SanDisk announced a partnership with Yahoo! Music, to implement music services for Sansa Connect, SanDisk’s WiFi-enabled MP3 player.

The partnership pairs SanDisk’s new wireless MP3 player with both free and subscription-based services from Yahoo!, allowing consumers to stay connected to their music, photos and friends via WiFi, with no PC required.

The Sansa Connect player is designed to work with a wide range of popular music formats such as MP3 and Windows Media Audio (WMA) in both unprotected and protected files. While optimized to work wirelessly with Yahoo! Music Unlimited To Go, the player supports all Microsoft PlaysForSure subscription music via a PC connection.

Owners with a Yahoo! ID can listen to LAUNCHcast Internet radio, browse Flickr sets and photos, and see what their Yahoo! Messenger friends and other Sansa Connect owners nearby are listening to. Sansa Connect users with a Yahoo! Music Unlimited To Go subscription are also able to download music, as well as listen to or download tracks their friends are listening to or have recommended.

When the Sansa Connect is not connected to a WiFi network, the player behaves like a traditional Flash MP3 player and can be connected to a PC. Users can play music and view photos stored either on the player or on a microSD card.

“The Sansa Connect utilizes a powerful combination of Yahoo! and Yahoo! Music services to both broaden and unshackle the music discovery experience,” said Ian Rogers, general manager for Yahoo! Music. “The Sansa Connect not only keeps consumers connected to their world of music, photos and friends, but also opens them up to new music experiences in a way that is greatly enhanced by its WiFi capabilities.”

The announcement coincides with the retail availability of the Sansa Connect, which is now available in the United States at a suggested retail price of $249.99. The device is expected to be available in Canada in the latter part of 2007.