FreeLists / blindipod / [blindipod] Emusic

["David Russell" <david.russell8@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi everyone,

I very much hope that this is not considered to be outside the scope of the
list.  I have just found a site called

www.emusic.co.uk

where you can obtain music of all types mainly from the independent sector,
i.e. not the main record companies.  All types of music appear to be
available, and you pay a monthly subscription which entitles you to a
certain number of downloads.  There is also a fourteen day free trial.  I
only looked briefly, but it appears to be reasonably accessible.

Here is some information about the site.

The eMusic Story
eMusic is the world?s largest retailer of independent music and the world?s
second-largest digital music retailer overall, offering more than 1.4
million
tracks from more than 4,000 independent labels spanning every genre of
music. A subscription-based service that allows consumers to own, not rent
their
music, eMusic is the largest service to sell tracks in the popular MP3
format ? the only digital music format that is compatible with all digital
music
devices, including the iPod®. eMusic targets and successfully direct-markets
to consumers who are interested in music outside the commercial mainstream,
dramatically expanding the sale of catalogue typically known as "the long
tail." Since Dimensional Associates acquired eMusic in 2003, the company has
more than tripled its subscriber base.

Dimensional Associates is the operating company that manages private equity
investments made by JDS Capital. Holdings include the Orchard, the world?s
leading digital distributor of music and video, and Dimensional Music
Publishing, which owns or controls more than 20,000 songs, from "Take the A
Train"
to "Country Roads." In 2003, Dimensional purchased eMusic from VU Net USA,
which bought the company in 2001. The groundbreaking digital music retailer
was originally founded as GoodNoise in 1998 by entrepreneurs Gene Hoffman
and Bob Kohn and was the first company to sell digital music in the MP3
format.
It was renamed eMusic in 1999 and launched the first digital music
subscription service in 2000.

The eMusic Experience
eMusic caters to music lovers of all types in the underserved 25-54
demographic. It does so by cultivating a vast catalogue from the world?s top
independent
labels that spans every conceivable musical genre, by offering unrivaled
music discovery tools and by providing tracks in a high bit rate (192K VBR)
MP3
format with no DRM. It all adds up to a pro-consumer experience that gives
subscribers the ultimate in flexibility, and just as importantly, ample
opportunities
to discover new, exciting music.

eMusic sells music in the universally compatible MP3 format ? the most
widely utilized digital music format, used by hundreds of millions of
consumers,
and the only one that offers all the functions of physical music products
such as the CD. The MP3 format allows consumers to play tracks on any
device,
burn CDs and make as many copies as they like for personal use.

eMusic focuses on selling music beyond the commercial mainstream in every
genre, including rock, jazz, comedy, hip-hop, blues, classical, country,
folk,
children's music, electronic, world, reggae and more. Unlike so much of
today's commercial Top 40, independent music is simply about great music.
Top independent
artists include familiar names such as Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Miles
Davis, Bob Marley and Creedence Clearwater Revival, established
rule-breakers such
as the Pixies, Lucinda Williams and Black Flag, and breaking new artists
like Neko Case, the New Pornographers and Ying Yang Twins.

eMusic has deep relationships with the world?s most innovative independent
record labels, enabling it to offer cutting-edge music to its subscribers on
or before its release date. eMusic?s label roster includes top sellers like
Concord Music Group, Koch, Rykodisc, Naxos and Beggars Group, and other
well-known
independents such as Epitaph, Touch and Go, Merge, Sun Records, Cooking
Vinyl, Fantasy, Bloodshot, Blood and Fire, TVT, Nettwerk, Vice, Thrill
Jockey,
Fat Possum, Razor & Tie, Six Degrees, SST, Smithsonian Folkways, Stones
Throw and more.

To help consumers navigate this wide-ranging catalogue, eMusic provides
award-winning editorial created by a staff of more than 120 of the best
music journalists
and experts in the country, led by eMusic editor-in-chief Michael Azerrad,
the acclaimed music journalist and best-selling author. The web site
includes
the Review of the Day, regular columns in every genre and the popular eMusic
Dozen, which is a brief overview of a genre, era, place or artist, followed
by concise, insightful reviews of the 12 best eMusic albums fitting the
topic.

Other discovery tools include the eMusic Toolbar, which offers members a
free MP3 download every day, and puts Internet search and quick search of
eMusic's
vast music catalogue at members' fingertips. "Neighbors," "Friends" and
"Playlists" features allow members to share their discoveries with each
other,
and eMusic provides powerful technology that analyzes members? download
histories and ratings to suggest playlists and personalized recommendations
of
new arrivals. Members can further customize their eMusic experience by
developing their own PowerCharts? and subscribing to genre-specific
newsletters.


eMusic is a subscription-based service, allowing members to download tracks
for substantially less than they would pay with other download services.
Various
pricing plans allow customers to pay as little as 22p per track, encouraging
them to sample new artists and as a result, purchase more music ? eMusic
customers
typically buy more than 20 tracks per month, while iTunes users average only
1 ? 2 tracks per month.

Executive Management
eMusic?s finely tuned user experience is the product of seasoned music,
direct marketing, product development and technology experts. eMusic
President
and CEO David Pakman is a pioneering digital music entrepreneur, having
co-founded digital music "locker" company Myplay, Inc. (acquired by
Bertelsmann),
held senior positions with BeMusic/Bertelsmann, N2K Entertainment, and
served as a co-creator of Apple Computer?s Music Group. The rest of the
eMusic staff
includes more than ten actively recording and gigging musicians, as well as
industry veterans who?ve worked closely with Sonic Youth, Nirvana, Slash,
the
Jesus & Mary Chain, Paula Cole, Bobby McFerrin, Ben Folds and contributed to
the success of BMG Music Service, Publishers Clearing House, CDNOW, Real
Networks,
Infoseek and Microsoft.

Value to Labels and Partners
eMusic is a superior partner for independent labels, enabling them to break
new bands with an audience that is eager to sample new artists. The eMusic
subscription model and low consumer price point help labels increase the
sales of non-mainstream, niche and out-of-print music.

eMusic actively works with consumer-facing companies to develop customized,
iPod®-compatible digital music strategies for their customers. Current major
marketing partners include Circuit City, Westin Hotels, CompUSA and Thompson
Multimedia.

More information about portable media devices can be obtained from the Portable 
Player Portal.  Please visit 
www.hartgen.org 
and choose the Portable Player Portal link.

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