BT music site uses WMA

AS PREDICTED BT has launched an online music site in conjunction with DRM software provider, Blueprint. It targets both mobile and fixed line customers.

Although the pair were a little woolly over the 'choice of music formats' which the service is able to support, Windows Media (WMA) appears to be the prime format. Blueprint is apparently 'talking' to Apple about supporting its popular iTunes format.

The idea is to allow artists to upload their work to the site and then let them dictate how it can be sold. This will include the number of times a track could be 'burnt', for example.

One of the ironies is that among mobile devices which should be able to play files from the site would be the xDA wireless PDAs available from MMO2, which BT just ditched.

Vodafone - which now hosts BT Mobile's network - has just chosen a different provider, Coremedia, to provide DRM for the Live! with 3G portal.

Although ringtones, skins and music videos are among the items which the new site intends to offer, the mobile site won't be ready until Spring 2005 apparently. µ