Vodafone’s (News - Alert) mobile music service was launched today in Great Britain. The new service will permit users to download and share unlimited tracks. Perhaps most importantly of all, the service debuts one week before the UK iPhone (News - Alert) release from Apple.

 

Music firm Omnifone has inked an exclusive deal with Vodafone that makes 1.2 million major-label tracks available for 1.99 pounds a week through MusicStation. With the help of compatible handsets, Vodafone users were able to download the service from today, and in the coming weeks it will roll out on other handsets, such as BlackBerry (News - Alert) smartphones and touch-screen devices.

 

"On a very wide range of handsets, UK consumers now have the freedom to download, share and play unlimited amounts of music, direct to their phone, whenever they want," Omnifone Chief Executive Rob Lewis said in a statement.

 

The phones will be available from Phones4U and Vodafone shops. Users signed up to the service can create playlists and share songs with other MusicStation users on Vodafone's HSDPA mobile networks.

 

The iPhone goes on sale in the UK on November 9. Nokia (News - Alert), the world's largest cell phone maker, has also opened an online music store.

 

Analysts point to the fact that MusicStation users will keep their music when they switch handsets as a major benefit. This remains the case so long as users keep their Vodafone contract -- and see the service as an affordable and easy way to buy music.

 

MusicStation has also agreed to deals with Sweden’s Telenor (News - Alert) and Hong Kong’s Hutchison Whampoa 3. It will go live with Vodacom in South Africa early next month.