Universal bets on free music on Nokia phones

Music group exec says subscriber plan including 12 months of access to free music "is how consumers will consume music going forward."

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[imacpwr]

Free music downloads...!! (with strings attached..??)

And just how are we to download the music? Directly to the cell phone or via a broadband internet connection then up to the device? If we can download it to the computer first then yes, I'd say that's "free" but if the music can only be downloaded directly to the phone from the cell phone provider than no, it's NOT free..!!! Since my cell phone provider charges downloads per kb a song could cost more to download than it would have cost to buy outright in the first place..!!!

[rcrusoe]

Do you think the phone co would really charge you?

Do you really think the cell phone companies would charge you
to download the free music? Companies like Verizon that cripple
their phones built in features so you have even have to pay to
back up your phone numbers. Say it isn't so.

</sarcasm>

I'm a big fan of Nokia phones but I don't think this "will act as a
catalyst for a whole number of business partners to step
forward."

In fact, I doubt if it will make a blip on the legal music download
scale.