Virgin Media, owned by entrepreneur Richard Branson, has launched a different music download subscription service with the world’s largest music company, Universal.

The service was described as a world first by the companies. Users of Virgin Media’s broadband in Britain will be able to stream and download as many songs and albums as they like from Universal’s catalog paying a fee.

The songs and albums will be available in an MP3 format for downloading. So, users will be able to listen to the songs on various music players such as the iPod, mobile phones, PCs and MP3 players.

The subscription service is likely to be available later this year. This service comes at a time when the music industry is fighting hard against illegal downloading of music. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, revenue from digital music sales rose 25 percent last year to $3.7 billion. But about 95 percent of music downloads are still unauthorized.

IFPI sees such a deal as “the kind of partnership” between a music company and an internet service provider (ISP) that it expects to shape the future of the music business internationally.

Virgin also disclosed about it continuing talks with other British major and independent music labels and publishers to include their artists and songs in the new service.

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