Nokia yesterday launched its fightback against iTunes in the UK – with a music service which has 26 million free songs.
The telecoms giant unveiled MixRadio, a streaming service which features nearly 200 years worth of tracks.
Unlike iTunes, it does not store data on the phone, meaning people with even the most varied music taste will never have to decide which tracks to keep.
A ‘smart radio’ function suggests different tracks based on the users’ preferences.
Head of Nokia Entertainment Jyrki Rosenberg said: “We have made our mission clear, to provide the most simple, personal radio streaming service available.
“Nokia MixRadio marries simplicity with an incredible level of personalization, for a mobile first approach that will help everybody, not just the avid music fan, enjoy and discover new music for free.
“It’s as easy as turning on the radio, but you’re in control – just one touch of a button provides people with their own personal radio station, free of adverts, sign ups and sign-ins.
“You can even skip songs you don’t like, as well as build your station around your likes and dislikes with the unique thumbs up and down feature.”
The service is now available to owners of Nokia Lumia phones in 31 countries.
Top music producer Nile Rogers has created a series of exclusive mixes for the service which users can download for free.
The ‘Get Lucky’ producer said: “Radio has always been the way most people discover new music, but the format hasn’t really changed since the 50’s.
“I love this because it’s radio for the digital generation, simple, immediate and unique, and the MixSharing feature means people can create and transmit their own radio station.
“More people discovering great music is always a good thing.”