Nokia, Sony BMG weave music partnership

Sony BMG Music Entertainment has officially joined the Nokia Comes With Music, a service that offers consumers unlimited music downloads for a year using their Nokia device.

Consumers who buy a Nokia Comes With Music device will have a year of access to the rich music catalog of Sony BMG. They will be able to download tracks to both their mobile device and PC through the Nokia Music Store during the first 12 months that they own their Nokia device.

At the end of the one-year period, they can keep their downloaded tracks, and should they purchase a new compatible device or computer, they can transfer the downloaded materials by substituting their new device or computer for the original devices. As a result, music fans who participate in the Comes With Music experience will be able to keep their downloads on their device and/or computer for the rest of their lives.

Consumers will have a number of options for continuing to get new music after the Nokia Comes With Music subscription is over. They will be able to continue to purchase additional tracks from the Nokia Music Store, or move on to a Nokia "unlimited access" subscription service to enjoy new releases and catalog tracks not downloaded during the initial year.

"As one of the leading major music companies in the world, our collaboration with Sony BMG means we can offer a huge range of fantastic music from both international and local artists via Comes With Music," said Tero Ojanpera, executive VP and head of the Nokia entertainment and communities business. "Nokia Comes With Music is an innovation that not only helps people discover and enjoy music, but also expand the overall business and revenue for the benefit of artists, labels and other rights holders."

"This initiative represents a critical new way of gaining access to music, through which fans will be able to explore Sony BMG's vast catalog of recordings for an entire year," commented Thomas Hesse, president, global digital business and U.S. sales, Sony BMG. "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. In the process, we think it will provide new opportunities to artists from every genre of music, and increase demand for music overall."

Comes With Music is expected to launch in the 2H 08 on a range of Nokia devices in selected markets.