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June 28, 2005
All-You-Can-Eat Mobile Music Video Service
3GNewsroom:3 Scandinavia is in the process of launching an "all-you-can-eat" music subscription service that sounds pretty good -- if the network can handle the streaming.
"The service, with more than 50 live broadcast channels, allows subscribers to use their mobile phones like i-Pods, with an unlimited hard-drive housed on the mobile network. Audio channels were launched in May 2005, with video following in June and radio in July, enabling subscribers to watch and listen to music through mobile streaming on their video-enabled mobile phones. Mobile subscribers pay a monthly fee under US$7.00 to gain the programming on an "all you can eat" basis. From May-Aug 2005, subscribers can try the service for free".
Of course, the service is not like iPods at all -- in fact the only thing in common is that they both deliver music to the consumer. If I've got the details right, the service is a subscription one, so the music is 'rented' and not 'bought' as it is with iTunes. And of course it is streamed over a network rather than stored on a device. The one thing I'm not sure of is whether the service involves channels -- in which case consumers can tune in but cannot pick the song list -- or whether they get to choose which music they want to listent to. Likewise, for the service to be really good it would need a way to remember individual playlists, but that level of detail is not gone into in the article. If anyone has any further information (or the website for 3 Scandinavia) please fill us in..
The service is issued over the VeeStream platform from Vidiator Technology, the same one that was used in streaming Big Brother in Scandinavia.
Related stories:
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--Cingular Considering Launching iTunes Phone
--Orange Expands Mobile Music Services, Promotes At Music Festivals
Posted by James in Mobile Music | Permalink
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Comments
Thanks for bringing additional information to my attention that inquiring minds would like to know. Yes to both of your questions. Yes, all music or music video parts of the service(except the radio station part) subscribers have control over what they select to listen to/watch (in the case of music videos). Yes, the latest version of Vidiator's streaming solution - VeeStream 3.3 - enables playlist control.
In terms of the I-pod likeness, of course it is not exactly like the I-pod, but the point was that subscribers can use the mobile network as their storage device, giving them the same "on-demand" capabilities as an I-pod, without having to invest in an additional device (beyond their service-capable cell phone).
Finally, the service can handle the streaming demand. Vidiator's streaming solution is so robust that peak demand of 1 million streams per day has been handled successfully by carriers.
So please tell me - how cool is the whole service to you?
3 Scandinavia's website is: www.tre.se
As an FYI, Vidiator has also delivered 3UK's music video service, their live concerts and live horse-racing in Hong Kong. Watch for cool stuff from Stan Lee coming in the future!
Posted by: Darcy Shurin | Jun 28, 2005 3:10:23 PM
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