PURE Digital to launch MP3 store via DAB radio systems
British DAB manufacturer PURE Digital is developing an extremely interesting new music download store, and we visited its HQ to take a very early look
Buying MP3s through your DAB digital radio will soon be possible, as British DAB manufacturer PURE Digital has announced it's developing an extremely interesting take on the music download store model.
We spent several hours this week with Imagination Technologies -- PURE's parent company, which licenses designs to chip manufacturers, and designed graphics processing technology used in the upcoming Samsung Omnia HD and Apple's iPhone 3G. During the trip we got a look at a very early version of the company's as-yet unnamed music store.
It'll work on some existing PURE Digital Internet-capable devices (we saw it running on an Evoke Flow, which incorporates Wi-Fi to connect to the Internet) and similar future radios, by looking at what song is currently playing on a given DAB music station. You'll then be given the option to purchase that track with a button on the radio set.
After purchase, the song is delivered over the Internet for streaming straight to the radio, and it'll also be available on PURE's Lounge Web site for download as a DRM-free MP3.
Many technical details are yet to be finalised, such as prices of songs and which products you'll be able to use the service with. We did see a developmental version of it in action, however, and it worked exactly as you'd imagine -- click to buy, then download as an MP3 on your computer, or stream to the radio set.
There's no launch date set, but you'll know where to read about it first.