Case Study: Sony’s ‘Music Unlimited’

Objective: Sony partnered with Omnifone to develop, license and rollout the first global mass market cloud music service. In addition to conventional digital music platforms (mobile, PC and web), it is designed to deliver digital music to the devices and the place whereby the mass market consumes music most; the living room. In addition, ‘Music Unlimited’ enables Sony to avoid device commoditization through a differentiated offering to its competitors’ products; a music service which works across all of Sony’s connected consumer electronics.

Service overview: Sony’s ‘Music Unlimited’ is cloud-based, digital music service provided by Omnifone which enables unlimited music access across a wide range of over 350 million Sony devices including PS3, PSP BRAVIA TV, PS Vita, Blu-ray Disc players and Home Theater systems, as well as Android mobile devices including Sony’s upcoming S1 and S2 tablets, VAIO and any web connected PC. Currently Live in 16 countries including UK & USA, users can sync their music collections into the cloud to enjoy on any Qriocity enabled device.

The subscription based service provides two levels of access for consumers:

  • Basic subscription (£$€3.99 p/month) provides dozens of infinite ad-free music channels, categorized by genre, era and mood, all of which are personalised to users' individual music tastes, with unlimited forward track skipping.

  • Premium (£$€9.99 p/month) gives users on-demand music access (search and play) as well as access to personalised premium channels and enabling playlist creation.

Evidence of success: Omnifone’s MusicStation Platform and its flexible suite of APIs enabled Sony to deliver a cloud music service which works on virtually any connected device. Omnifone secured some of the most sophisticated licensing ever undertaken with music rights holders, including securing Germany’s first ever global music subscription licensing with collections society GEMA.

With Omnifone, Sony provides a lean-back mass market user experience which gets rid of the concept of managing digital media files. Instead, your music just follows you across all your devices. Users can ‘like’ and ‘dislike’ tracks; channels and recommendations become personalised the more music you play.

ZDNet says: “Using Music Unlimited is really a breeze… far more aesthetically pleasing than any other music streaming service"

  • Launch: December 2010

  • Business model: Monthly pay as you go subscriptions for unlimited streamed channels and unlimited on demand access

  • Free trial: 30 days for Unlimited subscription, 180 days for pre-licensed devices

  • Pricing: Basic; £/€/$ 3.99 Unlimited; £/€/$ 9.99

  • Service: Web, PS3, PS Vita, Bravia TV, Blu-ray player and home cinema systems, PSP, Android handsets, Walkman

  • Territories: US, UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Canada, Belgium and Netherlands.

Results: The first global digital music service where your music follows you across all your connected devices