(Morris + King Company) eMusic, the number one independent music service, today announced the addition of the millionth track to its catalogue. The track is a live version of the Pixies’ classic “Here Comes Your Man,” off of their forthcoming digital-only album entitled “Hey,” and will be exclusively on eMusic until January. The significance of this digital music milestone is amplified by the fact that the first MP3s to be legally sold on the Internet were on eMusic in 1998 by Frank Black and the Catholics, whose frontman, Frank Black, was also a founding member of the Pixies. Those two MP3s, "All My Ghosts" and "King and Queen of Siam,” were the first in eMusic’s catalogue, which is now the largest collection of independent music in the world.To celebrate the addition of the millionth track, eMusic has launched Pixies Week—a week celebrating the famed independent band and tracing the history of their music from their formation in 1986 through today. For Pixies Week, eMusic will post a new “Review of the Day” exploring a new Pixies title each day of the week; and its “New and Noteworthy” homepage will be loaded with the music of the Pixies and Frank Black.
Since its original inception in 1998, eMusic has claimed the number one position among independent music services—and today, it is second only to iTunes among all music services, selling more than four million downloads monthly. eMusic has consistently led the industry in features designed to enhance the consumer experience—compatibility, channels to discover great music and consumer ease-of-use, while striking groundbreaking content deals with leading independent labels across all genres.
· Innovation in Compatibility
eMusic’s commitment to compatibility is rooted in the fact that it was the first digital music service to deliver music in the universally compatible MP3 format. It remains the only major service to offer its entire catalogue in MP3s—without digital rights management (DRM), which limits consumer usage and listening behavior. eMusic’s flexibility allows its subscribers unlimited CD burning along with the ability to transfer MP3s to multiple computers and multiple devices. MP3s are the most popular and versatile digital file format and play on virtually all digital audio players—including Apple Computer®'s iPod®, along with, literally, hundreds of devices, including mobile phones, home stereos, PDAs, car stereos, DVD players, televisions and even cameras.
· Innovation in Discovery
eMusic’s commitment to pioneering innovative ways for users to discover music is one of its most unique features distinguishing it from other music services. With a team of award-winning music curators and critics producing a magazine with fresh, insightful editorial content updated daily, industry-leading search tools and a passionate community of music lovers consistently engaging in the eMusic community, subscribers are equipped with a set of unrivaled human and technological navigational tools to help guide them through the greatest independent music catalogue ever assembled.
· Innovation in Ease-of-use
eMusic’s success is underscored by a commitment to ease-of-use. To facilitate music discovery, eMusic has created the most powerful search and browse function of any music service. Subscribers can search for specific artists, albums, labels and song titles. In addition, subscribers can browse by genre, style, region, era, most-downloaded albums, live shows and much more. In addition, eMusic uses sophisticated personalization technology developed by ChoiceStream, to enable users to easily find other users who share their tastes and interests in music.
· Unparalleled Breadth of Content
eMusic’s matchless scope of independent content stems from its commitment to embrace the work of artists unwilling to compromise the integrity of their music just to meet the tastes of major labels interested only in producing a top-40 hit. Partnering with thousands of independent labels across all genres from has led eMusic to become the number one destination for consumers of independent music and music aficionados alike. From jazz, blues and hip-hop to classical, reggae and pop, eMusic’s collection of music is unparalleled.
“No other online digital music service has one-million iPod-compatible MP3s,” said David Pakman, CEO of eMusic and a managing director of Dimensional Associates, the private equity arm of JDS Capital that owns eMusic, The Orchard and Dimensional Music Publishing. “Along with indie music luminaries like Frank Black and the Pixies, eMusic has pioneered the music space since the beginning of the digital revolution. Our catalog is the largest, most important, and most well-curated collection of independent music in the world. We’re honored to have the Pixies deliver our millionth track as we continue to innovate how digital music is discovered and enjoyed.”
