Roxio: Napster and AIM Agreement

[elektro80]

Napster And AIM Sign Worldwide Distribution Agreement

Napster, a subsidiary of Roxio, Inc., has signed a worldwide distribution deal with UK independent labels body AIM, the Association of Independent Music. Initially, 50,000 tracks from 50 of AIM's 800 member companies will be made available for digital downloading and streaming through the new Napster service when it launches in the UK this summer. Napster members in the US will also gain access to this content, as soon as repertoire is uploaded. The licensing deal will also be made available to Continental European labels under the IMPALA (Independent Music Companies Association) umbrella.

The deal, negotiated by AIM's new media arm Musicindie and administered by Rightsrouter, includes repertoire from Ninja Tune, Domino, Cooking Vinyl, Gut, Skint, The Leaf Label, !K7 and Hospital. Artists featured include Kruder & Dorfmeister, Coldcut, Mr Scruff, Billy Bragg, Roots Manuva, Kid Koala, Cinematic Orchestra, A Man Called Adam and The Orb. Many other AIM members are expected to take advantage of the agreement over the coming months.

"Napster creates the ultimate community experience for music fans and the variety, quality and originality of music from the independent UK sector is a vital to delivering this experience," said Napster president Brad Duea. "The Association of Independent Music has shown great foresight in joining forces with Napster at this time and has underlined its reputation as an influential player on the international music scene."

"Napster is going to make a big difference to music fans in the UK. At last we have a legitimate service from the world's leading online brand, which offers flexibility in streaming and downloading to music fans. It also take our music to fans around the world, confirming the promise that the internet can deliver a global business to independent artists and record companies" said AIM chairman and chief executive Alison Wenham.

Napster 2.0 creates an immersive music community where users can quickly search for music; discover artists, burn CDs and transfer tracks onto currently over 60 portable devices that support Microsoft Windows Media Audio and Digital Rights Management. Its easy-to-use interface also allows users to access charts, messageboards, online radio, share playlists and email songs to each other. Members can pick their own playlists, instantly see which track is playing by which artist, listen to it, skip it, download it or burn a copy.