Vodafone sounds out unlimited music downloads

Vodafone has signed up to a service that allows its users to access unlimited music downloads for a £1.99 weekly fee.

The MusicStation service will offer more than a million tracks from Universal, Sony BMG, EMI and Warner, as well as leading independent labels.

From November existing users with 2.5G and 3G mobiles will be able to download the application from the Vodafone Live service, or it will come supplied on new handsets from the mobile firm.

Songs will come in the e-AAC+ format and will use digital rights management to stop users sharing them illegally.

Tim Hadley, PR director at MusicStation's parent company Omnifone, said that users are not locked into a lengthy contract as it can be ended at any time.

However, ending the subscription cuts off access to downloaded tracks, unlike a pay-per-song service such as iTunes.

Hadley explained that the service monitors the phone to make the best use of its memory. "MusicStation stores your favourite and about-to-be-played music on your mobile phone handset," he told vnunet.com.

"If you download a new track and the phone's memory is full, it will swap out your least listened to track."

Hadley said that users will not be allowed to transfer music to other devices because of the built-in DRM, but promised a desktop version available for PCs in the future.