Nokia music service: Comes with value?

Posted: 30 October 2008

This week sees the launch of a new music service from Nokia that could have a significant impact on not only the mobile phones market, but also the digital entertainment industry as a whole.

Various experts have offered their thoughts on how the new system could revolutionise both sectors - while at the same time drawing them together. T3, for example, reported this week that 3 has been quick to notice the possibilities Comes With Music offers by putting itself forward as the first network to give the feature its full backing.

The publication noted 3 was very much on board with Nokia and was giving access to Comes With Music in a number of ways. Not only will 3 customers be able to take advantage of all Nokia's system of downloading music via its integrated mobile phone packages, it said, but the network is also putting together a broader package for those interested.

"3 Mobile will give its customers with a compatible Nokia N95 and computer, free reign to devour the very innards of Nokia's four million track superstore whenever you get that audio bug," T3 said. It added that access would be granted to 3 customers via the Nokia N95 8GB on November 3rd, along with a tariff that includes 300 minutes and texts and 1 GB of internet access for £35 per month.

Nokia Comes With Music works differently to most music download services in that consumers are offered the chance to buy their mobile phones as a package deal that allows them to get their hands on any tracks from the manufacturer's store. Once purchased, these songs are the handset buyer's to keep forever – with no limitations on how much content can be downloaded for a full year. And as the service is coming to the UK before the rest of the world, many people will be readying themselves for the early November launch.

However, Comes With Music has not been without its critics and concerned parties. The Guardian's Music Blog recently drew attention to the fact that some recording artists and "probably most record labels too" are unsure exactly how this will impact them and more importantly, how they will benefit - or indeed - get paid.

"How would artists and labels possibly earn any money from the content that Nokia planned to give away? Well, I suspect that Nokia jumped the gun before realising they'd have to pay both the record labels and songwriters," the article said and suggested this could have a knock-on effect on the promises the manufacturer had made on download limitations.

It added Nokia was set to meet with music industry experts and representatives in London including the Music Managers Forum (MMF), which itself represents recording artists, as well as MCPS-PRS - the group which deals with the royalties awarded to composers and songwriters. However, the article conceded that at least, Comes With Music "will most likely set a precedent".

Nokia soon responded to the Guiardian's comments, clarifying that those who purchase a Comes With Music handset, such as the Nokia 5310, can expect "unlimited access to the millions of tracks in the Nokia Music catalogue". It added that "once downloaded they are yours to keep."

"Once you have bought a Nokia Comes With Music device, there is no per track cost for these unlimited downloads and no maximum of 120 tracks per year as referenced in your blog," the statement concluded.

Elsewhere, questions were raised about the catalogue itself. Will it just be the big names? Will independent labels be left out in the cold? Do the downloaded tracks require a PC? And if so will they be encoded with digital rights management (DRM) software that will limit to what devices downloaded music can be transferred to, or shared between?

Well, Nokia have been quoted as saying "access is unlimited", but in a post on the Into The Unknown website last month, one writer attempted to clarify exactly what the Finnish company means by "unlimited". It was noted that account holders would be tied to the handset they bought and can sync this with only one PC or laptop. It added users would receive a pin number that gives them access to their "unlimited" music, however, DRM would feature and this would mean users could not, for example, burn tracks to a CD without paying extra for the privilege.

"That's what they regard it as; a privilege," the article added, stating that by offering "unlimited access", Nokia were contradicting themselves by asking music fans to pay more money to create CDs with their library of tracks. "[It] is almost criminal in my opinion," the post concluded.

However, will this be so important to the majority of people? Consumers who use their mobile phones for music have access to a range of gadgets that allow them to be played through a speaker. In fact, the manufacturer's flagship Comes With Music handset – the Nokia N95 – is equipped with a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, therefore a little innovation could easily have it hooked up to an amplifier or compatible stereo system in no time at all.

In answer to the question of available content, it would seem that music fans are also to be well catered for. Earlier this month, Nokia announced that EMI Music was the latest of the major labels to confirm it would be working alongside the company to support Comes With Music. EMI joins a number of other labels including Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group as companies that will all make their content available for the service.

Douglas Merrill, president of digital business for EMI Music, confirmed: "With the launch of Nokia's Comes With Music, fans now have a new avenue to find and enjoy music from EMI's catalogue and our artists have a powerful new way to reach their fans." Nokia also took the opportunity to mention that it had struck a number of deals elsewhere in the independent sector. The Orchard, Beggars Group, IODA, the Ministry of Sound, PIAS and Pinnacle were all confirmed as added to the catalogue.

Copyright © 2008 MobileShop.com