AT&T have announced that their wireless customers will soon be able to download songs from Napster Mobile.
Starting mid-November, the service will allow AT&T customers to browse 5 million songs, preview samples of each song and purchase and download music from their mobile phones. Unlike a previous deal where some AT&T customers had free access to Napster, under this deal users will pay $7.49 a month for 5 songs or $1.99 per single, double the going rate on iTunes.
The deal is good news for the struggling Napster, who will gain exposure to AT&T’s 63 million customers at a time they are looking to sell the company.
AT&T also announced two new music applications: MobiVJ, a streaming video service, and VIP Access, a “mobile fan club and discovery service.” The MobiVJ music video channels cover eight genres and provide streamed video to AT&T customers for $6.99 a month. VIP Access allows customers to search artist biographies and discographies, sample new music, participate in polls and receive breaking alerts via text messaging services for only $2.99 a month.
It’s rather unfortunate that Napster ends up this way, for me they are just a scapegoat. I this move put a little bit of order in this unhealthy company then I’m glad.
not surprise to see this – but mobile to pod is still not successful business model as this is an expansive option for school going / young / vibrant target audience
$7.49 a month for 5 songs!
Someone will say 18 months from now when this partnership dies that it generated $2.4 million in revenue, but it never lived up to expectations. Not bad for a bit of deal negotiation, lawyer time, programmer time, paper and ink?
$1.50 per song – (ATT cut + Napster cut + digital distributor cut + record label cut + manager cut) = artist payout. Someone has to make money.
I like Universal’s Total Music plan better. Check out Unstrung Artists for a review on this plan.
Oops that’s Unsprung not Unstrung!
Thieves and thieves!
http://fakestev...er.blogspot.com
Does this cause a conflict of interest (i.e. ATT already in bed with Apple and iTunes)?
ATT got a good feel of the online music selling industry by riding on top of the IPhone.. Now they would like to dump apple and be on their own… pretty logical..
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This is like one of those moves that nobody finds reasonable I think!
Welcome ATT, dragging us kicking and screaming into the web 1.0 world of the 1990’s.
Next ATT will introduce a chat like messenger service that allows instant communication. Speculation insdicates they will charge .50$ per message for their revolutionary device.
What a year for AT&T. First they had the BellSouth deal, then they partner with Apple for the iPhone, now this Napster deal. Is it any wonder that they put up quarter numbers like they did today? Year in, year out, AT&T is one of the best run companies in the world, period http://www.news...rate-exper.html . This interactive map of their Board provides a glimpse of the awesome corporate experience of the people running the company.
The apple deal has truly helped att in jumping onto the web 2.0 bandwagon. Looks like they are getting to speed now.
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Two things strike me as odd about this deal:
1. It’s kind of weird that AT&T didn’t try to integrate any music system on their phones with iTunes. They already have a pretty solid relationship with Apple. In the US, AT&T is the only approved mobile carrier for the iPhone.
2. When it comes to music, are people really ready to leave their iPods behind and just use their phones? Maybe if you have an iPhone, otherwise, probably not. The media player built into my brand new BlackBerry Curve sucks so bad that I just bought an iPod Touch.