On Oct. 2 Nokia will roll out its much-ballyhooed all-you-can-eat "Comes With Music" digital music service in the UK…just in time for Christmas!
To subscribe, you just need to buy a dedicated "Comes With Music" device, the first of which will be a special Nokia 5310 XpressMusic phone and handset exclusively available from U.K. retail chain Carphone Warehouse until Dec. 31. Pre-orders start today, though the actual price is still unavailable.
A voucher and a CD-Rom containing the Nokia Music Store PC software will come bundled with the handset. Once the handset and PC are set up, customers get unlimited access to the entire catalog on the Nokia Music Store, which features more than 2 million tracks from three major labels (Universal Music Group, Sony BMG and Warner Music Group), plus a slew of indie labels.
All songs downloaded during the year can be kept indefinitely. The hitch is that customers only get access to the goods for one year for free and are then asked to upgrade to a new handset and re-subscribe via the Nokia Music Store. The they can continue purchasing songs a-la-carte via the Nokia Music Store, which charges $1.46 per track and $14.60 per album, or can keep accessing the songs downloaded for free during the one year, but only with the original handset. Subscribers can also sideload songs onto their dedicated Nokia phones.
"We believe that 'Comes With Music' will transform the way people enjoy music," said Tero Ojanpera, executive VP and head of Nokia Entertainment and Communities, in a statement. "With unlimited access for one year, you can enjoy your favorite artist or delve into new genres without having to worry about individual track or album purchases."
