Filed under: Apple, EMI, iPhone, mobile, Music, Nokia, Sony, Sony BMG, Sony Ericsson, Universal, Vivendi, Warner Music
In a clear response to Nokia’s recent launch of a music portal with PC and mobile storefronts for purchasing and downloading tunes, Sony Ericsson has announced that it too will have a full-fledged music store for its customers by Q2 2008. S-E has always been able to sell tunes from the Sony BMG Music Entertainment, but has now reached agreement with the other three major labels (Universal Music Group (Vivendi), EMI Group PLC and Warner Music Group Corp). All of which means that Sony Ericsson customers will now be able to purchase the vast majority of the major label music that they can purchase through iTunes, Rhapsody, Nokia Music, etc.
The announcement yesterday was apparently timed to respond to both Nokia’s announcement last month, and the launch of the iPhone in Europe which takes place today.
Vivendi’s Universal unit appears to be set to challenge Apple’s terms for distribution of its catalog through Apple’s popular iTunes application/service just as Apple’s market importance gets a boost from the first weekend sale of over half a million iPhones.
Universal has notified Apple that it will not renew its contract with Apple, leaving its distribution relationship on an ‘at will’ basis. This is in contract to Sony BMG which recently renewed its contract for another year.
Estimates of Universal sales through iTunes place the number at approximately $200 million annually.
Read more in the New York Times article by Jeff Leeds.
Podsanity 
