We’ve heard rumours about UK ISP Virgin Media inking a deal with Spotify before, but they’re hotting up again. The Guardian reports that Virgin Media is ‘close to announcing a deal’ with the streaming music service that would have the backing of all four major labels. The report suggests that Virgin’s Spotify-powered service will be trialled this summer and then launch properly before Christmas. The most interesting aspect: the service may be bundled with Virgin Media’s other TV, broadband and telephone offerings. No details of likely pricing are given. Virgin Media stuck its neck out a couple of years ago with an announcement with Universal Music Group of plans for an unlimited music downloads service. The other major labels steered well clear, making a deal with an established player like Spotify more appealing. Virgin Media has more than four million customers in the UK, so it’s a potentially big deal for Spotify too.
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