Nokia has announced the launch of Nokia Music+, a premium paid for version of its popular and current music streaming and download service.

Vamers - FYI - Gadgetology - Nokia Beefs Up Music Streaming ServiceThe premium Nokia Music+ service will be available soon for a monthly subscription fee of $3.99 in the United States and €3.99 for the rest of the world (roughly R50 a month).

Unlike the free version of the service, Nokia Music+ will not put any limitations on the user.

Currently, users of the free Nokia Music service are only allowed to skip six tracks an hour of Nokia Mixed Radio and download four music mixes.

With Nokia Music+, these restrictions are completely removed, allowing for an unlimited number of music mix downloads and track skips.

Nokia Music+ also bolsters the quality of the downloaded songs to a bitrate of 250kbps, which is eight times more than the free service, allowing for much clearer audio.

Nokia will also offer a ‘web-app’ for access to the premium service from devices other than Nokia phones.

According to Nokia, the premium offering will further enhance its Mixed Radio streaming service that many users have come to enjoy. The company has, thankfully, also clarified that it will continue to offer the free service for those who are not interested in the ‘premium’ option.

At the moment Nokia Music (with Mixed Radio) comes bundled with Nokia Lumia devices, and with some Symbian devices, such as the Nokia Pureview 808.

The Finnish handset maker has certainly made great strides in the music industry over the last few years as this deal is quite attractive and reminiscent of the Zune Pass that Microsoft once offered.

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Nokia Music+ Offers New Feature Enhancements to Nokia’s Popular Mobile Music Streaming Service 

Nokia today announced Nokia Music+ a new subscription-based upgrade to its popular free-to-stream mobile music service, offering a range of additional features for a minimal monthly fee. It will be rolling out as an optional update to the existing service in Q1 2013. The existing Nokia Music service will continue to be available free of charge, with no advertisements, registration or subscription to Nokia Lumia owners.

Nokia Music users create their own mixes or stream from playlists curated by an expert team of musicologists and international artists. Mixes can also be saved for offline playback.

For only €3.99 per month, Nokia Music+ adds additional features for enhanced listening enjoyment:

  • The ability to download unlimited mixes for offline playback
  • Unlimited track skips providing greater opportunities to self-curate streamed music
  • The option to select higher quality audio when connecting via Wi-Fi
  • Lyric streaming for many tracks
  • Listen to Nokia Music via Internet-enabled devices including pc or tablet

Jyrki Rosenberg, VP for Entertainment at Nokia said, “By removing barriers like adverts and sign-ins, Nokia Music makes it easy for users to discover and enjoy music on the go. Nokia Music+ now provides increased control over the listening experience at half the cost of many third party services.”

Stephen Bryan, Executive Vice President, Digital Strategy and Business Development, Warner Music Group said “We know that many music fans enjoy a curated, radio-style experience that mixes their favourite tracks with new discoveries. By bringing a well-designed digital radio service to its massive distribution footprint, Nokia is catering to a global audience of under-served, casual music fans. Not only that, Nokia Music+ will help introduce mobile subscribers to the benefits of cloud-based music streaming, while creating exciting opportunities for artists and songwriters.”

Rob Wells, President, Global Digital Business, Universal Music said, “”Nokia have been in music for longer than most device manufacturers. Their commitment to music is genuine and their music products are really working for consumers. I’m very excited by the new functionality and curation offered in their service upgrades, these new elements really help them differentiate from their competition.”

Nokia Music+ will be available to Nokia Lumia owners as a paid for update to the existing free service. It will be rolling out in the first quarter of 2013 priced at €3.99.

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Owner, founder and editor-in-chief at Vamers, Hans has a vested interest in geek culture and the interactive entertainment industry. With a Masters degree in Communications and Ludology, he is well read and versed in matters relating to video games and communication media, among many other topics of interest.