Argentina's Personal Launches Full-Track Store

Argentine wireless carrier Personal has begun selling full-track downloads through its digital store, Personal Musica. The store is available via mobile phone and online at personalmusica.com, and offers dual delivery of the same track to the phone and computer. DRM-protected content from Warner, Sony and Universal, along with indie label Magenta, was available at launch. Personal Musica also sells videos, wallpapers and truetones.

Stand-alone tracks go for just over 5 pesos each (about $1.41 U.S.), but 2-song packs go for 6 pesos ($1.64 U.S.) and 3-song packs sell for 8 pesos ($2.19 U.S.). Two-for-one deals on songs by Guns N' Roses, Mexican pop group Camila and romantic reggaeton group Chapa C brought those offers to about 70 cents per track. The prices don't carry an extra transmission or search fee.

Alongside the full-track store, Personal unveiled its Music ID application, a song-recognition tool that allows users to hold their Java-enabled phones near a speaker and find out what song is playing. The application then allows users to buy the song.

According to Argentine labels body CAPIF, digital sales accounted for only 4.3% of net sales value in 2008, little changed from 4.1% in 2007. Mobile platforms account for more than 97% of digital music sales.