Sony/Vodafone switch on 3G/PC radio

Vodafone and Sony NetServices have sealed a partnership to deliver personalised radio channels streamed to 3G mobile phones and personal computers.

The firms said that the Vodafone Radio DJ service provides access to current and back-catalogue songs from the world's largest record companies and many smaller independent labels.

Customers can access streamed radio channels, bespoke collections and channels defined by themselves.

A personalisation system enables customers to 'train' the pre-programmed radio channels to their own tastes by pressing a button to indicate 'like' or 'dislike' while listening to a song. If a customer presses 'dislike' the music skips to the next song.

Sony NetServices' classification of each song, which analyses beat and harmonies as well as genre and mood, aims to help customers receive more songs that have characteristics in common with songs that are liked, while avoiding those that are disliked.

Songs purchased on either mobile phone or PC will be available to download on both devices, with a separate stereo copy being delivered individually to each. Personal settings and channels created on the mobile phone will also be accessible from the PC.

The service will be offered on a monthly subscription for unlimited listening on both mobile phone and PC. There will be no extra charge to the consumer for the data traffic needed to deliver the music to either device.

Vodafone Radio DJ will be launched in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain in the coming months. It will then be rolled out to more than 20 countries worldwide over the following 12 months.