Seven years ago, Lilly Allen and Arctic Monkeys became household names on the back of using the social networking site MySpace to bring their music to a wider audience. Now a fresh generation of artists are using new technologies to get their music out there and British indie band, The Kayas, are set to be first band in the world to use revolutionary new technology that enables consumers to scan and download their music using special barcodes.

The barcodes will appear on the screen during their television adverts and music videos and can be scanned using mobile phones.

QR Coding is a special matrix barcode, readable by QR barcode readers and camera phones, which appears as a square pattern on a white background and the encoded information can be text, URL or other data.

QR coding has just started to be used by brands to get more information from consumers or enter a competition but The Kayas are the first to use it for fans to access a free download of their music.

The code will appear in the band’s video for their debut single ‘I Have Been Waiting’ and in television adverts on MTV, MTV Rocks, MTV Hits, VH1, NME and SCUZZ. When prospective fans scan the barcode direct from their screens they will be directed to an iTunes link where they will be given a link to the freely downloadable B side track ‘Gotta Get Out’.

For the first time in music industry history a band are using QR codes on their music videos and MTV adverts so that prospective fans can download free tracks the second they hear it. Here is a link to the advert so that you can see how simple it is to use:

QR coding is still in its infancy but The Kayas hope that being the first artists to embrace this new digital technology will mean that music fans will be able to respond to their tracks instantly and that this will build their already impressive fan base.

“We are the first band to make it possible to download music directly from our music videos and adverts and that this will open a dialogue with a whole new audience who as well as getting the free download will also be able to automatically join up with our Facebook fan page and Twitter feed,” says Ad Edwards front man of The Kayas

“It's simple. Fans watch the video or advert, use the barcode scanner on their phones and can be listening to our music on their phones or MP3 players moments later. It’s about embracing the new digital world and taking advantage of emerging technology to increase downloads and sales.”

“Nowadays music fans want more from bands,” add Concept Television Studios “If your music is good then people will always want more of it, but in a busy music market with lots of bands jostling for position they have to find out about you first. Today people want more than just visual and audio stimulation - they want the band to feel engaged with them and part of their lives. Music fans want things now – they don’t want to wait until they’re next in the shops or in front of their computer at home. Whether they are watching the ad at home, at a friend’s house or on a big screen showing music TV at a bar, they can scan the code to their phone, download the free track and be listening to our music within minutes.”