The news that the US’ second biggest online music site eMusic is setting up shop in Europe is a couple of weeks old now, but I’ve just had a chance to have a look at what’s on offer and how it all works. And it’s good news for mobile users, as long as your tastes aren’t too mainstream.
It’s like iTunes, except it uses a subscription-based service, where you pay a flat fee for a certain number of downloads every month. £8.99 gets you 40 songs a month, £11.99 gets you 65, and £14.99 gets you 90. The company’s launch offer in the UK gives you 25 free songs if you sign up for a free trial.
But the reason it’s interesting for mobile users is that the songs are all MP3 files, rather than the proprietary format Apple uses on iTunes (which won’t play on phones). So anything you buy from eMusic is guaranteed to work on your mobile.
The downside for some (but an upside for others) is that the site’s focused on independent labels. That means over 3,800 record labels, but not the majors. So as long as your tastes are diverse and you’re open to new music, it’s fine, but you won’t find the likes of Coldplay, Madonna or James Blunt there. Actually, that is an upside…
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