eMusic signs first major label – but strings attached
Despite all the major labels signing up to DRM-free distribution on iTunes, Amazon and other stores, they still haven’t agreed deals with eMusic. That’s about to change according to the New York Times, which says Sony Music Entertainment will announce a deal with eMusic later today.
However, the article says it will only cover tracks that are more than two years old, and that eMusic will “slightly raise prices and reduce the number of downloads for some of its monthly plans” in return. eMusic boss Danny Stein says the price hike is supported by its existing indie labels. “We have been looking for a catalyzing event to do it, and we think introducing this vast, quality catalogue from Sony is that event,” he says.
Meanwhile, Sony’s digital boss Thomas Hesse has made optimistic noises about the deal. “We think the model of buying a set amount of music each month under an MP3 allowance is an attractive subscription option for consumers. We are supportive of offerings that encourage fans to dig deep into the repertoire of our artists and discover the richness of our catalog.”
June 1st, 2009 at 1:13 pm
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June 2nd, 2009 at 4:56 am
DO NOT WANT SONY CRAP. Don’t break our emusic.
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:27 am
[...] Source: http://musically.com/blog/2009/06/01/emusic-signs-first-major-label-but-strings-attached/ [...]
June 4th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
The strings aren’t bad at all. Look at eMusic’s big sellers beforehand and its demographics. It’s a service that’s much more likely to promote Bruce Springsteen than Lady Gaga even if they had full access to both of the artists (no idea if both of those are on Sony but you get my point).
September 23rd, 2009 at 2:24 pm
[...] Amie Street co-founder Joshua Boltuch says the company hopes that once Sony is on the site, it will choose to experiment with dynamic pricing – even if it’s with individual artists or albums. But it’s notable that this is the second licensing deal for Sony that’s involved altering the model of the site it does business with – remember the controversy around eMusic earlier this year? [...]