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Everyone has assumed that Apple’s iPhone would be going to the network that typically raises the bar, but reports are flying everywhere that Cingular is about to pair with another music service.

Expectations are for Cingular to pair with Napster, Yahoo and eMusic. First offering will include PlaysForSure so you can play subscription tracks, eventually followed by pay-per-track and all-you-can-eat offerings. The phones will also have Cingular’s “Music ID” that allows users to hold a phone up to a speaker and have the song playing automatically matched with the Napster database. Cingular is currently the only provider out of the big there (Verizon, Cingular, and Sprint) without a music download service, so it is clear that something will be coming - though it is any one’s call on what it will actually be.

Update:Cingular also teamed with XM Satellite Radio to offer mobile access to audio streams of 25 channels for $8.99 a month.

Cingular Music contains eight distinct menu options:

• Music Player: Music Player is where you can access the phone’s entire catalog of music. Within Music Player, users can create their own playlists by choosing songs from the All Songs menu list as well as have songs played in random order.
• Shop Music: The Shop Music folder is where users go to purchase or explore music content from Napster and Yahoo! Music, depending on your handset. Users can also personalize their phones by purchasing ringtones and Answer Tones™ from the Cingular MEdia Mall.
• MusicID: For the first time, users can identify a song with MusicID, Cingular’s music recognition service, and then purchase that song from the handset by directly linking into the Napster library where the song(s) can later be side-loaded. Beyond this new feature, MusicID can easily identify a recorded song by a simple press of the button. Within seconds, a song can be analyzed among a database of more than 3 million songs and then, when identified, you are provided the name of the artist and the track. And, if the song matches an available ringtone, you can easily purchase it without having to spend time searching.
• Music Videos: The Music Videos folder provides a direct link to Cingular’s video offerings, including video content from MTV Networks’ premiere MTV, VH1 and CMT music brands; Warner Music (Music Choice); as well as original video footage from Cingular Sounds Live (CSL) concert series.
• Streaming Music: The Streaming Music folder is where users can listen to various genres of music content from either XM Radio Mobile or MobiRadio, depending on their handset.
• The Buzz: The Buzz is the place to go to access Billboard Mobile, a mobile music application that gives Cingular customers access to music and entertainment news, Billboard charts and local concert information, directly from the handset.
• Community: Comprised of artist fan sites and chat rooms, the Community folder is where music fans can connect with others who share similar interests. From sharing music and reviews within a particular community (via SMS or IM) or simply listening to music from your favorite artists’ site, the Community folder is a one-stop-shop for discovering and re-discovering music.
• Music Apps: The Music Apps folder is the home for other new and exciting music-centric applications including Mobilcast, a podcasting service, and Hip Hop Official, a music video application.
Featured Handsets Although Cingular offers several music-centric handsets, five phones will feature the dedicated Cingular Music menu – the Cingular SYNC by Samsung (available Nov 6 for $49.99 after a $100 rebate), LG CU500, Sony Ericsson W810i, Sony Ericsson W300i and Cingular 3125. Beginning November 6, consumers can visit www.cingularsource.com/cingularmusic for more details on Cingular Music, including handset information.

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