Sony Online Service iTunes rival announced

New all-in-one content platform planned to span Sony's entire product range

20 November 2009 14:44 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

In Japan, Sony has outlined basic plans for a new online store that, if the plans pan out, will manage to rival iTunes, Amazon, YouTube and Flickr - at least for Sony customers.

Sony Online Service, as it's been dubbed at this early stage, will offer digital content including music, movies, and books as well as other downloadable applications for Sony's entire range of products and will be based on Sony's popular PlayStation Network offering for the gaming side of its business.

A movie into this kind of software - if done well - is seen as a clever way for Sony to improve its fortunes: "Sony has been too focused on hardware", Tokai Tokyo Research Center analyst Osamu Hirose told BusinessWeek.

"It has to focus on networked products [and] delivering digital entertainment to consumers".

Sony will try one interesting way to try and differentiate its service from iTunes, or other such offerings, by giving users the chance to also upload media, such as home made video, photos and "other digital content " to their personal online accounts.

We will keep you posted on this one.

Read

Full tags

Software, Sony, iTunes, Audio, YouTube, Home Cinema, Gaming, Playstation Network, Sony Online Service

UK Shopping

Amazon.co.uk, play.com, pixmania.co.uk, Currys.co.uk, Dixons.co.uk, 7dayshop.com, ebay.co.uk

US Shopping

Amazon.com, bestbuy.com, ebay.com