Ericsson, Napster Offer Digital Music Service for Mobile Phones

Ericsson will team up with online music company Napster to offer a new service that will let consumers download music to mobile phones. The new Napster-Ericsson service is scheduled to go live in Europe over the next 12 months and will initially be offered to operators in Europe, Asia, Latin America and North America.

Reuters - [Ericsson and Napster] will license the Napster-branded music service to mobile phone carriers, much as Ericsson currently sells services such as text messaging and voice mail. The deal between Ericsson and Napster comes as handset makers, mobile carriers, and established online players like Apple’s iTunes service battle to control the nascent mobile music market.

CNet - The new joint venture will have to convince mobile phone operators that its mix of integration between handsets and online services is superior to rivals before reaching customers. However, Ericsson’s long-established relationships with carriers could help Napster gain ground in what is new territory for a primarily PC-focused company.

The Register - The Apple-Motorola deal contrasts with Nokia’s tie-in with digital music distributor Loudeye and now Ericsson’s Napster deal in its apparent refusal to cater for the demands of network operators. But all three moves are a nod toward the notion that phones will increasingly become a key mobile music platform.

Sony Ericsson, a joint venture between Ericsson and Sony, said this week that it would be launching its own music-centric mobile phone under the famous Walkman brand.