, go to the For Fans page on our website and tell us who they are. We will contact them and talk them into starting a mobile fan club with us.
  • I keep getting an error message. What’s wrong?
    You need to have a monthly plan with your wireless phone company that allows text messaging and a data plan so that you can browse the mobile web. If you don't have these, you'll get an error message. If you do, maybe there's something wrong with service, so let us know right away!
  • How can I join a band fan club?
    Most likely you will start by texting the band keyword to 88704, but you could also join on our website. We need to send you a second text asking you to join because the rules for mobile messages require you to opt into these kinds of messaging programs. Then, once you're a member, you'll get a message from your favorite bands every 2 to 4 weeks.
  • What about privacy?
    Adva Mobile has a comprehensive privacy policy intended to protect your privacy and the privacy of your fans. We will never sell or otherwise provide lists of personal information about bands or fans to anyone. We do collect information about your fans, and on a non-individual basis, use that information to provide them relevant advertising on your mobile webpages. You can read our complete privacy policy at AdvaMobile.com/Privacy.
  • What if I have questions?
    You can text "HELP" to our short code 88704, e-mail us at support@advamobile.com, write to us to us at Adva Mobile Corporation, Box 5095, Wayland, MA 01778, call us at 1-877-752-5116, or try to find answers through this FAQ page.
  • What if I have more questions?
    We could meet you face to face at a local Starbucks in the west of Boston suburbs (HAHA).
  • How can I leave a band fan club?
    It's simple. Text your band name and STOP to 88704.
  • How can I leave all fan clubs I signed up for?
    Also simple. Text STOP to 88704.
  • Is it legal to download content to my phone, can I set it as my ringtone or share it?
    Music artists that offers you free content do so without Digital Rights Management (DRM), meaning you are free to distribute it however you choose, so that's okay. Music artists that offer you songs for sale really hope that you will respect their rights and not share it with your friends.
  • How can I download content (music, images etc.) to my phone?
    When a music artist offers content for you to download, typically this will be a link that allows you to just download the music. Today, on the iPhone , you can download the music and stream it but you can't save it to your phone if you downloaded over the air. You have to download it to iTunes on your PC and then sideload it to your phone. Also, some wireless operators, do not allow you to download free content for your phone. So you have to downloaded to your PC and then sideload it.
  • What if an error occurred?
    If something went wrong, you can e-mail us and we will send it to you in an e-mail, or you can get it from our website.
  • Can I send comments, content or anything else to my band?
    Not right now, but soon we will have a service where you can send them a message.
  • How can I tell my friends?
    We have a feature called SHARE. It's right on the band's mobile homepage. If you give us your Twitter or Facebook credentials, we will set your status to let your friends know you found some cool free new music and your favorite band.
  • What else can I expect from the service?
    Oh, lots of cool new stuff is coming down the pike! Soon you can vote in contests, buy tickets and merchandise, etc. We’ll let you know.
  • Do I have to be 18 to sign up?
    No! But you do have to be at least 18 years old to do a financial transaction.
  • Does the Artist know my phone number?
    Yes, if they ask for it. And, they may have collected it separately from Adva Mobile (through a sign up sheet, for example.) Our Privacy Policy, with which they and you agree, describes how they can use personal information of fans.