A new subscription music download service for mobile phones has debuted in Sweden, just two weeks before the iPhone hits American stores. For aweekly fee of around $4, which is added directly to the user’s phone bill, subscribers of the MusicStation can receive unlimited access to downloads froma library of a million songs. The deal is offered by Swedish mobile network Telenor, but MusicStation has been developed by British company Omnifone. The servicewill also launch soon in France, Germany, and Britain. Omnifone claims to have deals signed with some 30 other mobile networks across Europe, Asia and Africa. However, there are no plans tobegin the service in the U.S., where the impending release of the iPhone, linked to iTunes, is expected to have a large impact on the download market. Omnifone has inked deals with the big four music labels, as well as a host of independent labels. What makes this service so different, and possibly so appealing, is the fact that thesubscription cost includes the data download charges. Previously, expensive data downloads have discouraged the expansion of this market. The downloaded tracks are stored either in the phone’smemory or on a removable memory card. A list of each user’s downloaded tracks is kept centrally by MusicStation. That way, if the phone is lost or stolen, collections can be rebuilt.Additionally, users whose subscriptions lapsed would be able to rebuild their music collections. Under the MusicStation model, subscribers will be able to share both playlists and tracks with othersubscribers. The system works across networks and, according to Omnifone boss Rob Lewis, is compatible with about 75% of handsets. “We’ve been building MusicStation for overfour-and-a-half years and to get it out there before the iPhone is very exciting,” said Lewis.
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