Nokia launches iTunes rival

 

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Posted on 31 Oct 2007 at 15:55

Nokia's online music store will open on 1 November, bringing the mobile phone giant toe-to-toe with market leader iTunes.

The company says over two million tracks will be available at launch, with artists such as The White Stripes, John Mayer and Moby available from labels including EMI, Sony BMG, Universal Music Group and Warner Music. In comparison iTunes currently sells around six million tracks.

The store will be accessible through the desktop, or wirelessly through Nokia's new range of devices, including the N81 and N95, which will automatically sync tracks to the PC when hooked up.

Individual tracks will cost 80p, a penny more expensive than iTunes, and albums upwards from £8.00, all of which will be in the WMA format at 192kbps.

The store will also offer a subscription service, which will allow users to stream as many tracks as they would like for £8 per month, though the company says this service will not initially be available through mobiles.

The company is also touting a number of features including playlists recommended by featured artists and the ability to add tracks to a wishlist, though whether any of this will be able to dent Apple's current domination remains to be seen.

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Author: Stuart Turton