28 March 2008

Nokia talks to major labels about music service

Nokia is in talks with all the major music labels to sell their songs through its "Comes With Music" service, expected to be launched later this year, a company executive told the Financial Times on Thursday.

"We have negotiations and discussions ongoing with all the majors and a number of indies as well," Anssi Vanjoki, Nokia's executive vice-president, told the Financial Times. "Certainly our target is to have other labels on board."

Nokia said in December the "Comes With Music'' program, which will allow customers to buy a phone with a year of unlimited access to millions of tracks included in the purchase price.

The service is introduced together with the Universal Music Group, EMI wants in to Nokia's "comes with music" scheme and Nokia is in discussions with other major music labels and they'll try to include more players into this.

The world's top mobile phone maker was well placed to weather the economic downturn, Vanjoki also told the Financial Times.