Nokia, the world's largest manufacturer of mobile telephones, and Sony BMG, the world’s second larges record label, will work together on “Comes With Music”, a handset which Nokia plans to launch in the second half of 2008.
Both companies made statements announcing that they will team up on this one.
"We think this business model will encourage users to sample a wide range of material, expand their musical tastes, and listen to more music than ever before," said Thomas Hesse, Sony BMG's President of Global Digital Business.
Nokia customers who will purchase a “Comes With Music” mobile device will be granted 12-months free access to the music catalogues of Sony BMG as well as Universal Music Group, the first to sign such a deal.
The customers of the device will be able to download tracks to their mobile phones as well as on their computers. The music downloaded during the 12 months will remain theirs after that period. There will be no limit on the number of tracks a customer would be able to download.
Sony BMG’s music catalogue includes famous singers like Alicia Keys, Britney Spears and Bruce Springsteen.
The Finnish phone manufacturer and vendor called on all major labels to follow on the foot steps to Sony BMG and Universal. However, Nokia hasn’t provided any details about where the new product will be launched and on which phones.
Apple has allegedly discussed a similar deal with music labels according to CNET News.com. The concept, which isn’t exclusive to Nokia, shows the industry's efforts to develop new business models that can compete with piracy and decreasing CD sales.
"When you give consumers the key to the candy store without any limitations, there's a lot more opportunity for discovering music that you might not have found before," said Thomas Hesse according to The Associated Press.
The Finnish mobile phone behemoth announced its plans for Nokia Music Store, a counter-candidate for Apple’s iTunes, last summer. In August 2007, Nokia made public its plans to pack millions of tracks from thousands of renowned artists or local celebrities and give its users the option of streaming that content on their compatible Nokia handsets or download it directly on their phones and PCs.
Nokia devices compatible with the new, probably revolutionary service include the N95 and the N81. The latter, considered a “multimedia computer”, boasts with dedicated music and gaming keys, 3.5 mm headphone connector and 3G and WLAN connectivity.
The customers of Nokia’s “Comes With Music” will be able to browse for new music, get recommendations or search for their favorite artists, songs or albums. Once a track captures their attention, they’ll be able to download it and it’s theirs for life.
