SonyBMG Signs Up for Nokia "Comes With Music" Service

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 22, 2008 - 8:09am.

Espoo, Finland - Nokia (NYSE: NOK) announced on Tuesday that Sony (NYSE: SNE) BMG has joined Universal Music Group in licensing its catalog for unlimited access on Nokia phones as part of the company's Comes With Music offering. The service gives Nokia phone buyers access to unlimited mobile and PC-based downloads from the Nokia Music Store for a year, after which time they may continue on an unlimited access subscription service.

Nokia has denied press reports that its deal with Universal Music calls for a $35 per device payment to the label for its Comes With Music service.

The company has so farl aunched Nokia Music Stores in the U.K., Germany, Finland, Ireland, Italy and the Netherlands, and added a new store in Australia today.

The Comes With Music service is expected to launch in the second half of 2008.

Separately, Nokia on Tuesday introduced two new music-enabled devices in its XpressMusic line, the Nokia 5320 and Nokia 5220.

The former features "3G social entertainment capabilities," as well as a voice-controlled Say and Play feature.