Nokia has partnered with Universal Music Group to launch a high-profile new album, as a means of promoting its lagging Comes With Music service.
The partners - Nokia, Universal and Island Def Jam Music Group – will arrange a live concert to launch the new album from hip-hop star Rihanna.
Nokia is clearly hoping that the event will revive interest in CWM, which is meant to be the cornerstone of its drive into the services business. It had managed to attract just 107,000 active subscribers by July, according to consultancy firm Music Ally.
Rihanna's concert will be streamed live, and accessible via Nokia's Music Stores, Nokia said, and an exclusive version of the album and bonus content will be made available for Comes With Music customers.
Social networking features, such as the ability to invite friends to watch via Facebook and Twitter, will also be incorporated.
The promotion coincides with the launch of Nokia's new touchscreen X6 handset, the latest in the Comes With Music range.