AT&T Open Up Music Store/Competes With iTunes
07.31.07 - 05:33pm
AT&T may have an exclusive contract for the iPhone but that is not going to stop them from competing with Apple’s iTunes for mobile phone music downloads.
AT&T opened up its new music store today when it joined with eMusic to make eMusic Mobile. The store features a music catalog of 2.7 million songs which users can download directly to compatible cell phones. Currently there are four cell phones compatible with the service: the Samsung a717 and a727; new versions of the Samsung SYNC; and the Nokia N75.
Rather than selling the downloads singly AT&T is selling them in blocks of 5 with a monthly subscription. $7.49 is the cost for one month and five songs. Users can buy additional packages of five songs as well but must always pay the min. of $7.49 a month.
Users can transfer the songs from their phones to the computer or visa / versa, filling the one gap that Apple left when it chose not to have the iPhone capable of downloading songs without being hooked up to a PC.
“This is different than the iPhone. This is our first over the air service,” said Warner May an AT&T spokesman.
You do not have to subscribe to the service to preview songs although AT&T says this is highly recommended.
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