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Wippit to gain over 1m major-label tracks
Gets content from last-two-to-licence 'big four' recording firms
UK-based digital music company Wippit has secured content distribution licences from the two remaining major labels that have thus far eluded it: Warner and Universal.
In the latter's case Wippit's a la carte download service will gain more than one million songs, though they will only be made available to Wippit's UK and Ireland customers.
Warner's catalogue will be made available to a broader, pan-European customer base, Wippit said, though it did not disclose the number of songs it will be adding out of Warner's list. That said, only UK buyers will be able to use Wippit's pay-by-SMS system - buyers in other territories will only be able to use credit cards for payment.
And unlike other labels' tracks, the Warner songs will be encoded at 192Kbps. Most major label content is encoded in WMA, though Wippit also offers MP3s from some indie labels.
Wippit signed Sony last May after securing BMG and EMI support in March and February this year, respectively. ®
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