Wippit to gain over 1m major-label tracks

UK-based digital music company Wippit has secured content distribution licences from the two remaining major labels that have thus far eluded it: Warner and Universal.

In the latter's case Wippit's a la carte download service will gain more than one million songs, though they will only be made available to Wippit's UK and Ireland customers.

Warner's catalogue will be made available to a broader, pan-European customer base, Wippit said, though it did not disclose the number of songs it will be adding out of Warner's list. That said, only UK buyers will be able to use Wippit's pay-by-SMS system - buyers in other territories will only be able to use credit cards for payment.

And unlike other labels' tracks, the Warner songs will be encoded at 192Kbps. Most major label content is encoded in WMA, though Wippit also offers MP3s from some indie labels.

Wippit signed Sony last May after securing BMG and EMI support in March and February this year, respectively. ®

Related stories

Digital music firm demands big-name business boycott
easyMusic picks Wippit for pre-Xmas launch
Shawn Fanning's Snocap touts vision of P2P heaven
UK CD album shipments break Q3 record
Grokster, Sony BMG to do legit P2P service?
UK indies sign to Napster...
Wippit offers pay-by-SMS digital music downloads
Wippit adds 10,000 BMG tracks to catalogue Wippit preps EasyJet-style music download scheme
P2P service makes beautiful music with EMI and others