RIM ready to launch subscription music service for its BlackBerry Smartphones

[Mastermind]

Canadian firm Research In Motion would be close to unveiling its music service. The latter will be offered to users of Blackberry that can build up playlists from their smartphones. In order to have a catalog of result, RIM is poised to sign distribution agreements with the leading major record labels.

For the next Canadian, music service from RIM would be imminent. To believe more information from the Wall Street Journal, this new service is supposed to work with the BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), the Blackberry messaging platform. The firm will then attempt to play on its strengths until now, as the BBM has about 45 million registered users and just over one billion messages sent everyday.

The service should provide access to 50 songs. If they can be shared between subscribers, we do not yet know which limitation will be introduced in the number (or time) listening to the securities. Similarly, no details were given as to the details of exchanges done between users.

The launch of this service is not a real surprise. To recall, last April, RIM said it had carried out the acquisition of the company PushLife. This provides software solutions to facilitate the acquisition of online music and manage its mobile library.

The fact is that RIM is in negotiations with representatives of four major music industry. Passage is required in order to offer a catalog of titles provided, the Canadian company then try to sign distribution contracts with EMI, Warner, Universal and Sony Music.

Rumor has it, that these agreements are being finalized and the service could be launched next week. For now, Research In Motion declined to comment on this information.

[Ashert]

RIM would have to work twice as hard to pick up the competition for mobile music services. According to the latest data compiled by Reuters, a service of listening to music streaming will be announced on September 5 in the United States. BBM Music should be quite different from what Apple offers, Spotify or Microsoft Zune with: it should be cheaper, but does not allow access to 50 pieces at the same time on the mobile.