BSkyB is launching a new music subscription service for Internet users in what it claimed is a world first.
The satellite television company, which also offers broadband access, is teaming up with Universal Music to offer digital access to hundreds of thousands of songs for a monthly fee.
Sky said other music industry partners may soon join the service.
The new service will launch late this year but details of subscription prices have not yet been made public.
But BSkyB's chief operating officer Mike Darcy said the aim was to reach the mass market. "Sky already has contact with one in three British homes through our television service," he said, "and we've got plenty of experience of running a subscription model."
The legal music downloads market is currently dominated by Apple's iTunes. Other companies have tried to offer subscription services without making much impact.