Since rebranded Ovi Music Unlimited by the Finnish mobile manufacturer, the Comes With Music service was unveiled by Nokia in late 2007 to compete with Apple’s iTunes ecosystem.

But whereas Apple’s marketplace only permits off-the-shelf purchasing of albums and singles, Nokia’s initiative (in partnership with the Big Four record labels) granted a Comes With Music phone buyer 12-, 18-, or 24-month access to unlimited downloads.

Low traction

Unfortunately for the gatekeeper of the Ovi Store, the take-up of Ovi Music Unlimited subscriptions in the majority of territories has been less than stellar, resulting in Nokia shutting down the program in 27 countries, including the UK.

“Ongoing commitments in particular markets mean that the change is not universal. Nokia will continue to offer 12-month subscriptions in China and India, while offering six-month subscriptions in Brazil, Turkey and South Africa,” says a statement on the company’s website.

For Ovi Music Unlimited subscribers living outside of these regions, consolatory news arrives with the confirmation that “existing customers will have uninterrupted access to the music library until their subscriptions finish, (and) will be able to keep their music downloads forever.”

Digital Wrongs Management

One of the reasons cited for Ovi Music Unlimited’s poor penetration was the DRM-encoding wrapped into the music, which prevented files from being transferred to iPods or Zunes.

Tracks downloaded were therefore shackled to the accompanying Ovi Music Unlimited handset – almost discouraging customers to upgrade their phones in practice – and a single PC.

That’s not to say Nokia doesn’t stock DRM-free songs on its shelves; its parallel à la carte Ovi Music Store houses a large catalogue of tunes free of limitations that will likely form the bedrock for the “new, innovative music experiences” promised by the firm in 2011.

[source: Nokia]