Sony expands Music Unlimited service
Sony Corp. has expanded its digital music service, Music Unlimited, to France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
Music Unlimited, which launched in the U.K. and Ireland in December, is a cloud-based, digital music service that gives access to a catalogue of millions of songs from major labels including Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group and EMI Music as well as independent labels and publishers world-wide.
Users can play music through Internet-connected Sony devices including Sony’s 2010 and 2011 models of network-enabled BRAVIA TV, Blu-ray Disc player, Blu-ray Disc Home Theater system, PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system as well as VAIO and other personal computers.
According to Kazuo Hirai, President of Networked Products & Services Group, Sony,Music Unlimited will not only enhance customers’ Sony devices by unifying their music experiences and content, but will further open up access, create music discovery opportunities and spawn new listening possibilities for customers.
Nokia to end free music downloads in 27 Countries
World’s top Cellphone maker, Nokia, is ending its bundling of free music downloads with cell phones in 27 countries, where it has gained little traction since its 2008 launch.
Nokia will continue to sell phones with 12-month subscription to free music downloads in China, India and Indonesia and with 6-month subscriptions in Brazil, Turkey and South Africa.
All four major labels – Vivendi’s Universal Music, EMI, Warner Music Group and the music arm of Sony, signed up for the service, which was seen at start as a major challenger for Apple’s iTunes.
Reasons behind the lackluster performance include use of older supporting handsets for the product at its launch and the use of DRM software that tied downloaded music to the device. The service was also said to be difficult to explain to customers in a simple marketing campaign.
According to Nokia’s spokesperson, the markets clearly want a DRM-free music service, the firm continues to offer DRM-free tracks through its music store in 38 countries.
The service will be closed down in a total of 27 countries, although it will continue until the current subscriptions expire.
Nokia launches music service in China
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Comes With Music service has been launched by handset maker Nokia in China which includes music from the major global labels like Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, EMI Music. Besides, a host of local independent labels, including Huayi Brothers Media Group and Taihe Rye are also included in the catalogue.
A range of devices and a nationwide retail network will make Comes With Music available to consumers across China. Unlimited music downloads with the purchase of any one of eight devices will be obtained by the consumers at the time of the launch. These eight devices include Nokia X6 32GB and Nokia X6 16GB, Nokia 5230, Nokia 5330, Nokia 5800w, Nokia 6700s, Nokia E52 and Nokia E72i.
EUR 140 is the entry level price excluding local taxes and subsidies. Nokia will launch this service in India in future.
IMImobile to provide music service to Irish operator Meteor
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Irish operator Meteor has selected DaVinci platform of India based IMImobile to power its full track music download service. The service will offer subscribers with 1.4 million DRM free tracks across PCs
and mobile handsets besides allowing them to share music across any device.
The music library is made from 2,000 independent labels, Sony BMG, EMI, Warner Music Group and Universal Music Group. The service is compatible with 1,500 handsets and will be available immediately.
According to Director of advanced product development at Meteor, Elaine Robinson, the new service will allow the subscribers to first to listen to music on the devices and will be charged only once.
The deal is also very significant for IMI based in India and expanding its roots aggressively in Europe since past 12 months. According to the head of IMImobile Europe, Anu Shah, the company is looking forward to work with Meteors and provide them with outstanding service.
Industry Leaders To Gather at 3GSM World Congress Asia 2006
ASIA : The 3GSM World Congress Asia – the fastest growing mobile communications event in the region – will bring together a host of industry leaders and personalities from across Asia’s booming mobile industry.
The mobile operator CEOs speaking at the 2006 event, which will be held in Singapore between October 16th and October 20th, include Sunil Mittal from Bharti Televentures, Dr Young-Chu Cho from KTF, Naguib Sawiris from Orascom, Lee Hsien Yang from SingTel Group, Dato Abdul Wahid Omar from Telekom Malaysia, Arve Johansen from Telenor, Sol Trujillo from Telstra and Alexander Izosimov from VimpelCom. Produced by the GSM Association (GSMA), the global trade association for the mobile industry, the 3GSM World Congress Asia will also feature top executives from other mobile-related industries, such as Alejandro Zubillaga, Executive Vice President Digital Strategy and Business Development at Warner Music Group, and Dr Sachio Semmoto, Founder and CEO of eAccess.
“For this year’s 3GSM Congress in Asia, we have assembled a top-class, yet diverse, line-up of speakers that will pinpoint the key trends in the region’s dynamic and complex market for mobile communications,” said Bill Gajda, the chief marketing officer of the GSM Association. “The Congress is the only event in Asia to attract the top ranking executives from the region’s operator community.”
The Congress presentations, revolving around the central theme of ‘Risk and Reward’, will cover topics ranging from new business models for mobile operators, to the role of China, universal access in emerging markets, the mobile boom in India, mobile virtual network operators and infotainment and content. The 2006 event will also host the GSMA Members Forum – the only annual meeting open to the entire GSMA membership.
This year’s Congress also sees the introduction of the GSMA’s “Asia Mobile Innovation Awards.” These awards are designed to support innovation in the Asian mobile industry by bringing together start-up companies, industry investors, mobile operators and vendors
Source- http://www.3g.co.uk
Technorati : 3 GSM, Asia, Bharti Televentures, China, KTF, Orascom, Singtel, Telekom Malaysia, Telenor, Telestra, Warner Music Group, eAccess, operator
Ice Rocket : 3 GSM, Asia, Bharti Televentures, China, KTF, Orascom, Singtel, Telekom Malaysia, Telenor, Telestra, eAccess, operator
