Nokia's Comes with Music to scrap DRM?

Nokia may soon be offering DRM-free tracks as part of its Comes with Music service, according to one of its execs.

The unlimited music download service on certain Nokia phones has enjoyed limited success since its launch in 2009, but many consumers have shied away due to the fact each track is digitally locked to the handset.

But now it seems Nokia might be looking to refresh its model in order to keep the service appealing to new customers.

Adam Mirabella, Director of Global Digital Music Retail for Nokia said to Channel News Asia: "We have dialogues going with all of our partners and DRM-free is also on the roadmap for the future integration of 'Comes With Music'."

Nokia is trying to build on its success in the Asian regions, where although it enjoys nearly half the market share in terms of handset penetration, no operator has managed to bring a compelling mobile music download model.

Digital is the answer

Sandy Monteiro, Senior VP of Digital Music for Universal Music, South East Asia, said to CNA: "There needs to be a new format that drives the business forward again.

"We always knew digital was the answer, but for all this time, we've never been able to figure out a model that actually makes money, given the fact that music is so available on the net or so freely available that people were getting the music they wanted, but not actually paying for it."

However, Nokia also faces stiff competition from network operators, who have been offering music downloads via their own mobile portals for years. Many of them are believed to be annoyed at Nokia attempting to eat into this market share, although none offer an unlimited download service for a fixed fee.

Via Channel News Asia