Sony has announced the introduction of its Music Unlimited service in Japan, bringing more than 10 million songs which can be listened to across a range of devices through the cloud-based service.
The launch comes just one day after reports in Japan suggested that the firm was on the cusp of introducing a service, after making its catalog of tracks available via Recochoku, a distributor that is run by Japan’s top labels.
Music Unlimited arrives with the support of a number of Japan’s widest reaching music labels, including EMI Japan, Sony, Universal and Warner Japan, and the company has said it “will continue to expand [record label support] over time.”
The service has launched today and will cost users 1,480 yen (circa $18.60) per month, but the company is offering a 30 day free trial to get new users interested in the platform.
“Bringing the cloud music subscription service to Japan, which is one of the largest music markets in the world, is a key step in the expansion of ‘Music Unlimited,'” said Tim Schaaff, who is president of Sony Network Entertainment International.
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With today’s unveiling, Japan becomes the seventeenth market were Music Unlimited is live, and it marks the end of a long wait for Sony fans in the company’s native country. The Spotify-rivalling service first launched in the UK and Ireland in December 2010, some 18 months ago.
The streaming services allows users to listen to tracks from a variety of devices, including: Android smartphones and tablets, the PlayStation3, PlayStation Vita, Sony’s VAIO range, other Windows computers and Macs. The Japanese electronics giant is also working to make it backwards compatible with older versions of its Bravia HDTVs and Blu-ray players.
Earlier this year, The Next Web’s Martin Bryant talked to the company about its strategy for Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited, both of which are part of the Sony Entertainment Network which it hopes will grow into popular entertainment services to complement its PlayStation Network.
You can get the low down on the service in our review: Sony’s streaming music service: Promising, but UI flaws frustrate
Image via Flickr / Jamiemc
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