Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) is launching a second mobile music download store in the UK. Though it put Omnifone’s MusicStation service on its handsets from November, giving consumers unlimited tracks for £1.99 a week, it’s also today launched Vodafone Music, an app-based store offering individual tracks without a subscription. The service lets users use their handsets to access the Windows-only Vodafone live! Music Shop, powered by RealNetworks (NSDQ: RNWK). This means Vodafone now has two separate mobile applications for music.
Tracks start at £0.99 and albums £5.99 and Vodafone is heavily touting the new service’s simplicity, visual library and user-friendliness. MusicStation is notable by its absence from today’s announcement, though it’s still available and won’t be dropped, Vodafone told us. But “Vodafone Music” is now the overarching brand, with its own domain name. Both offerings do over-the-air downloads, though the new one offers discounts on pre-bought track bundles.