Sony, Universal Launch Music Subscription Service

Music giants Sony Music and Universal Music said Tuesday they had joined forces to launch a subscription-based digital music service, which experts say could be the next big trend in distributing music on the Web.

Also Tuesday, music-downloading company MP3.com Inc. said it had launched a classical music subscription service.

The announcements follow a federal judge’s ruling last week that MP3.com violated copyright law with the creation of a database that lets users store music and access it via the Internet.

Sony and Universal said they will license music and video content, potentially including streaming and downloading features, to consumers using platforms such as computers, wireless personal devices and set-top boxes. It is expected to launch within the year.