Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

HP Bundling Omnifone Music Service on European PCs

Geoff Duncan
By
envy-15
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Is it just us, or is all that software bundles on new PCs getting louder? Hewlett-Packard and Omnifone have just announced a deal to bundle Omnifone’s online music service in Pavilion, Presario, and Envy PCs sold in ten European countries. The software provides 14 days of free trial access access to millions of tracks from major and independent record labels—the tracks keep working as long as the users are in their trail period or have an active subscription; subscribers can also download and keep MP3 versions of ten tracks a month in MP3 format.

“Omnifone is proud to partner with HP, the world’s largest PC manufacturer, to deliver MusicStation to consumers on millions of PCs in 10 countries across Europe,” said Omnifone CEO Rob Lewis, in a statement. “The HP rollout sees MusicStation Desktop preinstalled on multiple HP PCs, available in 7 languages with each territory featuring an individually tailored music catalogue from Omnifone’s roster of over 6.5 million tracks.”

Recommended Videos

The software will be preloaded on the “entire range” of new HP Pavilion, Compaq Presario, and HP Envy models on sale in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The music service will cost €9.99 a month in most of those countries, CHF14.95 per month in Switzerland, 99SEK a month in Sweden, and £8.99 a month in the UK.

Related

Where music subscription services have traditionally struggled in the North American market, they’ve done comparatively well in Europe, where consumers seem more willing to pay a fixed fee for all-they-can-eat access to a massive music catalog rather than owning individual tracks. In the United States, consumers seem to want to purchase individual tracks and albums and own them forever, without any ongoing subscription required to keep tracks working. Subscription services also operate via digital rights management technology to control playback, meaning the files aren’t compatible with a broad range of devices…and something could always go wrong with the software and services, such as when online music services go under and shut off their authentication servers.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Geoff Duncan
Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
This midrange HP laptop beats the Dell XPS 15 in one important way
Photo of an HP Envy 16 laptop.

Dell's XPS 15 has found its place on a number of our best-of lists, including best laptops and best 15-inch laptops. There are a number of reasons for those accolades, including a robust, yet relatively thin and light design, as well as strong performance and lovely displays.

But that doesn't mean it faces no competition. HP's Envy 16 2023 is a 16-inch laptop that gives the XPS 15 a run for its money. It's around the same price and offers similar or better performance. Is that enough to replace the XPS 15 on our lists?
Specs and configurations

Read more
HP’s new Envy x360 14 looks like a killer value for what you get
HP Envy x360 15.6 media mode showing display and pen.

HP's Envy line is an interesting mix of midrange pricing and premium design. It sits between the budget-oriented Pavilion and the ultra-premium Spectre, offering some of the best attributes of both. This year's upgrades introduced to the Envy x360 convertible 2-in-1 lineup include a very affordable Envy x360 14 and an Envy x360 15.6 that offers the first IMAX-certified multimedia experience.

Starting at just $850, the Envy x360 14 might be the most interesting of the three new machines, which also include the Envy x360 17.3. Its combination of design, components, and likely build quality make it a compelling budget option. And media consumers will appreciate the upgraded experience offered by the Envy x360 15.6.
Envy x360 14

Read more
HP Envy x360 13 vs. Dell XPS 13: the best tiny laptop?
The front of the HP Envy x360 13 on a table.

The laptop market is starting to lean toward 14-inch laptops and away from 13-inch laptops, but that doesn't mean there are no great examples of the latter. The Dell XPS 13 9315 and HP Envy x360 13 are both worthy models .

Both of these laptops are relatively affordable and they offer great performance, builds, and creature comforts. But only one can be crowned as the best. Which wins this shootout?

Read more