In 2002 the legendary David Bowie said: “Music itself is going to become like running water or electricity.” He showed great insight into the fact that, with the coming of the digital age, music is everywhere. Nokia is going out of their way to prove the Thin White Duke right with yesterday’s launch of “Comes with Music” in Sandton, Johannesburg.

It’s a crazy offer and the break down is: buy any of the “Comes with Music” phones and you get free music for a year. Really. Unlimited downloads from the Nokia Music Store with its selection of over 5 million tracks, for one year, yours to keep on your phone and one dedicated PC.

The Comes with Music range of phones include the Nokia 5130 XpressMusic Comes with Music edition (exclusive to MTN), the Nokia 5530 XpressMusic and the Nokia 5630 XpressMusic, and are available from MTN, Cell C, Nashua Mobile and Autopage cellular.

The catch? Well, we’re not quite sure, there doesn\'t seem to be one. Obviously strict DRM is in place since you are able to store music only on your phone and one PC, but that is expected. All that we know is that customers will use a lot of bandwidth, and we think the cellular service providers that signed up for Comes with Music knows that too.

Jake Larsen, Nokia’s head of music for Middle East and Africa, say, "This is the most compelling digital music offer ever introduced in South Africa and around the world.” We tend to agree.

Nokia FAQ about Comes with Music

1. What is Comes with Music?

Comes with Music is a revolutionary way for people to discover and enjoy music. When you buy a Comes with Music device from Nokia, you can download as many songs as you like from the millions available on the Nokia Music Store, for 12 or 18 months.


2. How much does it cost?

It depends on what handset you buy and whether there are operator fees attached. Visit your local Nokia Music Store at http://www.music.nokia.com for more information on Comes with Music and supported devices.
 

3. Can I get Comes with Music on my existing Nokia device?

Comes with Music is not sold separately – simply buy a new Comes with Music device and you’ll be able to access as much music as you like, wherever you are, whenever you want.


4. What content can I download from the Nokia Music Store?

Nokia Music Store has over 5 million tracks and is growing every day. You can find international household names as well as more obscure artists and bands from all four major labels and a wealth of independent labels.

 
5. Are the songs I download mine to keep?

Absolutely. Once the 12 or 18 month access has ended, you can keep all the music you’ve downloaded for your registered devices. You can also purchase new music to add to your collection. The ‘Music Vault’ in your Nokia Music Store account contains all the tracks you’ve ever downloaded – and, for up to two years after your subscription has expired, you can download them all over again if you lose your phone or your PC.

 
6. Can I play the music I download on more than one device?

Downloaded tracks will only play on the mobile device and personal computer that are registered to your Comes with Music account. Comes With Music tracks cannot be transferred to non-Comes With Music devices, but you can change the registered PC once every three months during your 12 or 18 months access period, and for two years after the subscription ends.
 

7. Can I share my music with my friends?

Yes, tracks and playlists can be shared between other registered Comes with Music subscribers (subject to confirmation that the user holds an active Comes with Music subscription. If the receiving user does not have a subscription, they can easily purchase rights to play tracks they have received).

 
8. Are the tracks DRM-free?

The tracks available on the Nokia Music Store currently have Windows Media DRM in place. Comes with Music offers tremendous value and great appeal due to the volume of music people can download and keep forever. That said, we are constantly discussing with the music industry about how to evolve Comes with Music and further enrich the proposition we currently have, including offering DRM-free music.

9. How does the music industry and artists make money from the service?

Nokia have developed a truly innovative business model in collaboration with the music industry that allows everyone involved to make a profit. The scale of the Nokia Comes with Music service is sufficient to generate significant additional revenue for the music industry, artists, labels and other stakeholders.