Sony Debunks Rumor Of Withdrawing From iTunes And Announces Own Music Unlimited Service

Last week there were rumors that Sony was planning to withdraw from Apple's iTunes store after Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Michael Ephraim's interview resulted in some quotes taken out of context. However, today Sony has cleared the air of the rumor and announced the launch of their Music Unlimited service, which will be available today in the US, Australia, and New Zealand.

"Sony Music as I understand it has no intention of withdrawing from iTunes, they're one of our biggest partners in the digital domain. I think those words were either taken out of context or the person who spoke them was unclear on the circumstances," said Shawn Layden, Sony Network Entertainment COO.

Sony's Music Unlimited is a subscription based service where the user will pay a flat fee of $10 per month to stream music to devices such as Sony TV's, the PS3, or Blu-Ray players via Sony's Qriocity. However, the problem with this is that users can't take music with them on their iPods or mobile phones, a big reason many people purchase music.

While Sony isn't going mobile just yet with the service, expect to see it on Android first. Sony has expressed interest in working on Google's platform, and now with Apple's stance on subscription services it seems like Android will be favored. Sony seems confident that people want music on their TVs controlled by their PS3s and the company will push it hard. Do you think that's a sound strategy?

[Via Business Insider]