Mean Fiddler, the British-based music group owned by Mr Vince Power, plans to set up a music download service in the Republic and Britain next month.

The digital download service will initially offer 250,000 tracks from artists such as The Darkness, Dido and Stereophonics to consumers with a computer or third-generation mobile phone.

It will compete against similar online services already available from firms such as HMV and online service providers such as British Telecom and Tiscali.

Mean Fiddler is developing a website, www.meantunes.com, in co-operation with technology firm Media Internet Telecom, to supply the service.

The two firms have set up a 50/50 joint-venture company as a subsidiary of the Mean Fiddler Music Group to offer the service.

Investment in the service is estimated to be a couple of hundred thousands pounds sterling.

The joint-venture firm, Mean Fiddler Media, will offer Irish and British consumers music from a range of artists and bands signed with music companies BMG, Warner Music and V2.

Individual tracks will be available for download at a price of between 99p sterling (€1.48) and £1.50 from the website.

Mean Fiddler also plans to offer consumers recordings from some live events and music venues that it already promotes.

The company plans to extend the digital download service to Europe and the US after concluding different copyright deals with the main music groups.

Mr Power, a native of Co Waterford, said the group's position as a market leader in live music put it in an ideal position to sell digital music and mobile phone content to customers.