Orange strikes music deal with Deezer
Free music for contract deals confirmed
Orange looks set to ink a deal with music streaming service Deezer, ahead of the music company's UK launch this month.
Update: Orange has confirmed the partnership, bringing Deezer Mobile and access to 13 million tracks to Orange pay monthly customers as part of their tariff from 6 September (that's today!).
This mobile-only deal is exclusive to Orange - any other mobile users will have to sign up to the premium desktop service which includes mobile streaming as part of the package.
"Deezer has always aimed to put fans in control of their own music – whether at a desk or on the move," said Mark Foster, MD Deezer UK. "We're delighted to be partnering with Orange to offer a truly flexible mobile music experience, and look forward to seeing all the tapping feet on the tube."
Toe-tapping
The Independent reports that the Spotify competitor "is understood to be close to agreeing a partnership with the French site", although neither company will comment on the speculation.
An insider told the Independent that Orange couldn't agree terms for a similar deal with Spotify, and said that the citrus network was more impressed by Deezer's mobile credentials.
Deals deals deals
Spotify's deal instead went to Virgin Media, which will be launching the music service on its set-top box and possibly also on its mobile phone contracts in "the coming months".
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Deezer, which is already huge in France where it has 20 million users, will be available on computers as well as phones, tablets and connected TVs when it launches later this month.
The free service gives you access to 30-second music clips and radio stations, while £4.99 a month nabs you desktop access to the full music library and £9.99 a month lets you go mobile.
From the Independent
Former UK News Editor for TechRadar, it was a perpetual challenge among the TechRadar staff to send Kate (Twitter, Google+) a link to something interesting on the internet that she hasn't already seen. As TechRadar's News Editor (UK), she was constantly on the hunt for top news and intriguing stories to feed your gadget lust. Kate now enjoys life as a renowned music critic – her words can be found in the i Paper, Guardian, GQ, Metro, Evening Standard and Time Out, and she's also the author of 'Amy Winehouse', a biography of the soul star.