(openPR) - eMusic Becomes First Digital Music Service to Launch Simultaneously Across EU

LONDON and HOOFDDORP, THE NETHERLANDS -- (MARKET WIRE) -- September 12, 2006 -- eMusic (www.emusic.com), the no. 1 site for independent music and the world´s no. 2 digital music service, today announces a pan-European licensing agreement with Dutch author society Buma/Stemra which enables eMusic to launch its service simultaneously across Europe on 12 September.

With this agreement eMusic becomes the first digital music service to take advantage of the EU Common Market, which allows it to make a single agreement covering all 25 EU member nations.

Under the agreement, eMusic is fully licensed. The company will track all downloads on a country-by-country basis and pay publishing royalties to Buma/Stemra. Buma/Stemra will then account to, and pay through, author societies in other EU nations, such as Germany´s GEMA and the United Kingdom´s MCPS/PRS, through reciprocal agreements already in place among those organizations. eMusic selected Buma/Stemra both because of its forward-looking management and due to the fact that eMusic serves all of its digital tracks from Netherlands-based servers.

"eMusic is excited to provide EU music fans with the opportunity to discover music outside the mainstream and expand the sales of independent label artists from the EU and all over the world," said David Pakman, President and CEO of eMusic. "Our relationship with Buma/Stemra ensures that not only can we bring our service to customers in every EU nation, but also that composers, songwriters and music publishers will be reimbursed fully and efficiently. We are happy that the European Commission is supportive of and focused on a streamlined approach to music licensing across Europe, helping authors and publishers to be paid quickly and without unnecessary and duplicative administrative fees."

To date, competing digital music services, such as iTunes and Napster have launched in selected territories only, and have struck deals with author societies on a country-by-country basis. eMusic´s pan-European deal with Buma/Stemra will enable it to bring its vast catalogue of independent music not only to major music markets such as France and Germany, but to smaller nations such as Malta and Slovenia as well.

About eMusic

eMusic (www.emusic.com) is the world´s leading digital retailer of independent music, second only to iTunes in number of downloads sold. The eMusic web site offers a global catalogue of more than two million tracks from established and emerging artists in every genre from the world´s leading independent labels. Created by music experts for music fans, it features award-winning editorial content, a vibrant online community and unrivaled music discovery tools. A subscription-based service that offers 25 free downloads at sign-up, eMusic gives consumers an inexpensive, low-risk way to explore great new music they wouldn´t find otherwise, and unlike other download services, its universally compatible MP3 files play on any device including the iPod®. Based in New York with an office in London, eMusic.com Inc. is wholly owned by Dimensional Associates, Inc., the private equity arm of JDS Capital Management, Inc.

For more information please contact:

Donna Amato
David Milsom
+44 (0) 870 9905 425
emusicpr@golinharris.com

Cathy Halgas Nevins
eMusic
+1 212-201-9201
cnevins@emusic.com


SOURCE: eMusic




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