Sky Songs takes on iTunes and Spotify
By Reuters and Barry Collins
Posted on 12 Oct 2009 at 07:49
BSkyB will next week launch Sky Songs, a digital music service it hopes will challenge Apple's iTunes and Spotify in the music downloads business.
BSkyB says the service, which will go live on 19 October, will offer access to more than four million tracks for download and ad-free streaming.
It will include new releases and back catalogues from all four major music labels - EMI, Sony, Universal and Warner - plus a range of independent labels and distributors.
The service will operate on a subscription basis in contrast to the track-by-track purchasing model of iTunes.
The broadcaster will offer two subscription options: for £6.49 a month users will be allowed to download one "£6.49 album" or 10 individual songs, and stream as much music as they wish. There's also a £7.99 option, where users will be offered a "£7.99 album" or 15 songs, plus the unlimited streaming. Additional downloads will cost extra.
There will be no advertiser-funded element such as that offered by Spotify, which provides free access to music.
From around the web
So are you not allowed to have 2 albums one month?
By TimoGunt on 12 Oct 2009 
More than one
"Additional downloads will cost extra."
Seems you can download more than just the one album - but it'll cost you. Doesn't say how much each extra track / album would be though
By greemble on 12 Oct 2009
Real Costs?
There are many offers out there. Is this even remotely competitive? Sounds like people will end up paying "extras" costing many times of the original subscriptions if they have a healthy appitite.
By zeevro on 12 Oct 2009
Spotify will need to react
So for £6.49 you get what Spotify charges £9.99 plus permanent ownership of one album. It will be interesting to see if they can match Spotify's elegance and ease of use.
By milliganp on 12 Oct 2009
advertisement
- Laptop bag reviews: nine tested
- Sony VAIO T Series Ultrabook review: first look
- Revealed: the military standards and robots HP uses to test its laptops
- Windows 8: multi-monitors and double standards?
- Why is TalkTalk's year-old porn filter suddenly big news?
- Why are laptop screens so far behind mobiles?
- HP EliteBook Folio review: first look
- The shoebox-sized all-in-one printer
- Forget the Ultrabook: here comes the HP Sleekbook
- HP Spectre XT review: first look
- Why you have to be left in the dark on OS patches
- Is Microsoft mismanaging Windows on ARM?
- Dealing with spam surrogates
- Why 3G broadband can be better and cheaper than ADSL
- Is Twitter bad for business?
- Publishing your email address isn't a security disaster
- Why you'll need a fax machine to develop iOS apps
- Learning to adapt to the mobile web
- Why you shouldn't use WPS on your Wi-Fi network
- Disabled users suffer when software breaks the rules
advertisement
