Nokia to launch online music store in UAE

Nokia is launching its online Music Store service in the UAE in December, offering people the chance to enjoy music directly on their Nokia device or personal computer.

Part of the Ovi by Nokia offering, the new online music store (http://music.nokia.ae) is the twelfth store that the company is rolling out globally and will feature tracks from major international labels such as Universal, Sony BMG, EMI, Warner and other independent acts.

“The UAE is a melting pot, and people here literally come from all parts of the world. This is why we have ensured that we are offering a diverse collection of music that suits people’s different tastes covering Arabic, Bollywood and international music,” said Ayman Chalhoub, business manager of music at Nokia MENA.

Visitors can browse through the featured songs, create their own personal track recommendations and listen to a 30 second clip of any track before deciding on their final purchase.

There’s no word yet on exactly how much songs will cost in the Middle East but Tala Toukan, communications manager at Nokia MENA, told itp.net that “prices will be competitive” and that more details will be made available closer to the launch date in December.The Nokia Music Store also allows purchased songs to be transferred from a PC to compatible Nokia devices, bringing copyright concerns to the forefront. “Transfer rights could vary across different tracks, depending on the transfer rights given by the labels,“ commented Toukan, adding that the store will indicate respective transfer rights with each track.