With the 3G networks slowly taking shape the mobile music sector looks likely to be gaining momentum in the next few months.
Orange used this weekend's Glastonbury Festival to pilot a new service which allows music fans to download a track to their phone, mix it and then use it as a ringtone. The Fireplayer service comes via the mobile network's Orangeworld service.
The pilot precedes the launch of Orange's mobile download platform which kicks off on Thursday. The network have an albeit small library of tracks from Warner and V2 which will be available to download, in full, for £1.50 a shot as of 1 Jul. Unlike O2's current music download service (but like the one O2 will launch later this summer) the downloaded tracks will be held on the actual phone rather than a plug in MP3 player.
Meanwhile T Mobile are this week launching their mobile download service. They have more tracks available and more labels on board (Universal, Sony and Warner - with EMI and some indies in the pipeline) but are initially flogging 90 second 'preview mixes' of new tracks (also for £1.50 a shot) with a full track service planned for later in the year. Likewise the T Mo service stores the tracks (or clips) on the actual phone.