Orange Announces Ad-Funded Content Trial For 800,000 Mobile Users In The UK

Orange announced the launch of a new advertisement-supported content trial on its mobile internet platform, Orange World. The move will see 800,000 of Orange’s 15.6 million mobile customers given the option to download a variety of music content, from four different genres (Urban, Pop, Rock, Dance) to their mobile handsets for free, or a discounted rate, making it the largest trial of its kind in the UK. (PR)

@ Midem: Orange Plans DRM-Free Music Rentals, Still Talking To Nokia

"Our intention definitely in 2008 is to drop DRM, so we can have a truly interoperable service linked with network access”, music product development director Brenda O’Connell told mocoNews.net. Orange UK launched converged music downloads using Windows Media for PC and AAC for mobile in November but: “The DRM ecosystem on the mobile and on the PC is fundamentally different; getting them to talk together to create a seamless experience was a huge amount of work.” (Moconews)

Orange and Lagardère Active launch Musiline

France Telecom's unit Orange is launching today a free service with Lagardere SCA division Lagardere Active to allow broadband subscribers to listen to music online. The service, called MusiLine, gives Orange broadband Internet subscribers (more than 7 million customers on September 30, 2007) the free and unlimited opportunity to listen to personalised music programs amongst the biggest French and international hits. (PR)