AfterDawn: News

Sony Connect music service launched

Sony has launched its long anticipated Sony Connect online music download service in the United States. Like Sony announced early this year, the service features 500,000 songs from $0.99 per track, or $9.99 per album.

The songs at Sony Connect are sold in Sony's own ATRAC3 format, which is compatible with Sony's audio devices. While Apple has done a great job with iPod and iTunes, Sony feels that they can offer the consumers a broader line of devices.



It is quite obvious, that with Connect Sony wishes to boost the sales of its audio products. Devices such as MiniDisc Hi-MD Walkman, NetMD Walkmans, ATRAC CD Walkman, and Network Walkman players will all play content downloaded via Connect. Aiwa (a brand of Sony's) will also soon be releasing Giga Pavit, a hard-disk player similar to Apple iPod Mini.

Apart from a wider range of portable devices supported, the Sony Connect seems to have little edge over its rivals. It will be interesting to see how the markets are going to develop with Connect around. Sony is by far the largest player on the current online music market, with amazing potential to market and push its products to the consumers.

Source: News.com

Written by: Jari Ketola @ 5 May 2004 11:22

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• 5 comments

• Crandell

  99 cents, hmmm still not worth it.

  5.5.2004 12:46 #1

• DMW

  Woo Hoo, yet another paid service :-/

  6.5.2004 01:09 #2

• Ghostdog

  I wonder if the service will include music from other labels than Sony? I suppose it should.

  6.5.2004 11:03 #3

• Toiletman

  Crandell, what the fuck are you going on about. 0.99 per fucking song is probably as good as it gets. I mean, in the big picture it's still a scheme to earn lots of money which the artists already have tons of... but why would you care? The marketing scheme wouldn't affect you at all.
  
  It's 0.99 PER SONG. PER FUCKING SONG. It's even less than a dollar. THAT IS NOT EXPENSIVE.

  6.5.2004 20:24 #4

• Toiletman

  Why so silent?
  

  When you are on your deathbed, you will wonder, "Did I waste my life? Was it worth spending all that time on that?" Do not despair, no one has wasted their life. After all, you can only waste something if you throw it away. And you can't throw life away.

  18.5.2004 20:11 #5