Known as Vodafone Radio DJ, the service will let people "train" the radio stations to reflect their personal tastes, by clicking on a button to indicate like or dislike.
This is achieved through the Sony NetServices classification system, which looks at genre and mood as well as analysing rhythm and harmonies, and then identifies songs that have characteristics in common with songs people like, and avoid the kinds of songs they do not.
There are three elements to Vodafone Radio DJ: pre-defined channels; personal channels; and collections, created by music experts around a theme, such as "Christmas hits".
Along with accessing the different channels, users will be able to download and buy songs, either to their phone or a PC.
Vodafone Radio DJ is being launched in six European countries in coming months, including the UK, France, Germany and Italy. Within a year, it is likely to be available in 20 countries, with users paying a monthly subscription to receive unlimited listening hours.
"This is the beginning of a new era in portable music. This partnership with Sony will drive Vodafone's strategy to become a leading global music provider," Lee Fenton, director of consumer platforms at Vodafone, said.
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