Sprint teams with RealNetworks to revamp mobile music efforts

Sprint (NYSE: S) unveiled Sprint Music Plus, a new application promising subscribers a single destination to purchase and discover full-track downloads, ringtones and ringbacks. Launched in partnership with digital entertainment services provider RealNetworks, Sprint Music Plus touts DRM-free songs priced between $0.69 and $1.29--subscribers can search for content by artist, title or keyword, preview millions of tracks and tones, access recommendations based on their musical tastes and create custom playlists via the app's music library manager tool. Users may also purchase ringback tones and assign different samples to play according to who's calling and the time of day.

Sprint Music Plus can be accessed on Android smartphones via the Sprint Zone app--for BlackBerry and Java feature phones introduced after May 2010, users can visit their device homescreen, and subscribers with handsets launched prior to May 2010 can still buy ringtones and ringbacks using Sprint Mobile Web. All purchases are charged directly to the subscriber's monthly Sprint bill.

Sprint and RealNetworks first indicated plans to "streamline" the operator's mobile music services in February 2010, stating they would roll out a unified digital storefront. Sprint previously teamed with white-label services provider Groove Mobile (later acquired by Livewire Mobile) to offer its Sprint Music Store solution.

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