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Media Contacts:
Barbara Laidlaw
Fleishman Hillard Canada for eMusic
416-645-3666 or barbara.laidlaw@fleishman.ca
Cathy Halgas Nevins
eMusic
212-201-9201 or cnevins@emusic.com
To view a social media version of this press release, please go to: http://www.emusic.com/html/emusic-launches-in-canada.htm
For Immediate Release
eMUSIC LAUNCHES IN CANADA
MP3 Pioneer Offers Canadians DRM-Free Tracks, Great Value,
3.5 Million+ Tracks of Independent Music and Thousands of
Audio Books
TORONTO and NEW YORK, April 29, 2008 -- eMusic (http://www.emusic.com),
the world’s largest retailer of independent music launches its award-winning service in Canada today. David Pakman,
President and CEO, eMusic says, “We are excited to introduce the most diverse catalogue of independent music in the
world to Canadian music fans and provide a download service that not only caters specifically to their needs, but
offers great value and tracks in the universally compatible MP3 format.”
With 33,000 of the world’s top independent labels and major audio books publishers, eMusic is unrivalled in catering
to adult customers interested in entertainment outside the commercial mainstream and will offer Canadian customers a
superior selection of music from Canadian independent labels. A subscription-based service that allows consumers to
own, not rent, their entertainment, eMusic encourages people to discover new music and audio books with low download
prices, market-leading discovery features and editorial guidance from more than 200 renowned music experts. And,
all eMusic tracks are offered in the universally compatible MP3 format, which works with every digital music
hardware and software device including the market-leading iPod®.
eMusic’s vast catalogue of more than 3.5 million tracks features both established and emerging artists in every
genre: rock, jazz, hip-hop, blues, classical, country, folk, electronic, world, reggae, francophone and more. It
includes key Canadian labels such as Nettwerk, Arts & Crafts, Justin Time, Secret City Records, Mint Records and
Paper Bag and many Canadian artists including: Arcade Fire, Feist, Destroyer, Sarah McLachlan, Tegan and Sara,
Martha Wainwright, Hayden, Tokyo Police Club, Oscar Peterson and other artists popular in Canada such as David Gray,
Crowded House, Mike Doughty and Silversun Pickups.
To help navigate this wide-ranging catalogue of online music, eMusic offers customers unrivaled discovery tools
including technology that analyzes their download histories to suggest playlists and personalized recommendations on
new arrivals, and community features such as “Neighbors” and “Fans” that allow members to share their discoveries.
Members can also view rich editorial that includes thousands of reviews, fascinating in-depth columns, the signature
eMusic Dozen (a guided listing of the best music the site has to offer under a given theme) and genre-specific
newsletters, all compiled by an award-winning staff of more than 200 music experts.
eMusic also brings its sophisticated editorial voice to its audio books offering, which includes selections from
major audio books publishers such as Random House, Penguin, Hachette, Blackstone Books and Naxos, with more titles
arriving every week. The catalogue comprises a range of fiction and non-fiction classics, bestsellers and new
releases, including The Blind Assassin by Canada’s own Margaret Atwood, notable books narrated by well-known
voices such as Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita read by Jeremy Irons and exclusives such as McSweeney’s Field
Recordings, a collection of short stories previously published in tastemaking literary journal McSweeney’s
Quarterly Concern.
eMusic has been a pioneer in selling tracks in the DRM-free MP3 format in the U.S. since 1998 and is second only to
iTunes in the number of downloads sold. 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 offers 50 free bonus music downloads and one free audio book download at sign-up. Its subscription pricing
provides music lovers with an inexpensive, low-risk way to discover great new music for as low as 37 cents per
track. Canadian monthly pricing plans are as follows:
Music
• eMusic Basic - 30 downloads $11.99
• eMusic Plus - 50 downloads $17.99
• eMusic Premium - 70 downloads $23.99
Audio books
• 1 audio book - $11.99
• 2 audio books - $22.99
"eMusic has been a valuable partner for us in the U.S. and Europe, helping us to introduce our artists to an
audience that's passionate about discovering new music," said Terry McBride, CEO of Nettwerk Music Group. "We're
looking forward to working even more closely with them to give Canadian music fans a great way to explore our
catalogue and great new artists such as The Weepies and Ladytron, as well as more established artists like Sarah
McLachlan and Barenaked Ladies"
eMusic has achieved significant success in the U.S. and E.U., selling more than 200 million music downloads since
November 2003, and expects that its Canadian offering will help to expand the digital music market in Canada.
According to Nielsen SoundScan and the Canadian Recording Industry Association, digital downloads, subscriptions and
mobile music make up only 12 percent of total sales in Canada, in contrast with the U.S., where they make up 29
percent of sales.
In Canada eMusic partners with Best Buy and offers free songs with every Avis® car rental.
About eMusic
eMusic (http://www.emusic.com) is a specialty digital entertainment retailer
that has been at the forefront of offering MP3 downloads and customer-friendly prices since its inception in 1998.
The company is focused on serving customers aged 25 and older by offering independent music and audio books in a
universally compatible format at a great value. It is the world’s largest retailer of independent music and the
world’s second-largest digital music service after iTunes, with more than 3.5 million tracks from 33,000 of the
world’s leading independent labels and thousands of titles from top audio book publishers. To super-serve its more
than 400,000 customers, eMusic provides award-winning editorial content, a vibrant online community and unrivaled
music discovery tools. eMusic’s subscription-based service offers free music downloads or one free audio book at
sign-up, giving consumers an inexpensive, low-risk way to explore great new music and books they wouldn’t find
otherwise. Based in New York with an office in London, eMusic is available in the U.S., Canada and all 27 E.U.
nations. eMusic.com Inc. is wholly owned by Dimensional Associates, Inc., the private equity arm of JDS Capital
Management, Inc.
NOTE: eMusic is a registered trademark and eMusic.com is a trademark of eMusic.com Inc. All other trademarks are the
property of their respective owners.
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