AT&T will launch its first over-the-air music download service in...

AT&T’s previous music offerings were side-loaded services in which users had to download on a PC and then transfer them to the handset. Pop music lovers will have to look elsewhere for top 40 hits, since eMusic features only independent label music. AT&T doesn’t yet offer over-the-air downloads of major label tunes. But that’s a “good differentiator” from rival carriers, which do not offer indie label music on their own over-the-air download services, an AT&T spokesman said. AT&T’s teaming with eMusic lets the carrier fill a niche market, he said. He declined to comment on whether AT&T is seeking more partnerships, specifically with a Top 40 service, saying “watch this space.” The pricing for eMusic is considerably higher on AT&T’s network than it is on the Web. AT&T customers pay $7.49 per five songs, while eMusic Web customers pay $9.99 for 30. That’s because over-the-air downloads cost more to process, a spokesman said. New network technology might reduce those costs, but the spokesman had no comment on future cost reductions. Like its Internet counterpart, AT&T’s eMusic service gives users DRM- free MP3s playable on all devices. Offering DRM-free tracks is the “right decision, given current trends in the industry,” a spokesman said. The eMusic service will not be available for iPhone users, who must download songs on the PC via iTunes. AT&T customers with the Samsung a717, a727, new versions of the Samsung SYNC and the Nokia N75 will be able to access eMusic, AT&T said. More models will be added in the future, it said.