Sony BMG joins Nokia's 'Comes with Music' subscription service

Nokia's subscription-based music download service that was announced at the tail end of 2007 has added another major recording label's content to its catalog: Sony BMG.

Initially a partnership with Universal Music Group, Nokia's Comes With Music service offers unlimited downloads of PlaysForSure-protected tracks to those who purchase compatible Nokia handsets.

The DRM protection allows users to keep their music once the subscription ends, or as the company says, "for the rest of their lives." Comes With Music is actually free for the first year of the service for both the Nokia device and the registered user's computer.

Devices supporting the service were still not announced, nor is there fine print available yet on user agreements pertaining to actual limits on the service. The term "unlimited" is frequently given to services with simply higher-than-average limits.

The service is still expected to launch in the second half of this year, and Nokia reports that it is in talks with other international labels which will presumably be available upon launch.