Nokia's "Comes with Music" free subscription service -- cancel, keep the music

So here's the deal. Nokia just launched a "Comes with Music" program. No, not software, but a deal which allows you to buy a Nokia device with a year of unlimited, subscription access to "millions of tracks." Once the year is complete however, customers can keep all their downloaded music -- it doesn't disappear just because the subscription is over. What's the catch? Don't know yet. We know it's limited to Universal Music Group tracks for the time being but there's no mention of any fees, DRM, advertising, or other restrictions. We'll update you as soon as we get more.

Update: It's free for one year! All the Universal Music tracks you can download for 12 months can be yours. The offer doesn't begin until mid 2008, just as long as the deal doesn't fall apart by then.

[Kevin @ Dec 4th 2007 3:20AM]

Waaaait a minute.. So I can in theory, buy a phone + external hard drive, download the entire catalog, cancel my subscription, and legally own every song I downloaded and transfer those to my iTunes? Something sounds fishy... but if nothing's fishy, i mean why not?

[raven7587 @ Dec 4th 2007 3:26AM]

even though I don't really know for sure, I'm guessing that there will be a restriction that limits downloaded songs to staying on your phone's drive, or to only be played with the Nokia music software on the phone, or something similar... Either way, its a pretty useful service, yay Nokia!

[kevinm @ Dec 4th 2007 3:42AM]

Yeah it doesn't sound right. DRM is in play fo shur. But you might have a way around that. Not a bad deal for a ton of music.

[James Yopp @ Dec 4th 2007 9:56AM]

Perhaps you can only download the music with your phone. Through your wireless carrier.

That would solidly bring this deal back out of the "too good to be true" stratosphere, and back down to earth.

[Illya Kuryakin @ Dec 4th 2007 3:21AM]

How come apple doesn't get this kind of deal?! Imagen that deal with an iPod...

[teel @ Dec 4th 2007 3:46AM]

They don't need one, they already have a solid customer base. Nokia is new on the market, so they have to make this kind of deals to attract customers from other services.

[Rich @ Dec 4th 2007 7:15AM]

Apple has repeatedly said that no-one is interested in subscription music services. Their loss, I guess.

[CapnVan @ Dec 4th 2007 8:41AM]

Apple doesn't get this deal because Universal is specifically targeting them. Universal has realized that the only way to get what they want (variable pricing, hardware kickbacks a la Zune, etc.) is to crush the iTunes near-monopoly and create a mixed market for online music retailers where Universal and the rest of the RIAA get back the balance of their power. Then they can dictate terms.

[Traveller @ Dec 4th 2007 11:40AM]

>How come apple doesn't get this kind of deal?!
>Imagen that deal with an iPod...

Simple. Apple doesn't own the music. Universal owns the music. If Universal wants to give you their entire catalog for the cost of a subscription, that is their prerogative. I am sure they are getting advertising revenue or statistics from the use. If I had to guess it's free to the phone but pay per song or pay per album on the PC.

Regardless, since Apple doesn't actually own any music, they can't actually give anything away. They have to pay for it, which they aren't going to do for you. :) Or, they have to get you to pay for a subscription but convince Universal that a subscription through Apple is a good resale idea.

Universal doesn't want Apple playing in this playground, so you don't get what you want via your ipod plus subscription. ;D

-J

[amby @ Dec 4th 2007 12:31PM]

@Traveller -

Nokia does not own the music either... but it still seems that they want to pay it for us ;-) Question is: why does Apple NOT give it to us? My Macbook could use some extra love in this department.

And about your guess on the "free" part: it's free on the phone, it's free ON THE PC and you can move it to 3 additional phones. (That adds up to 5, as was previously published about Nokia Music Store.)

I think Universal is really targetting Apple or they are picking Nokia because of the bigger potential. Although Rich's comment made me think: if Nokia is advertising their intent for subscription services from the start... and Apple is saying nobody wants subscription, then one is hugely mistaken (or lying ;-)

[mOe @ Dec 4th 2007 3:29AM]

If I've ever heard a good reason for purchasing a product, this would be it. Props to nokia. If this went live tomorrow, I'd happily ditch apple.

[Tawakol @ Dec 4th 2007 4:12AM]

and thats exactly what they want people to say

[kevinm @ Dec 4th 2007 3:46AM]

I'm not a fan of Nokia but this is a killer deal!

[Stringer @ Dec 4th 2007 5:27AM]

Clearly they are preparing themselves against the iPhone

[Husar @ Dec 4th 2007 4:08AM]

I just hope my music is all by Universal Music Group...

[Jon @ Dec 4th 2007 4:16AM]

Wow. Just wow. First free worldwide maps now almost unlimited free music. Keep it up Nokia!

[Reader @ Dec 4th 2007 4:17AM]

RIAA: "I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in happiness. I fear something terrible has happened and we have no way to sue them."

[Scott @ Dec 4th 2007 1:16PM]

The RIAA *is* Universal Music. 1/5 anyway. Don't forget that!

[rob @ Dec 4th 2007 4:20AM]

What, no catch?

There's always a catch. Maybe you have to buy an expensive data plan or they limit the downloads per day.

[SuperPrime @ Dec 4th 2007 5:14AM]

Nope. This is not an american company

[Paul @ Dec 4th 2007 5:11AM]

The catch, ummm let me guess, how do you download the music? The phone company my friend, nothing is for free.

[Reader @ Dec 4th 2007 5:19AM]

That would make sense if Nokia was a cell phone service and not a manufacturer. Many mobile services have unlimited data plans so unless it's restricted to some odd one then this wouldn't apply.

[holycow @ Dec 4th 2007 10:38AM]

Almost all new high end nokia phones have Wi-Fi in them, so i dont see why you would need to download it using your service provider.

The only "catch" could be that the deal will be valid with an N series device.

[Stringer @ Dec 4th 2007 5:31AM]

Problem i find with the music services these days is that apart from beatport that offers either 320kbit mp3 or wav, the sound quality is quite poor, just don't understand why they don't all give you a 320kbit option for a few more cents.

[tamoghno @ Dec 4th 2007 5:43AM]

may be the catch is you can play the music only in the phone . but who cares , i love S60 and all my phones are nokia .
maybe its time for apple to introduce subscription plan .

[Jack @ Dec 4th 2007 7:26AM]

Surely a step in the right direction. as ppl said there will be restrictions about wheather u can move ur content.

Oh and those crying out for apple, u ever heard of S60? yeah 3rd party software and stuff, unlocked devices......if u ever open ur eyes- there's a nokia store near U !

[Cezanne Rafiuzzaman @ Dec 4th 2007 7:32AM]

Is anyone else falling for the carrot on the stick?
Judging by the above comments it looks like the following could be the catch:

1. Limited to dataplan - i.e if you're allowed 1Gb per month how many tunes is that?
2. Limited for use with phone only - well how many tunes can you store on the phone?
3. Limited Playback times - Unlikely but possible, whats the point, people what to listen to tunes as many bloody times they want!
3. Limited transfers to another "authorised" device? - heck someone will hack this apart im sure!

Or wait for this...

It says "unlimited subscription service"??? could this ismply mean - you can only stream the music onto the device, but not actually store it? Your subscriptions are mearly a playlist on the server side, and you can listen to the tracks only when you have coverage? Like an on demand radio? hmmmmm...

If any of the above is true the only work around would involve by passing the data connection by using a wifi or pass through connection via the PC - again im sure there will be some hack to enable this, especially if the trophy is to "download Universals whole catalogue"!

Sound too good to be true? It probably is, in which case, it defies the whole selling point of "unlimited" subscription access...

[kr @ Dec 4th 2007 7:38AM]

Read the article. It does say you can keep the tracks. I was under the impression "keeping" entails having them in your possession.

[Cezanne Rafiuzzaman @ Dec 4th 2007 7:41AM]

Right you are! Not clear where its kept though? local or server? :-(

[Rich @ Dec 4th 2007 8:32AM]

@Cezanne Rafiuzzaman

In reply to your points:

1) Most S60 phones have WiFi, circumnavigating any carrier data restrictions.
2) S60 supports SDHC cards up to 32GB. That's quite a lot of songs.
3) Unlikely.
4) Very possible.

[Jonathan Bergeron @ Dec 4th 2007 9:40AM]

You know what would be awesome? If Nokia actually released their cool phones over in America. I see on their website they have lot of awesome phones, but none of them are released on American carriers.

[GKA @ Dec 5th 2007 6:24PM]

You are aware that there is this fancy thing called the internet that allows people to buy things from other places, right?
Just go to ebay and buy whatever phone you want unlocked.

[willyboy @ Dec 4th 2007 9:55AM]

How many songs can you download to that said nokia? I am sure it is not computer downloads......It is a lock in model....Now, which BT client (subscription service) do they include with this phone?

[Generic @ Dec 4th 2007 10:07AM]

"The offer doesn't begin until mid 2008, just as long as the deal doesn't fall apart by then."

No one will allow this deal to fall apart. Universal wants to own its music and not let it be trapped within iTunes. Nokia is a widespread household name.

Universal: 1
Apple: 0

[Logitech Quickcam MP @ Dec 4th 2007 4:15PM]

Either way, fall as they may, the chips.. Thats sick.