UK telco beats Apple to launch music service

UK-based mobile music company, Omnifone, has launched its MusicStation music download service two weeks before Apple’s iPhone comes to the global marketplace.

Omnifones’ service is currently available to Swedish mobile customers of Norwegian group Telenor, and will be rolled out across Europe, Asia and Africa shortly.

Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, EMI Music, and Warner Music International, the world’s leading music labels, have all signed licensing deals for Musicstation, which works on around 80 percent of new mobile phones.

Apple’s iPhone will be launched in the US on June 29. It will be available in Europe by the end of 2007 and in Asia in 2008.

MusicStation will allow mobile phone subscribers to legally download and play unlimited amounts of music, wherever they are. Subscribers will select music from a global music catalogue supported by the music industry, for a small weekly fee.

As well as working with music labels, Omnifone has entered into partnerships with 30 mobile operators mainly in Europe and Asia Pacific.