Sky tunes up music service

UK pay TV operator BSkyB is launching a music download service, Sky Songs. It has inked deals with music majors EMI, Sony, Universal and Warner and is making 4 million tracks available to stream or download as MP3 files.

The service has two subscription packages. The first costs £6.49 (US$10.25) per month and allows the download of one album or ten singles to that value. There is also a more expensive £7.99 option that works along the same lines.

Streaming tracks is free and further album purchases are £6.49 or £7.99 and singles 65p. Sky is offering its existing broadband subs a free album download when they sign up for the service, which launches next week.

“Our music partners bring an outstanding catalog and unrivalled expertise that complements Sky’s strengths in content distribution,” said Sky’s COO Mike Darcey. “Offering legal access to digital music is a vital step in combating illegal downloading.”