Cingular Wirelesss on Tuesday introduced a ring-tone service that would deliver music singles either before they are released or simultaneous with their debut on the radio.

The Atlanta-based company plans to kick off the service with a 30-second ring tone from "Speed of Sound," the lead single from the rock band Coldplay's upcoming album "X&Y." The album is scheduled for release June 7.

The service will offer songs from artists spanning a variety of musical styles, including alternative rock, hip-hop, rhythm and blues, pop, Latin and country. The program also will include weekly text-message updates from participating artists.

Ring tones have become popular among mobile-phone users, who often pay a one-time download fee to get their favorite tunes. Consumers are expected to spend about $1 billion a year on ring tones by 2008, and an equal amount on games, according to market researcher Yankee Group.

Cingular, which is a joint venture between SBC Communications and BellSouth, charges a download fee of $1.99 to $2.49 for each ring tone, plus a charge for the number of kilobytes or minutes used to download the tune to a wireless phone. Cingular has content deals with major record labels, including EMI Music, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music.