When words aren't enough: GetaBuz sends musical voice mail

PALM DESERT, Calif.--Like so many mobile trends, GetaBuz has its genesis in the creativity of teenagers.

GetaBuz licenses hit songs from major record labels and allows users to record personalized voice mail greetings and messages over the song, which cost $1 to $3 each.

It's a smoother way of doing what teens had already figured out--they wanted to send clips of songs to their friends from their mobile phones, Steve Ehrlich, co-founder of Buz Interactive, told me.

I got a quick demo, and the interface is pretty smooth. Just choose a song and record a message--up to 30 seconds--with any microphone. No mic? GetaBuz has a feature that calls you at any phone number and prompts you to record the greeting. Once that's uploaded, you can "mix" your voice and selected song, and send it off. The message you send shows up in your recipient's voice mailbox without ringing.

I received my recorded Buz on my phone, no problem, but my one complaint is the quality of the music file: nothing to write, er, call home about.