Sony and Apple Joining Forces in Japan?
Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun said on Monday that Sony was in talks with Apple to launch a joint music service to bring the company's large portfolio of Japanese artists to iPod users. A Sony spokesperson confirmed that the two sides had indeed started talks.
While such a move may surprise some, as Apple and Sony are rivals in the competitive digital music industry, it appears Sony is willing to set aside any differences in order to allow iPod users access to its artists. The company says that over 25,000 songs could be made available through such a deal.
A deal with Apple would make good financial sense for Sony. The company would be able to cash in on iTunes Japan's popularity among consumers, thus adding an additional revenue stream.
Apple launched its iTunes Music Store in Japan on August 4. Songs were priced at either ¥150 ($1.36 USD) or ¥200 ($1.82 USD). However, notably absent from the iTunes library were some of Japan's biggest stars, which are carried on the Sony Japan label.
Even so, in just four days the service sold one million tracks - the best start for any of Apple's 20 international music stores.
The joint Sony-Apple music store could begin as early as next year, although that was not confirmed by a company spokesperson, as details for the service have not been finalized.