BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhuanet) -- The internet calling firm Skype announced a broad set of agreements with recording firms and began offering ringtones of Madonna Wednesday.

    The licensing deals are with Warner/Chappell Music, EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music, and the MCPS-PRS Alliance, which oversees song licensing and distribution of royalties in the U.K.

    Skype, which was purchased by eBay last October will have more artists slated to follow Madonna.

    Under the deal, users of Skype's popular VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) application can buy a greater selection of ringtones.

    World-renowned recording artists from Warner Music Group can now be downloaded as ringtones to Skype users in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, and Poland and within weeks to the rest of Skype's more than 94.6 million registered users worldwide.

    Skype is offering several Madonna songs, ranging from one of her first singles, 1983's "Lucky Star," to her newest, "Sorry," for 1.86 dollars, at personal.skype.com.

    Eventually, the ringtone selection will broaden to include artists such as Green Day, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and more from the publishers' catalogs, Skype said. Enditem

(Agencies)