Sony Electronics enters the digital music business

Sony Electronics is joining the growing list of Internet retailers jumping into the download music business. It announced today that it will start selling downloadable music in Europe in June. And the company tells Internet Retailer that it plans to sell downloadable music in the U.S. this spring.

Sony’s new Connect service will offer consumers a means of purchasing music online and downloading it to a wide variety of Sony portable devices, including various Walkman products.

The new Connect service will come to market in phases. After a series of trials, it will officially launch this spring. Upgraded software with more flexibility, features and tighter integration with Sony products will be released in the summer. Thereafter, Sony Connect plans to upgrade the service and the software continually for use with additional Sony products, as well as devices from other manufacturers, Sony executives say.

At launch, the Connect service will feature more than 500,000 tracks from major music companies and independent labels. Users will be able to browse through content by artist, title or genre. Sony says its Connect service will also feature special content not available on other music sites. Singles will be available for 99 cents, and entire albums can be downloaded for $9.95. The Connect service will not have a subscription fee. European consumers pay Euro 0.99/ British pound 0.79 per track.

"This new service enhances the Sony brand and helps integrate our various business initiatives for the digital home entertainment market," says Patrick Vogt, senior vice president and senior general for Sony Electronics’ eSolutions Company.

Sony has established a new subsidiary, Sony Connect Inc., to manage its entry into the download music business.