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Business News Digital
Omnifone expand mobile service to the net, aim for ISP partnerships
By CMU Editorial | Published on Monday 16 February 2009
It’s the GMSA Mobile World Congress conference in Barcelona this week, so expect some mobile music stories to be coming your way, though this is actually more a web music story really.
Omnifone, the company that operates the MusicStation mobile music service offered in the UK by Vodafone, and the firm who will power Ericsson’s in development Comes With Music competitor, has announced it will be making its subscription-based all-you-can-eat music service available over the net, in particular through partnerships with various internet service providers.
In the online domain MusicStation is in some ways a bit like existing subscription-based digital music services – Napster being the main survivor in that domain – though Omnifone plan to offer MusicStation Next Generation, as it will be known, via ISP partners, meaning that the cost of the service, rather than being paid by the customers directly, will be bundled in with net subscriptions, making them invisible to the consumer.
Omnifone hope that by enabling ISPs to offer a compelling all-you-can-eat digital music service of their own, which includes music from all four majors, they will be more receptive to restricting access to illegal music services.
Confirming his company’s plans for MusicStation Next Generation, Omnifone top man Rob Lewis told CMU: “Tens of millions of European consumers are engaged in music piracy every day. Whilst government pressure is growing, we also need to deliver alternatives that recognise the needs and desires of the YouTube generation. With today’s announcement, Omnifone is offering consumers something better than piracy”.
“MusicStation Next Generation gives consumers legitimate unlimited access to the world’s music, in audio and video format, direct to their living room, through set-top box or personal computer, in partnership with their ISP or cable company. Broadband providers can deliver a better music experience; a legal alternative to piracy that differentiates their consumer proposition”.
