AT&T testing new “Echo” social music service
Interesting. Just got this email from AT&T, my wireless carrier, offering a peek at a new social music service called Echo.
Here’s a website with a little more info. (As part of the service, you will also get a pre-paid, 12-month subscription from Napster, which is now part of Rhapsody.)
This appears to be AT&T’s latest attempt to provide access to services beyond phone connectivity, which could potentially keep subscribers loyal, attract new customers, and/or generate incremental revenue. (Verizon Wireless has NFL mobile, for example.) I’ll leave it to AT&T to try and make a service worth using, as rivals like Spotify gain traction.
And bundling music with wireless phone service is an obvious opportunity for companies like Rhapsody to grow, so it makes sense to get involved with something like this. Notably, Rhapsody is already bundling its service with MetroPCS, and Cricket’s “Muve Music” service passed 200,000 subscribers in September.
Dear Daniel A Frommer,
AT&T has developed an exciting social music service and we’re looking for a group of music lovers to give it a try and tell us what they think. And it’s FREE!
If the cell number ending in [XXXX] isn’t yours, please pass this along to the friend or family member who has this number.
To get started, all you have to do is answer a few questions. Then be on the lookout for an email regarding access to ECHO, one of the coolest new music experiences around.
Have we gained your interest? Click here to find out more.
[URL removed]
One more thing. Because this is a lead participant invitation, once you are on our service, you will get to invite up to 10 of your friends or family to come and play too. Do this quickly while trial accounts remain.
The ECHO Service Trial will run until November 30, 2011. During the trial, people can use the service without charge for the music and service itself. You will be responsible for any data charges that you incur by using ECHO – this is important to note for the ECHO Mobile client and its use over any wireless network. From our partner Napster, you will get a pre-paid music account for twelve months as part of the ECHO service. You will get an email registration from Napster about this, including services from Napster that you may wish to use during the trial, and then continue with Rhapsody music service, who have purchased Napster’s customer list, after the trial. For more information on the Napster and Rhapsody transition go to Napster’s blog: http://blog.napster.com/2011/10/05/napster-is-joining-rhapsody/
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