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LISMO is an online music service provided by au, a Japanese mobile phone brand run by KDDI, a Japanese telecommunication company. This service uses a mobile phone as a music player. This service was introduced on January 19, 2006, and the service began operating at the end of January in Japan. The first mobile phone which supports LISMO was sold on January 26, 2006. Since 2008, KDDI and Okinawa Cellular introduced 'LISMO Video', a new service with new means to enjoy video content as well.
Contents
- Name
- Setting of mascot
- Supported phones
- Function overview
- File format
- Core services
- Internationalization
- Some issues
- Commercials
- References
In April 2013, KDDI acquired Taiwanese streaming service KKBOX. The LISMO and KKBOX services were merged under the KKBOX name. KKBOX is now expanding into other Asian markets.
Name
LISMO is short for au Listen Mobile service. The "LIS" in "LISMO" is pronounced the same as "risu", the Japanese word for "squirrel".
Setting of mascot
The mascot of this service is LISMO-kun. It is a silhouette of a squirrel carrying an orange logo with earphones connected to it. Some original goods of this mascot are sold only at the "LISMO FOREST" of KDDI Designing Studio.
Supported phones
LISMO is supported only by CDMA 1X WIN phones.
Function overview
This system provides the following functions;
File format
Under investigation
The music file has .KMF extension on the phone and becomes .KDR on the PC, the codec is HE-AAC with 48 kbit/s bitrate, which is same as au's full track ringtone service.
Core services
Internationalization
This service is available only in Japan as of January 2006.
Some issues
Although all phones in Japan have an option to switch to English, phones from AU are not truly bilingual. Phones from AU use same software for all phone models (e.g. LISMO player, etc.). This software has not been translated. Thus, it is not easy for non-speakers of Japanese to use it as compared to in-built music players provided by AU competitors (such as NTT Docomo, Softbank, etc.)
Commercials
LISMO commercials, which changes approx. every 3 months, use many songs by J-pop artists. On March 5, 2008, an album titled Best of LISMO! was released. The album contains all 10 songs used in LISMO commercials that aired by the Summer 2007.
List of songs used in the commercial (in order of which the commercial aired):
- Hana - Orange Range
- Ishindenshin - Orange Range
- Keep Tryin' - Hikaru Utada
- By My Melody - Ken Hirai
- Mikazuki - Ayaka
- Lovers Again - Exile
- Cherry - Yui
- Tashika ni - Angela Aki
- Stay with Me - Kumi Koda