Voda announces that customers will have unlimited access to over a million tracks from all the major record labels, as well as leading independents, on a range of new handsets for Christmas.

 

This follows the launch of Vodafone Mobile Internet in June this year which brings the best internet brands and services to customers on the widest range of mobiles in the UK. This service has been highly praised by Mobile magazine who rated it the number 1 mobile internet service in a review in August 2007.

Through an exclusive agreement with Omnifone, the UK based mobile music company, Vodafone will roll out their award-winning MusicStation, giving customers the ability to download tracks from Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, EMI Music and Warner Music Group direct to their handsets, even while on the move.

Customers will be able to sign up for unlimited downloads from MusicStation for just £1.99 per week. The service will be easy to use on new Vodafone UK handsets as well as existing 2.5G and 3G mobiles, ensuring that most customers do not need to upgrade their phones to access tracks.

Vodafone UK’s new range of mobiles comprises models from many of the major brands allowing customers access to internet leaders including eBay, MySpace and YouTube on Vodafone Mobile Internet and the best in downloadable music.

 

Vodafone has said that it is "not necessarily hostile" to the newly emerging manufacturer portals such as Nokia’s new Ovi.

 

"We’re not necessarily hostile as a matter of principle to the idea that vendors like Nokia implement relevant services on handsets and make a contribution to this openness and this emerging space themselves," said Jens Schulte-Bockum, global director, terminals, Vodafone Group "We’re discussing that with Nokia. The end game that we’re working towards is one that I would describe as mutual openness and peaceful co-existence."

Vodafone UK-exclusive handsets include: the new Nokia N95 (8Gb) with its 5 mega pixel camera, the touch-screen activated Samsung F700, and the Sony Ericsson W910i (Havana Gold Design) with its 40Mb memory and innovative shake control, making it perfect for music lovers. The handsets for the UK are from a broader Vodafone Group range announced today.

The MusicStation service will be accessed through Vodafone live! on a wide range of music handsets, including new Christmas models like the Sony Ericsson W910i from November.

“We’re building on the momentum of our Vodafone Mobile Internet launch and our commitment to music through the Vodafone TBAs and our Vodafone Live Music Awards,” says Tim Yates, CMO, Vodafone UK. “Today’s announcement is a first for music on the mobile in the UK and means a fundamental change to the way people experience music on their phones. Vodafone is bringing unlimited music downloads on a wide range of handsets for under £2 a week.

“Our new handsets will enable customers to make the most of both music and Vodafone Mobile Internet services. We have a range of mobiles from value for money pay as you talk handsets to more sophisticated models offering a huge range of features. There will be something for everyone from Vodafone this Christmas.”

“MusicStation is the first mass-market, unlimited mobile music download service in the UK,” adds Rob Lewis CEO of Omnifone. “We are delighted Vodafone is making MusicStation available to its customers on Vodafone music mobile phones ahead of Christmas.”

The backing of the four major music labels and leading independents, coupled with the attractive pricing, means that Vodafone UK customers will have the freedom to make the most of their time and discover new musicians and songs whenever and wherever they wish. MusicStation’s huge catalogue will provide an enormous range of artists and genres while a charge of just £1.99 per week for unlimited downloads lets customers cost-effectively discover new artists and tracks to broaden their musical horizons.

In addition to being an attractive proposition for the customer, the subscription service from Vodafone also marks an important development for the music industry as it means more underground artists will be accessible to the mass market, alongside major artists, for an all-inclusive weekly charge.

Built-in networked functions, including the ability to share playlists and tracks with other people, mean that MusicStation delivers a truly compelling music experience on the mobile for the first time. MusicStation customers will be able to build a music-based social network by receiving gig news and dates, messaging their friends and sending recommended tracks using ‘collaborative filtering’ and ‘nearest neighbour technology’ to identify new tracks and artists others are likely to be interested in.

Downloaded MusicStation tracks and user playlists are stored centrally so that if a customer’s mobile is stolen, lost or upgraded, the replacement handset will automatically restore the customer’s music, playlists, friends and preferences the first time MusicStation is switched on.

MusicStation will be available to download to new and existing mobiles before Christmas.