Nokia’s new music emporium is poised for launch. It’s a wee bit special too – read on and we’ll tell you exactly why…

For starters, the Music Store is a big launch – there’ll be millions of tracks available from day one, which is more than Apple managed with iTunes. And we’re not talking no-name Lithuanian folk-metal here, we’re talking big cheese, major label artists. No offence to fans of Lithuanian folk-metal, by the way – and there’s good news for you, too: Nokia is promising tons of independent label stuff from all over the world to go along with the big names.

Like iTunes, you can browse, preview and buy music on your computer and then sync your library with your Nok. You can pay by credit card, pre-pay voucher or (and this is quite handy) PayPal, and the prices are roughly in line with competitors: 80 for a single song, £8 for an album.

But you’re not necessarily tethered to your PC, no sirree. Owners of the N95 8GB and N81 can do their buying on their phone’s screen and download purchases straight to the mobile’s memory, wherever they might be; these will also sync with your PC library when you get home. And we know what you’re thinking: “The iPhone already does that.” But you’re wrong – Nokia does it over 3G or Wi-Fi, while Apple’s device is limited to the latter. So you can actually buy music anywhere. How d’ya like them apples, Jobs-lovers?

PC users won’t feel like second class citizens, mind – pay a £8 monthly subs and they can stream unlimited music through their speakers.

Purchased tracks will typically be WMA at 192kbps, and sadly they’ll be DRM-protected, so they won’t be transferable to any old music player under the sun. iPods, for instance, are right off the menu – but other devices like the Creative Zen will happily play them.

The Nokia Music Store launches on November 1. Ladies and gentlemen, prime your lugholes for some lovin’.