Japan sings praises of mobile Napster

Napster is to launch a mobile phone music download service in Japan

Mobile phone users in Japan will soon be able to download and listen to songs from the Napster music service, according to a report in the Japan Times. 

According to the report, which cited unidentified sources, this will be Japan's first flat-rate mobile download service. Customers of existing music services pay about $2.50 for each tune they download.

The mobile song service will apparently be launched in Japan at the same time as Napster's online music download services.

NTT DoCoMo, the country's leading mobile phone company, is expected to roll out a new range of phones to coincide with the launch. 

Napster Japan was set up by its US parent company in partnership with a group of local investors including Tower Records Japan.

Mobile phones are the primary means of internet access for many in Japan. According to recent research, mobile devices, not PCs, are used for more than 90 per cent of songs downloaded in Japan. 

Sony Ericsson recently announced that it will start selling a music downloading phone, under the Walkman brand, from mid-June.

The device will be offered with a service from mobile operator KDDI, and does not appear to be connected to the Napster/DoCoMo venture.