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HP to preload Omnifone unlimited music service

by Scott Bicheno on 25 January 2010, 11:02

Tags: Hewlett Packard (NYSE:HPQ)

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Embracing the future

We might not make anything or even move money around very effectively anymore, but one industry that seems to be thriving in the UK is digital music provision.

Last year we spoke to 7digital and heard about its rapid growth. Today UK digital music service provider Omnifone has announced that its MusicStation unlimited music service will be preinstalled on new HP Pavilion, Presario and Envy PCs across ten European countries - including the UK - in a move that acknowledges new realities for the music business.

Omnifone distinguishes itself from 7digital by putting more of an emphasis on subscription-based, unlimited download services, where 7digital is stronger in ‘a la carte' pay-per-track services. Omnifone was the first company to agree unlimited licensing deals with the ‘big four' music companies: Universal, Sony, EMI and Warner.

"Starting today, HP PC users in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, Austria, Belgium and Switzerland can try MusicStation for free for up to 14 days, get access to millions of tracks, keep their favourite tracks permanently and share music and playlists with other MusicStation users," said Charl Snyman, EMEA VP of HP's personal systems group.

The deal is: a 14 day free subscription, after which it will cost you £8.99 per month. While the streaming service is unlimited, you only get to keep the MP3 files of ten tracks per month. Here's the full list of HP PCs that will offer MusicStation: Compaq Presario CQ61, CQ71, HP G61, G62, G72, HP Pavilion dm3, dv3, dv6, dv7, dv8, HP Envy 13, HP Envy 15, Presario CQ53, Pavilion HPE-1, p63, s53.

 



HEXUS Forums :: 5 Comments

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Yayy, just what I always wanted. The ability to pay to listen to music which goes away when I run out of money. :rolleyes:
miniyazz
Yayy, just what I always wanted. The ability to pay to listen to music which goes away when I run out of money. :rolleyes:
How is that different to any of the other subscription streaming services?

It's a model that works for a lot of people.
Funkstar
How is that different to any of the other subscription streaming services?

It's a model that works for a lot of people.

Well, if it works for people, fair play. But IMO, a subscription-based service where most of the songs you just downloaded don't get deleted at the end of the month is a much more logical proposition (I believe Virgin Media were thinking about some similar thing?)
you only get to keep the MP3 files of ten tracks per month
I presume these are actual MP3s and not DRM restricted. Granted not a lot, but the rest you can stream, so that would only be the ones you want to keep.

It might be a much more logical proposition for you, but it's less likely to be a viable service for the content providers.
Spotify is the better model - free with ads.

Paid for)premium) gets rid of ads, and lets you keep music offline too.