Optus' MobMusic application.
Optus today launched MobMusic, a new music store application for Nokia phones.
The MobMusic service will allow owners of compatible Nokia mobile phones to choose from hundreds of thousands of tracks from Sony BMG Music Entertainment, EMI Music, Warner Music Group and other major studios.
Downloaded tracks use OnMobile DRM encoding and will not work with any other device, such as another phone or a computer. Each track will be in AAC format and have a bitrate of between 32 and 48Kbps.
Optus' Anthony Hearne said that the telco has seen mobile phone users becoming more confident about making online purchases with their handsets. "Our customers are increasingly turning to their mobile as a form of entertainment and music is always high on the list of customer demands", said Hearne.
MobMusic comes with two plans: Music Discovery and Unlimited Music Downloads. Prepaid customers will pay a 22c flagfall per download session, but there are no data charges for customers on post-paid plans.
Music Discovery provides five preselected tracks at no cost (except for prepaid customers who are required to pay the flagfall). The tracks are changed every week. Unlimited Music Downloads lets users download as many tracks as they'd like for $3.75 per week with no time limit. The service will not allow single track downloads.
If users unsubscribe from MobMusic, they will not be able to listen to their tracks until they resubscribe.
MobMusic also allows you to see other user's playlists and access music news.
The application is currently limited to the Nokia N78, 6220 classic, N96, 6210, N82, N95, N81, N73, 6121 classic, 6120 classic, E65, 6110 and N76, with more Nokia handsets to come.
According to an Optus spokesperson, the application is being developed for use on other brands of mobile phone.
