Comes With Music launches, with EMI on board

17:30 | Thursday October 2, 2008

To mark the occasion, the handset manufacturer announced it had signed up EMI, the last major label holdout, to Comes With Music. EMI joins independent operators The Orchard, Beggars Group, IODA, Ministry of Sound, PIAS and Pinnacle, as well as the other three majors.

Nokia has also secured music publishing rights from CELAS on behalf of EMI Music Publishing, GEMA on behalf of Sony/ATV Music Publishing, SACEM on behalf of Universal Music Publishing and the MCPS-PRS Alliance.

“Comes With Music sets a precedent for consumer value and convenience that the rest of the digital entertainment industry is already copying,” says Nokia entertainment and communities executive vice president Tero Ojanperä.

“Trying out a music recommendation is spontaneous as customers can download without worrying about the cost of an album or a track - the freedom and simplicity of the service is unparalleled. And Comes With Music gives you unlimited access to the millions of tracks in the Nokia Music Store and the music is all yours to keep – because it’s not a revolution unless you get to keep your music.”

"With the launch of Nokia's Comes With Music, fans now have a new avenue to find and enjoy music from EMI's catalogue, and our artists have a powerful new way to reach their fans," adds EMI digital president Douglas Merrill.

"By encouraging music discovery in an innovative and consumer-friendly environment, Comes With Music will continue to push experimentation in the digital music industry."

The United Kingdom will be the first market to offer Comes With Music. The Nokia 5310 XpressMusic Comes With Music edition is expected to cost £129.95 and customers can pre-register their orders for Comes With Music devices from Carphone Warehouse.

Nokia also used the occasion to show off its new 5800 XpressMusic handset, which is designed as a mobile device for music and among the first devices to support Comes With Music.