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3GScottishUser
9th January 2006, 12:14 PM
From Unwired.com (09/01/2006):

Vodafone and Sony NetServices introduce Vodafone Radio DJ

Today, Vodafone and Sony NetServices are announcing a partnership for the global roll-out of the world's first fully convergent music service - Vodafone Radio DJ - offering interactive, personalized radio channels streamed to both 3G mobile phones and personal computers.

With Vodafone Radio DJ, customers have access to hundreds of thousands of songs, both current popular hits and back catalogue, from the world's largest record companies, and many smaller independent labels. Customers can access streamed radio channels, bespoke collections, and channels defined by customers themselves.

The key feature of Vodafone Radio DJ is its easy-to-use personalization system, which enables customers to "train" the pre-programmed radio channels to their own personal tastes by simply pressing a button to indicate "like" or "dislike" while listening to a song. If a customer presses 'dislike', the music skips to the next song.

Through Sony NetServices' detailed classification of each song in the catalogue - analyzing beat and harmonies as well as genre and mood - the radio channels that individual customers receive will feature more songs that have characteristics in common with songs that are liked, whilst avoiding songs with characteristics similar to those that the customer dislikes.

The Vodafone Radio DJ service consists of three elements:

Pre-defined channels: Customers can select a radio channel based on mood or genre. If the customer indicates that they don't like the song, the channel skips to the next track within the channel. Customers can also buy any songs that they like and these will be automatically available for download to their phone and PC.
Personal Channels: By rating songs on the existing radio channels, the customer can create a number of new, personal channels corresponding to their desired genres, moods or specific themes.
Collections: Vodafone Radio DJ also presents programmed collections of songs to the customer on mobile phone or PC. These collections will be created by local music experts around a theme (e.g. Christmas Hits, or the Best New Hip-Hop), be updated regularly, and will comprise about 15 songs.
Songs purchased on either mobile phone or PC will be available to download on both devices, with a separate high quality stereo copy being delivered individually to each. Personal settings and personal channels created on the mobile phone will also be accessible from the PC.

The Radio DJ service will be offered on the basis of a monthly subscription for unlimited listening to music on both mobile phone and
PC. There will be no extra charge to the consumer for the data traffic needed to deliver the music to the phone or PC.

Vodafone Radio DJ will be launched in six European countries in the coming months, namely UK, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain. It is intended it will then be rolled out to more than 20 countries worldwide over the following twelve months.


Complete Article: http://www.theunwired.net/?itemid=2845

Ben
9th January 2006, 06:55 PM
Heh, that sounds like fun! It'll be another battery killer, but I'm optimistic about the possibilities. They're going to need plenty of data capacity and pretty robust coverage if this is going to work...

3GScottishUser
9th January 2006, 07:22 PM
Reading the details this appears to be another sledgehammer blow to others as Vodafone raise the stakes with 3G content again. Not content with having the most comprehensive TV channel line-up they have followed up with a truly 'personalised' high quality music service backed by Sony/BMG. Another compelling reason to choose Vodafone rather than something else.

As far as the battery issues goes I suspect that pressure will now be on the handset manufacturers to sort out, and fast!

Vodafone seem to have caught on to the fact that to make 3G happen en masse, it's content that will drive customer take-up. Partnerships look set to be the most cost effective way to deliver new services and the notion that all you have to do is throw up a few files for download now looks dead in the water. All of the networks will have to be more creative and this new service looks like a first step in the direction of proper 3G specific services that will hopefully expand the market and encourage others to 'think outside the box'.

timothythetim
9th January 2006, 07:30 PM
That sounds a bit like pandora.com. It's really clever.
I presume it wont cost too much because of the way the licensing works?

Ben
9th January 2006, 08:09 PM
Indeed, if it's streamed then there's no reason for the subscription to be too high - the labels seem quite generous provided no permanent copy of the music is made.

3GScottishUser
10th January 2006, 08:18 AM
In terms of competing with downloads it seems a very attractive proposition.

All of a sudden you will have the option of a 'personalised' high quality music service delivered to your mobile. This could be competition not only for other networks selling expensive downloads but could also make the i-pod and personal music players redundant eventually.

timothythetim
10th January 2006, 01:09 PM
It does sound quite good, however, you aren't actually able to choose the songs you want to listen to, are you?
If the price for downloading a song you liked is quite cheap then it could well be a very good service.
Although, it wont be long before somone manages to work out away to save the songs you listened to direct to the phone.

I wish my three contract would hurry up and end so I could move to Vodafone!
(Mind you, I bet I will get a new contract with three just because they will have the N80 cheap)

whatleydude
10th January 2006, 01:49 PM
This is superb..
I'll have to keep an eye on Vodafone Live for when it rolls out.