Leading French music retailer Fnac has launched an unlimited music streaming service. FnacMusic Illimité, which went live Nov. 9, accompanies the retailer’s download store FnacMusic, launched in September 2004.
For €9.99 ($12.7) a month, users of the new service will be able to access streams from a catalog of 1 million titles in the Windows WMA format.
Fnac’s digital music offering also includes a mobile download store, which launched last July.
“We think that we can expand the digital market if we take into account the interest of consumers,” comments Franck Leprou, managing director of Fnac.com, which operates FnacMusic. “We need to offer them the widest choice possible.”
Fnac has yet to unveil plans for a “To Go” version. “We will see how it works with the current offer,” Leprou say.
All-you-can-eat services are still relatively rare in France. While white label digital company OD2 includes an unlimited streaming option in the stores they power, MusicMe is the sole dedicated service with a “To Go” feature available to date.
Universal Music France yesterday (Nov. 13) pressed the button on Buzzmusic.fr, an unlimited download service giving consumer access to 50,000 titles of its own catalog.
In recent weeks, Fnac, together with VirginMega, have tested the waters in the French online retail market by selling a selection of titles without digital rights management.
