CHINA Unicom Ltd (stock code: 600050), the country's No. 2 mobile phone carrier, said yesterday it has started testing a music download service offering subscribers songs from 23 record companies.

The move aims to raise sales and curb piracy.

The trial service, called Xuan Qu in Chinese, allows subscribers to download songs to mobile phones for three yuan to five yuan each, said Tong Xiaoyu, China Unicom's general manager for value-added services.

The service protects copyrights by preventing users from transferring the music to other mobile phones or computers, he said.

Record companies offering songs on the download service include EMI Group PLC, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group Corp and Universal Music Group, Tong said.

The trial will continue until the end of September.

China Unicom will then review and refine the service for a second trial, which is likely to start in October, Tong said.