Telia is changing the music scene in Sweden

Telia is now launching a major initiative focusing on music. Telia will begin to distribute music over mobile phones, the Internet and, in the near future, over digital-tv by entering into a unique cooperation with EMA Telstar. Telia and EMA Telstar are teaming up to enhance the music experience for customers and integrate digital technology with live entertainment.

The new collaboration between Telia and EMA Telstar gives both companies a unique opportunity to develop each other’s business. EMA Telstar’s artists will gain access to new marketing and distribution channels for their music, while Telia will have the possibility to meet customers in a concert environment. Telia’s customers will also gain access to exclusive material from Swedish artists, such as Robyn and Moneybrother, and from big-name international stars. With this music initiative, Telia wants to actively help the music industry adapt more quickly to new distribution methods for music and the type of music-related content that customers are looking for. “Distribution channels for music are transforming. Today, you download songs from the Web instead of buying them in record stores. This trend gives us an excellent opportunity to act as a distributor, marketer and sales channel for the music industry,” says Indra Åsander, head of the Consumer Segment at TeliaSonera Sweden. “Our new collaboration with Telia gives our artists unique resources to be seen in a modern media environment and we appreciate this opportunity to participate actively in developing this new business with one of the biggest players in the Swedish telecom industry,” says Staffan Holm, managing director of EMA Telstar. Consumers are changing their behaviour Demand for digital music content is growing more and more and many consumers are now prepared to pay for it, as indicated by recent statistics from the United States: legal downloads of music have increased from 84.7 million songs in the first three quarters of 2004, to 230.5 million downloaded songs during the same period of 2005. Lunarstorm, a Swedish website, recently conducted an opinion poll (“Ager Duger Suger”) about music downloads that indicated that the possibility to download songs has increased overall music listening. The survey also showed that music is one of the things that people just cannot do without. Through its digital channels and mobile services, Telia can offer customers access to music whenever and wherever they want it.