That mobile Amazon music store rumor? Totally true.
Yeah, so Amazon just confirmed the existence of a mobile music store for Android-based cellphones. It’s essentially a pint sized version of Amazon MP3, and it comes pre-loaded on the G1. You’ll have 6 million DRM-free songs to choose from, from all four of the big record labels.
The catch? You can only download MP3s over a Wi-Fi connection; you can browse and preview just fine over the 3G, but buying and downloading can only be done over Wi-Fi.
Songs are the same price, 89 cents unless otherwise indicated.
The full presser, ladies and germs…
Happy day!
SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sept. 23, 2008–Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced that the Amazon MP3 music store will be pre-loaded on the T-Mobile G1, the world’s first Android(TM)-powered mobile phone in partnership with Google. T-Mobile G1 users can search, download, buy and play music from Amazon MP3, which offers over 6 million DRM-free MP3 songs from all four major music labels and thousands of independent labels that can be played on virtually any hardware device and managed with any music software.
“Amazon wants to make it easy for customers to discover, buy, and play their music wherever they happen to be–whether sitting at their computer or on the go,” said Bill Carr, Amazon.com Vice President for Digital Music and Video. “We look forward to the release of the T-Mobile G1, which will put Amazon MP3’s vast selection of low-priced DRM-free music at the fingertips of even more customers in more places.”
The T-Mobile G1 comes pre-loaded with an Amazon MP3 application, giving customers a phone-optimized version of the Amazon MP3 store and the immediate gratification of buying and playing their favorite music. Amazon MP3 has worked to make its DRM-free music available through numerous products and services, such as Pandora MySpace Music, and now Android and T-Mobile G1.
Downloading music from Amazon MP3 using the T-Mobile G1 requires a Wi-Fi connection but searching, browsing, listening to samples and buying MP3s can be done wherever customers are connected to the T-Mobile network. Downloaded MP3s can be played anytime on the T-Mobile G1, PCs, Macs or any other MP3 music player.
Launched in September 2007, Amazon MP3 offers a massive selection of DRM-free MP3 music downloads with more than 6 million songs from thousands of record labels. Every song and album in the Amazon.com digital music store is available exclusively in the MP3 format without digital rights management (DRM) software, enabling customers to play their music on virtually any personal digital music-capable device, including PCs, Macs(R), iPods(R), iPhones(R), Zunes(TM), Zens(TM), and to burn songs to CDs for these customers’ personal use. Amazon MP3’s 100 bestselling songs are 89 cents, unless otherwise marked, with over 1 million songs available at 89 cents. Amazon MP3’s 100 bestselling albums are $8.99 or less, unless otherwise marked. Most albums are priced from $5.99 to $9.99, with more than 80 percent of Amazon MP3’s album catalog priced at $8.99 or below.
The T-Mobile G1 is the world’s first Android-powered mobile phone in an exclusive partnership with Google. The T-Mobile G1 combines full touch-screen functionality and a QWERTY keyboard with a mobile Web experience that includes the popular Google services that millions have enjoyed on the desktop, including Google Maps with StreetView, Gmail, YouTube and others. With a fun and intuitive user interface and one-touch access to Google Search, the T-Mobile G1 is also the first phone to provide access to Android Market, where customers can find and download unique applications to expand and personalize their phone to fit their lifestyle.
Android is an open, free mobile platform developed by the Open Handset Alliance. It includes everything a manufacturer or operator needs to build a mobile phone. Android was designed from the ground up to enable the best user experience possible on a mobile phone. It leverages web and Internet content to provide advanced services such as Mobile Mash-ups.
Songs and albums on Amazon MP3 are generally sold by Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
I guess we can forget about a mobile video store, then, huh?