Sony says that music by its Japanese artists will now be available on Apple’s iTunes store – an apparent move by the Japanese firm to cash in on soaring demand for online music.
Sony, which competes with Apple’s iPod and iPhone in the portable music player market, said its copyrighted Japanese-language songs had been made available for sale on iTunes from this week.
Earlier this year, Sony Music Entertainment allowed songs by its Western artists to be sold on Apple’s online store, after reportedly keeping them away for years.
Some analysts see the latest move as part of a shift by Sony to reverse years of losses largely tied to its struggling television division.
But a Sony spokesman said its Japanese artists’ debut on iTunes was held up by protracted contract negotiations, not a strategy to keep its rival from selling Sony-copyrighted music.
“We’ve been trying to expand our marketing channels, and Apple’s iTunes is the 15th site where we provide music,” he said.