Nokia is aiming to take on the growing influence of the Apple iPhone by launching a new series of handsets that enable owners to download an unlimited number of music tracks. Users can peruse Nokia’s library of over 2 million tracks and download tunes to their computers. The cost of the service is built into the price of the phone, which is estimated to be around €300.
The service expires after one year, requiring customers to purchase a new "Comes With Music" device, but the old handset will continue to work for normal phone use, and previously downloaded tracks can still be listened to.
Packaging free music with another product or service is proving to be an interesting future model for the sale of music. To battle illegal music downloads, a possible solution is to provide better service than the free music downloads offered on illegal P2P networks.
Nokia’s music service uses Microsofts Digital Rights Management and means that music downloaded from Nokia can’t be used on an iPod or the iPhone. Their policy of forcing people to buy a new handset each year, rather than offering customers the chance to pay for a new subscription, ensures the sale of more Nokia handsets to combat the increasing influence of the iPhone.
But such a strategy goes against why the iPod and iPhone are such great success stories. If you remove barriers and make things easier for the user, you will be far more successful.
Offering a better, and open, service, where the revenue comes from actually selling music seems to be a better approach that using free music as a purchasing incentive for new handset sales. In this environmentally sensitive time, and with a global recession looming, encouraging young kids to throw away technology after one year seems a little excessive.
Either way, expect to see lots more ‘Comes With Free Music’ bundled with everything, as the music industry seeks to revive itself.
Marketing With Free Music
Nokia Phones With Unlimited Music Downloads
Trend Themes
1. Bundled Music Services - Packaging free music with another product or service is proving to be an interesting future model for the sale of music, presenting opportunities for businesses to explore partnerships and collaborations to offer exclusive music experiences.
2. Anti-piracy Solutions - To combat illegal music downloads, businesses can focus on providing better service and value than free music downloads on illegal platforms, creating disruptive innovation opportunities to protect the music industry.
3. Open Music Platforms - Offering a better and open music service where revenue comes from actually selling music rather than tying it to specific hardware can be a disruptive approach, enabling businesses to create innovative platforms that cater to user preferences.
Industry Implications
1. Smartphone Manufacturing - The smartphone manufacturing industry can explore incorporating bundled music services into their handsets to enhance user experience and compete with industry leaders.
2. Digital Music Streaming - The digital music streaming industry can develop more effective anti-piracy solutions to protect artists' intellectual property and offer users a seamless music streaming experience through legitimate platforms.
3. Tech Hardware Subscription - The tech hardware subscription industry can disrupt traditional models by offering open music platforms as part of their subscription packages, providing users with access to a wide range of music choices.