Nokia music hits SA

Nokia will open its virtual music store in SA - giving its users access to digital music tracks.

The company says this move is in line with its strategy to expand its offerings - shifting from solely being a device manufacturer, to a services-focused company.

The store, which is currently available in 11 other countries, will be available from 24 April. It will provide users with access to a range of digital music tracks from their mobile devices and PCs.

Jake Larsen, head of music for Nokia in Africa and the Middle East, says the opening of the music online platform will impact the way music is discovered and consumed locally.

“People who have previously had little or no access to music stores will now be able to choose from millions of songs and access all the music they want, anywhere, anytime,” he says.

Users will be required to set up an account to access the Nokia Music Store - either on their computer or from selected Nokia devices, which include the 5800 XpressMusic and the N-series range. According to Nokia, users will be able to download full music tracks, and create and customise playlists.

The downloaded collection can then be synchronised between a PC and a mobile device using the Nokia music PC client - which is downloaded from the Web or a product software CD.

Nokia also states the music store will offer interactive features such as music browsing and personal track recommendations. Music will be purchased either through credit card payments or prepaid vouchers.