T-Mobile to offer music for 2.5G and 3G phones

March 19, 2004

T-Mobile introduced Mobile Jukebox, the first mobile music service based on Open Mobile Alliance standard 1.0 that enables customers to download their favourite tracks in a new and exclusive Mobile Mix format directly onto their 2.5G or 3G mobile phones. The Mobile Mix format is truly unique as it is for the first time designed in partnership with key industry leaders Sony Music and Universal Music especially for the mobile music market.

Mobile Jukebox offers over 200 tracks from top artists for selection, including current chart hits and songs from a wide variety of music genres, including Pop, Rock, Dance, Hip-Hop, R&B, and Electronica. The offering will be continually extended throughout the course of the year. t-zones users can browse, pre-listen and download songs via 2.5G and 3G as part of the T-Mobile mobile multimedia experience. The service will initially be supported by the Nokia 6230, 6600, and 7600, with additional handsets to follow.

All titles are offered in T-Mobile's exclusive Mobile Mix format that introduces a true mobile listening experience with tracks lasting between 90 and 120 seconds. Downloading titles in the Mobile Mix format is a compelling proposition for GPRS users with download times of around two minutes. At the end of 2004, as additional 3G handsets will have entered into the marketplace, T-Mobile will also offer full-length music tracks as part of Mobile Jukebox.

"Music has been the fundamental driver to the success of our t-zones portal with over half of all t-zones downloads music related", explains Nikesh Arora, Chief Marketing Officer at T-Mobile International. "With Mobile Jukebox we are moving onto the next evolutionary stage: Together with our partners from the music industry, we are providing customers with a truly superior and unique mobile multimedia music service. Our commitment to this industry is unequivocal."

The extensive selection of music for Mobile Jukebox comes from music industry leaders Sony Music and Universal Music. The record companies provide tracks from artists such as Beyoncé, Anastacia, Big Brovaz, Lemar, Delta Goodrem (Sony Music), as well as Lionel Richie, FeFe Dobson, Sugababes, Limp Bizkit, and Sam Roberts (Universal Music).

"This partnership between Sony Music and T-Mobile to launch the Mobile Mix product exemplifies our commitment to leadership and innovation at the forefront of the mobile music revolution", remarks Thomas Gewecke, Senior Vice President, Sony Music Digital Services. "Mobile Mix enables music fans to download a 90 to 120 second excerpt of a song in just a couple of minutes, allowing them to get a feel for the music almost instantaneously, and takes the mobile music entertainment experience to an entirely new level."

"It is obvious that the way to success in mobile music is serving consumers with the choice they want, when they want it", says Boyd Muir, Executive Vice President of Universal Music International. "The Mobile Jukebox service is another milestone on that route, with tracks specifically designed and adapted for this innovative product, in a secure environment. We're pleased to make Universal Music's world-leading artists and repertoire available to consumers through this platform."

Mobile Jukebox will be available to T-Mobile customers in the UK, Germany, and Austria. Details of prices for Mobile Jukebox downloads will be announced at the marketing launch that is slated for Q2.