NTT DoCoMo to Launch Music Download Service

NTT DoCoMo, the largest mobile phone service provider in Japan, announced on Thursday its plans to debut a downloadable music offering, meant to better position the company for competition with rival KDDI, which runs a widely used download service, Reuters reports via The Washington Post.

The company also showcased 10 new mobile phones on Thursday, two of which are capable of downloading MP3 files via DoCoMo’s i-mode websites, a company spokesperson told Reuters.

A Japanese media outlet reported that single songs would cost roughly 300 yen, or $2.70, which is comparable with KDDI’s pricing for its service, according to Reuters.

Further details regarding the deal were not immediately available, Reuters reports.

Using mobile phones to download music is a much more popular practice in Japan than in the United States.

DoCoMo first mentioned the possibility of offering a downloadable music service last fall, after announcing its position as the new leading shareholder of Tower Records, a U.S. music retailer, according to Reuters.

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