Nokia launches international community of music connoisseurs – the Music Recommenders

David Bowie acts as new music ‘godfather’ for innovative music recommendations.

New York, New York – Forty leading independent music stores from around the world are working with Nokia to create unique and customizable music recommendations. Music Recommenders brings together great new music across continents and genres, keeping music enthusiasts in touch with the latest tracks as well as helping them discover new artists.

Internationally influential independent record stores including Fat Beats (New York), Reckless (Chicago), Pure Groove (London), Hard Wax (Berlin) and Mona Records (Tokyo) will offer a personalised selection of new music across 12 genres - from Pop to Rock to Classical, Jazz and Electronic.

Every month, experts from each of the stores will bring together music from their specialist genre. No other music recommendation experience offers such an extensive combination of human insight, knowledge and expertise, coupled with global reach.

As a fanatical explorer and discoverer of music from around the world, David Bowie is taking the role of music ‘godfather’. He will be contributing to Music Recommenders every month through features and podcasts, sharing his most exciting discoveries as well as appearing in a short film, shot by Wim Wenders (Buena Vista Social Club), which advocates new music and the culture of record stores around the world.

Users can freely browse the music, search for music according to recommender, genre or style, listen to music clips and read weekly updates, artist interviews, city music guides and even information on the stores and recommenders themselves. Once registered, subscribers can receive an instant playlist of 30 second samples tailored specifically to their tastes and purchase the tracks they like. Once a month, users will receive the latest recommendations and editorial features direct to their email inbox.

"We’ve searched around the world to find the most passionate and credible music specialists. The stores featured on Music Recommenders have the experts who are supporting and breaking new artists," commented Tommi Mustonen, Director, Multimedia, Nokia. "And we’re thrilled to have David Bowie – a musical icon – sharing his own passion for what’s new in music. We are able to make a wealth of knowledge, passion and foresight available on a global scale – something that has never before been attempted."

"Waking up to a new sound or new band is something that makes my day just that bit more exciting," said David Bowie. "Unfortunately, so much music goes unheard, especially things that don’t bow to the mainstream. Music Recommenders help navigate the undiscovered music that is out there. I’ve actually been to some of the stores featured on Music Recommenders in various parts of the world, and found them to be a wonderful source for new and less traditional music."

"Perhaps the hardest thing about finding new music is finding a starting point, an entry point, somewhere to begin. Starting with record shops makes sense, because we listen to a vast amount of music and our ears are almost constantly being refined and tuned in to what is out there," said Nick Turner from Smallfish Records in London. "As an idea, Music Recommenders is excellent; since the shops are diverse, the music will be too, but in amongst it all there will be something that appeals to everyone, whatever their taste."

Music Recommenders will be available in a beta version starting in November 2006.