HANOVER, Germany (Kyodo) Sony Corp. said Wednesday it will launch the world's first service in Northern Europe that allows users to upload their favorite songs to their mobile phones.
The music streaming service will let users to browse through prerecorded music stations or select their own, Sony said. About 50,000 songs will be initially available, rising to 500,000 later. News will also be sent over handsets.
Sony unveiled the new service at the CeBIT electronics fair in Hanover, Germany.
It will run on handsets with personal digital assistant functions -- available on phones made by companies that include Finland's Nokia Corp. and Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB, it said.
The quality of sound via the new service is about the same as that of FM radio services, it said.
Sony will offer the service on a trial basis in Finland within two or three months, expanding the service area to all of Northern Europe by the middle of the year.
Sony also said Wednesday it will begin offering its Connect Internet music store in Europe in June.
Connect lets users buy songs for 0.99 euros apiece on the Internet and download them onto their computer. About 300,000 songs will be available.