"If music be the food of love, play on." Today�s marketers have picked up this one vital tip from William Shakespeare. What else would explain the huge amounts splurged on the promotion of remixes? So while the music industry remains divided on the ethics of the issue, the genre is evolving into a powerful marketing tool.

In rhythm with the remix rage, Rs 633-crore Motorola India, manufacturer of mobile handsets and accessories, has tied up with EMI Music India to promote its newly launched E398 phone via a remix music album. It has launched Motomix, a specially designed music CD featuring popular remixes composed by DJ Aqeel. While the Motomix CD is priced at Rs 125, the audio cassette version wears a price tag of Rs 55. Amit Kumar, Shaan, Annamika and Nitin Bali are among the prominent artistes featured in the album. (The tracks include hit Bollywood songs such as Kabhi Aar Kabhi Paar, Leke Pehla Pehla Pyar, Rangeela Re). "Motomix and the latest ad are the first step in treating music as a fundamental part of Motorola�s product offering," says a company spokesperson. ... more