BMG joins Universal on Nokia's (delayed) free Comes with Music service

Step aside Universal Music, Sony BMG is now offering its catalog of music on Nokia's Comes With Music service. You know, the freebie, all you can eat music download service expected to launch mid-2008 (oops) "second half" of 2008. Remember, you'll have to buy a Comes with Music device first and the free download period from the Nokia Music Store (to your PC or phone) only lasts for 12 months. Still, consumers keep the downloaded (and DRM'd) tracks at the end of the period and "can transfer their downloaded material by substituting their new [Comes with Music] device or computer for the original devices" later on. While no Comes with Music devices have been announced yet, we certainly wouldn't be surprised if Nokia's touch-screen Tube or some other S60 touch device was first.

[L @ Apr 22nd 2008 7:07AM]

And yet again, I really wonder why Engadget seems so opposed to this whole idea...

"Remember, you'll have to buy a Comes with Music device first and the free download period from the Nokia Music Store (to your PC or phone) *only* lasts for 12 months."

*Only* 12 months of free music (and keep-afterwards) are still 12 months more than any other manufacturer offers.

[Shinigami @ Apr 22nd 2008 7:13AM]

I don't like the idea either - you'll have to buy a new device every 12 months if you like this service. Yes, its still more than Apple offers, which is...um..."comes with iTunes"?
But I like the idea of buying a device with 1 year unlimited music downloads. I just wonder how much will this "comes with something" cost.

[L @ Apr 22nd 2008 7:17AM]

After the 12 months, you simply pay monthly to keep being able to download stuff via your subscription. I don't quite see why you *have to* buy a new device by that time...

[BFish @ Apr 22nd 2008 7:17AM]

Whole idea of 'comes with music' is that you pay the 12 months subscription in the phone price. Universal alone is costing Nokia alone some 35€/12months. Add couple more record companies and you will have added price tag of 150€-200€ per each phone for that 12 months. And since Nokia uses that new M$ DRM, none of the songs are playable in mp3 players, iPods, Zune etc. since none of them support that DRM-version.

I just wonder if people are really going to pay for that extra subscription fee when buying 'comes with music' phone....

[Thomas Ricker @ Apr 22nd 2008 7:17AM]

We don't like it because it's DRM-laden. While music will continue to work on your PC after 12 months, it will only work on Comes With Music devices after that period. That's a pretty serious restriction. Hell, we don't even know what these devices will look like yet.

For the record, we don't like iTunes or any other DRM'd music store either.

Thomas

[L @ Apr 22nd 2008 7:31AM]

If you're expecting DRM-free subscription models, you might we in for a long wait.

I despise DRM for pay-per-track downloads, but for subscription services (and that's CWM is, in the end), there's just no way the major labels will allow DRM-less versions anytime soon. So yeah, I still don't the issue here.

[L @ Apr 22nd 2008 7:33AM]

"still don't *get* what the issue is here" was what I meant...

Type, read, click "Add"...someday, I'll have to learn that sequence....

[BFish @ Apr 22nd 2008 7:10AM]

>we certainly wouldn't be surprised if Nokia's touch-screen Tube was first.

That would mean end of 2009 when Tube is expected to hit the
shelves according to finnish newspapers.

[fanman @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:31AM]

The best DRM free music store is 7digital, which has the big four in your choice of mp3, DRM'd WMA (why?) or aac.