Can music-oriented social-networking site Imeem get consumers to pay to get music on their cell phones that they could otherwise listen to for free on their PCs? The company, whose ad-funded site has the backing of all four major music labels to let user legally stream songs to listen to,…

—Verizon (NYSE: VZ) adds content to V Cast: Verizon Wireless said today that it is adding a host of content to its V Cast Video, including on-demand and full-length episodes from ABC Entertainment, ABC News, Disney Channel and ESPN. Full-length programs include: “Desperate Housewives,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Lost” and “Ugly Betty”…

Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) has launched a UK mobile music download platform offering more than one million tracks and 10,000 videos from Sony (NYSE: SNE) BMG, EMI Music and Warner Music. The paid-for MSN Mobile Music service, launched in partnership with London-based VidZone Digital Media, offers tracks for £1.50 ($2.07), ringtones…

Carriers have found a new way of dangling content in front of consumers, but with all the same strings attached as the original “walled garden.” SanDisk (NSDQ: SNDK), the maker of the microSD memory cards, said today it has successfully demonstrated new technology with the help of LG (SEO: 066570),…

Early results from Nokia’s Comes With Music service are showing that one of the more surprising demographics that are adopting the service are mothers, said Trevor Madigan, Nokia’s manger of entertainment and communities Americas for software and services. “Madigan told me at CES that it’s an “agitated” mother who’s bothered…

This year was somewhat an anomaly for the wireless industry. A lot of things got done: the impossible of mergers closed; new phones launched that hold the promise of significant industry change; new business and distribution models emerged; and higher-speed networks were more prevalent, making for a better user experience.…

Dada Entertainment, the joint venture between Italian content provider Dada and record label Sony (NYSE: SNE) BMG, has launched what they’re calling a “transactional” marketing campaign that allows consumers who click on their ads to purchase ringtones, tracks and other mobile content directly through banner ads. The ongoing campaign, with…

—Nokia (NYSE: NOK) launches traffic program: Nokia has launched a public pilot program out of its Silicon Valley-based research center to learn about GPS and traffic. Mobile Millennium, which is being done in collaboration with UC Berkeley’s California Center for Innovative Transportation, the California Department of Transportation and Nokia’s Navteq…

Thumbplay has launched a full-track music store for mobile phones with a catalog of 1.5 million songs. With DRM-free tracks from Universal, EMI, The Orchard (NSDQ: ORCD) and INgrooves, Thumbplay is hoping to grab as much interest for full songs as it has with ringtones. As ringtone sales continue to…

Universal Music Group’s catalog is now available as DRM-free full-track MP3s and ringtones to Dada Entertainment customers. Dada, which is a year-old joint venture between Dada and Sony (NYSE: SNE) Music Entertainment, will also get access to exclusive tracks from Universal artists Xtreme later this month.  With Universal Music Group…

The battle and gamble over unlimited music services has arrived. Once Nokia (NYSE: NOK) came out of the gate last December with its Comes With Music concept, much of the music industry seems to be following their lead and in some cases beating Nokia to the punch. In Australia today…

More details are emerging about Sony (NYSE: SNE) Ericsson’s (NSDQ: ERIC) unlimited music service, which sounds a lot like Nokia’s (NYSE: NOK) upcoming “Comes With Music.” Quoting recording-label sources, CNet reports today that the service is expected to launch within the next week, and that it’s through a partnership with…

On the heels of Vodafone’s new music store yesterday, O2 is itself doing a new music play of its own, and with SonyBMG the only label on board. It’s added My Play to its O2 Active portal - a service powered by Momac’s GoMedia that offers videos, full-track downloads and…

Another music label staffing up digitally at the top, this time with a mobile track record. SonyBMG UK is hiring mobile media software maker Picsel‘s global content MD Graeme Ferguson to a new position of digital and strategic partnerships SVP, starting September (via MusicWeek). Prior to Picsel of Glasgow, Ferguson…

Thumbplay confirmed today it has signed a deal with Warner Music Group (NYSE: WMG) to add content from artists such as Kid Rock and Missy Elliot to its catalog of ringtones, graphics and videos. The content started to appear on the site this week, and a Thumbplay spokesperson confirmed today…

As Nokia Corp (NYSE: NOK). inches toward launching its “Comes With Music” flat-rate subscription service before the end of the year, the company’s head of global music, Elizabeth Schimel, said she’s hopeful EMI Music will come on board before it goes live. “We are optimistic about our conversations to date…

At the London Calling music conference on Thursday, there was little doubt among the panel assembled to discuss the value of music on mobiles that cell phones would one day be the sole device that consumers used to access and listen to music. But what was in question was how…

—Sony (NYSE: SNE) Ericsson (NSDQ: ERIC) said today that it will be partnering with Grammy Award-winning artist Usher and AT&T (NYSE: T) to market Sony Ericsson’s Walkman music phones in the U.S., Canada and 20 European countries. Sony Ericsson said Usher will discuss the details of the partnership and make…

Dada Entertainment and Sony BMG have signed a deal which will see full-length DRM-free MP3s made available to Dada’s subscribers. The service charges $9.99 a month for 15 tokens, each of which can be redeemed for a ringtone, game or other mobile content—the new deal will let people download full…