Omnifone
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Digital music, Cloud music services |
| Founded | January 14, 2003 in London, United Kingdom |
| Founder | Rob Lewis, Phil Sant, Mark Knight |
| Defunct | May 4, 2016 |
| Fate | Entered administration; assets acquired by Apple |
| Successor | Apple (partial acquisition) |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
Area served | Worldwide (34 countries) |
Key people | Jeff Hughes (CEO from April 2010) |
| Products | MusicStation (cloud-based unlimited music platform) |
| Owner | Founders and Sofaer Capital |
Number of employees | (not specified) |
| Website | www |
Omnifone was an independent UK-based company specializing in cloud-driven unlimited music solutions, catering to consumer electronics manufacturers, mobile network operators, internet service providers, and consumer brands such as RIM, Sony, HP, and rara.com.
The firm championed lawful unlimited music streaming via the cloud as a viable alternative to piracy, supporting multiple platforms including home systems, vehicles, mobile devices, and personal computers. Its MusicStation-powered offerings were launched worldwide across five continents on an extensive array of gadgets.
On 4 May 2016, Omnifone entered administration, which led to substantial workforce reductions and the termination of its business activities. Following this, certain company assets were acquired by Apple.
Licensing
Omnifone provided licensed music services in 34 countries for clients such as Sony Music Unlimited, Guvera, SiriusXM, and rara.com.
In June 2007, the company achieved a milestone by securing international licensing agreements for unlimited music services with all four major record labels: Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, and EMI Music.
By January 2011, Omnifone had obtained Germany’s first global subscription license through GEMA. Later, in July 2012, it licensed and introduced Sony Entertainment Network’s Music Unlimited service in Japan—marking the region’s inaugural global subscription music offering.
Services
MusicStation was Omnifone’s acclaimed unlimited music platform that earned multiple awards. This cloud-based solution functioned across a variety of digital devices and was tailored to suit each market, platform, and partner. Its versions included:
Omnifone’s Desktop applications enabled users to stream, download, play back, and share music directly on their PCs. Delivered via collaborations with PC manufacturers, mobile operators, and broadband providers, MusicStation Desktop Edition offered personalized music suggestions, integrated community features, cloud playlist backup, and online search tools. It also synchronized effortlessly with other MusicStation services across devices. In April 2009, Hutchison Telecom launched MusicStation Desktop Edition alongside the mobile version to users in Hong Kong. By January 2010, the service expanded throughout Europe on HP desktop and laptop computers in countries including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
Omnifone developed white-label and co-branded mobile applications compatible with major platforms like Android, iOS, Symbian, Windows Mobile, and Java. Through partnerships with mobile carriers and handset makers, these apps facilitated unlimited streaming, downloading, playback, and sharing of music directly on mobile devices. Often pre-installed by carriers or accessible via portals such as Vodafone Live!, MusicStation was deployed globally with partners including Vodafone UK, Australia and New Zealand; Telenor Sweden; Hutchison 3 Hong Kong; and Vodacom South Africa.
Funding
Omnifone was privately financed by its founders Rob Lewis, Phil Sant, and Mark Knight, alongside additional backing from alternative investment firm Sofaer Capital.
Collaboration with Gracenote
In January 2009, Omnifone formed a strategic alliance with Gracenote to provide seamless cloud-based unlimited music offerings across a variety of platforms, such as automotive systems, home entertainment, personal computers, and mobile devices. This partnership earned the Best of CES accolade at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show. By the time CES 2010 took place, Omnifone had implemented digital music services powered by Gracenote technology in 20 different countries.
Company History
Omnifone was established in January 2003 by UK-based entrepreneurs Rob Lewis, Phil Sant, and Mark Knight, who previously achieved success with ventures like Cromwell Media (acquired for £850 million) and Silicon.com (purchased by CNET Networks). Their objective was to create innovative global digital content services for the next generation. After dedicating four years to development, Omnifone introduced its unlimited music platform, MusicStation, in February 2007.
- 14 January 2003: Rob Lewis, Phil Sant, and Mark Knight founded Omnifone.
- 12 February 2007: Announcement of MusicStation.
- 14 June 2007: Initial launch with Telenor in Sweden.
- 22 October 2007: Debut in Hong Kong alongside 3.
- 1 November 2007: Service launches in South Africa (Vodacom) and the UK (Vodafone).
- 12 February 2008: Introduction of MusicStation Max; LG joins as handset manufacturer partner.
- September 2008: Expansion of MusicStation into New Zealand and Australia via Vodafone; Sony Ericsson partnership unveiled for PlayNow plus.
- November 2008: Sony Ericsson rolls out PlayNow plus in Sweden.
- January 2009: Announcement of collaboration with Gracenote; CarStars’ in-car system receives CNET Best of CES Car Tech recognition.
- February 2009: Launch of MusicStation Next Generation aimed at Internet Service Providers; negotiations with BSkyB initiated.
- March–November 2009: Sony Ericsson broadens PlayNow plus availability across Switzerland, Singapore, Austria, Netherlands, Hungary, Brazil, Mexico, Croatia, and Singapore through various telecom collaborations.
- October 2009: BSkyB introduces Sky Songs streaming service within the UK market.
- January 2010: Extension of Gracenote partnership; cloud-based music offerings expand into more than 30 countries.
- January 2010: Collaboration with HP to deploy MusicStation on PCs throughout Europe.
- February 2010: MusicStation becomes accessible on Android devices; global music catalog encoded using Dolby Pulse format for cloud delivery.
- April 2010: Jeff Hughes appointed as CEO to spearhead expansion efforts in the United States.
- December 2010 – February 2011: Sony launches Q Music Unlimited powered by Omnifone in Europe, the US, Australia, and New Zealand.
- August 2011: RIM unveils BBM Music social streaming service powered by Omnifone across key markets.
- December 2011: rara.com streaming platform debuts throughout Europe, the USA, and New Zealand with Omnifone technology.
- May 2016: Omnifone Group Ltd and Omnifone Ltd enter administration due to financial difficulties.
- November 2016: Apple acquires select Omnifone technologies and hires sixteen former employees.
This chronology outlines Omnifone’s key partnerships and international growth initiatives that established its prominence within the global cloud music service industry.
Locations
Omnifone's main office was situated in Brook Green, London, complemented by regional branches across the Asia Pacific region and the United States.
External links
- Digital audio
- Music companies of the United Kingdom
- Defunct companies based in London
- Software companies of the United Kingdom
- Software companies established in 2003
- 2003 establishments in England
- British companies established in 2003
- Software companies disestablished in 2016
- 2016 disestablishments in England
- British companies disestablished in 2016