Sony BMG working on online music subscription service

Berlin: The CEO of Sony BMG Music Entertainment said that the company is developing an online music subscription services that would give users unlimited access to its music and be compatible with a host of digital music players.

In an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung published Monday, chief executive Rolf Schmidt-Holtz was quoted as saying the company is "working on an online music subscription service" but he did not offer a timeline for its unveiling.

As for costs to subscribers, the newspaper quoted him as saying that the "simplest option would be a flat rate" fee per month of around $9 to $12, for unlimited access to Sony BMG's entire music catalogue and that the downloads would be compatible with all players, including Apple's ubiquitous iPod.

He said that it was "even possible that clients could keep some songs indefinitely, that they would own them even after the subscription expired."

Sony BMG's artist roster includes newcomers like Leona Lewis, along with stalwarts like Alicia Keys and Celine Dion, as well as country singer Carrie Underwood, among others.