Nokia expands music portfolio with Nokia Music Theatre

NEW DELHI: Finnish handset maker Nokia today said it has partnered The Peninsula Studios and Universal Music for unveiling ' Nokia Music Theatre', which will provide a platform for discovering and nurturing music talent in the country.

Under the initiative, Nokia India conducted a pilot project in Rajasthan, selecting 17 artists from small towns and villages and giving them a platform by launching a music album -- Asha - discovery of the Peninsula.

Nokia has partnered Universal Music for launching the music album.

The album would also be available for download to Nokia handset users.

"Nokia has one of the largest repositories of legal and digital Indian music (through Nokia Music Store) and has built a strong music connect with Indians," Nokia India Marketing Director Viral Oza told reporters here.

India is one of the key markets for our music portfolio and with this new initiative the aim is to discover the musical talent at the grass root and provide a platform for nurturing and showcasing talent, he added.

No financial details of the partnership, however, were disclosed.

"The intent is to bring to the fore talent from across the country. Next stop will be Uttar Pradesh for us," Oza said.