telus has just announced one hell of an offer for audiophiles in Canada: for between $0.69 and $1.29 per track, or $20 per month for unlimited service, telus customers can download a wide selection of music over the air to their phone without the hassle of digital rights management stopping them from transferring or copying the file later on. A web store also allows you to purchase and listen to your tunes if you happen to be at a PC.
We’ve been seeing a lot of third-party applications working their way into the mobile music game lately – Pandora, Slacker, Midomi, Shazam, Kik, and 7digital are just some of the names that immediately come to mind – but we don’t hear much from the carrier side. Verizon offers something pretty much identical to what telus is announcing, but this is the first time we’re getting it in Canada.
Anyone who has really been hankering for DRM-free music has likely already saddled up with iTunes or Amazon, but the convenience of having those purchases managed on your existing wireless bill is considerable. If you’re already a telus customer, it’s probably worth checking out their mobile music page and FAQ to see if your device is supported.