eMusic Adds 10,000+ New Tracks From Smithsonian Folkways, Merge, Nettwerk and Dozens of Other Leading Indie Labels

eMusic Adds 10,000+ New Tracks From Smithsonian Folkways, Merge, Nettwerk and Dozens of Other Leading Indie Labels

The Entire Woody Guthrie Digital Catalog Available on eMusic - The World's No. 2 Download Service

NEW YORK, Aug. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- eMusic, the world's No. 2 digital download service, selling more than two million tracks monthly, today announced the addition of tens of thousands of songs from dozens of genre-leading independent labels and artists to its highly regarded catalog, including: Smithsonian Folkways, Merge Records and Nettwerk Records. From Woody Guthrie to Superchunk, Spoon to Guster, Dinosaur Jr. to indigenous music from the Papua New Guinea rainforest -- these exciting content additions reaffirm eMusic's position as the most diverse music service in the world.

Smithsonian Folkways, the official record label of the Smithsonian Institute, will offer eMusic subscribers access to a wealth of contemporary and classic recordings spanning many genres -- from Bluegrass to Blues, Cajun to Caribbean and Gospel to Ragtime. As a repository of American folk icons, Smithsonian Folkways enjoys a trove of tracks from renowned artists including Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys, Doc Watson, Pete Seeger and Lead Belly. Of particular significance is the addition of the entire digital catalog of legendary folk artist Woody Guthrie as well as an extensive inventory of titles from Folkways' collection of World music.

With the addition of Merge Records to its burgeoning roster of independent labels, eMusic captures an impressive catalog of current and old school independent artists including: the spectacular indie rock band Spoon, Dinosaur Jr., Superchunk and The Arcade Fire among others. And, leading Canadian independent label, Nettwerk Records, founded by music industry visionary Terry McBride, adds tracks from Guster, Hem, Jars of Clay, Ron Sexsmith, The Perishers, Gob, Treble Charger, Neil Finn, and Sixpense None the Richer.

"eMusic leads by catering to avid music fans seeking music outside the commercial mainstream. Our exclusive focus on selling independent music has led to a substantially deepened catalog with the addition of these landmark labels," said David Pakman, COO 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. "By proactively reaching out to independent artists and labels across all genres we have created the most colorful selection of songs available in the digital space."

In addition, eMusic is pleased to add the catalogs of:

1320 Records (Sound Tribe Sector 9); Compass (Allison Brown, Colin Hay, Eddi Reader, Fairport Convention, Glenn Tillborook); Smith Entertainment (Asleep At The Wheel, Merle Haggard, David Allen Coe); Wonder Records (Louis Philippe); Green Linnet (Capercaillie, Kevin Burke); Amherst (Stylistics, Spyrogyra, Solomon Burke); Document (archival 30's blues); Gossip, a New Jersey-based dance label that consistently places hits on Billboard's Dance chart (Loleatta Holloway, The Bomb Squad, DJ Kool); JetStar, a UK-based distributor with hundreds of Jamaican labels and artists (Sizzla, Gregory Issacs, Capleton, Beenie Man, Sanchez, Luciano); Backwater Records, a new UK-based label that promotes local bands with a folky-country-psychodelic feel (The Future Kings of England, Fuzzface, Blind Poets); Betterment Letters (Matt Langlois); Bongo Beat Records (Katrina and Waves, Johnny Dowd); IRIS Distribution (Megaforce, Reckless, Architecture); James Finn Music (James Finn); Night Drive Music Group (Raganova, Alectric); Paraclete Press, Inc., a label specializing mainly in Gregorian and Choral music albums (God's Trombones, Sacred Sounds of Russia and Organ Music of America 1891-1991); Psychobaby, an aggregator with a strong selection of UK-based artists and Celtic titles (The Durutti Column); Tiger Mountain Music LLC (Tiger Mountain); and, Wonder Records (Christian Harder, Kreidler).

About eMusic

eMusic (http://www.emusic.com/) stands alone as the only digital music service that is 100% focused on serving the needs of independent music fans and independent labels. Delivering more than 2 million downloads each month, eMusic is among the top digital music services, offering a diverse catalog of 700,000 tracks from established and emerging artists in every genre from the world's top independent labels. eMusic was not only the first service to sell songs and albums in the popular MP3 format, it was the first company to launch a digital music subscription service. Unlike other services that severely restrict portability, eMusic allows members complete flexibility to burn CDs, transfer to MP3 devices and make multiple copies for personal use. eMusic also offers access to exclusive recordings from eMusicLive's network of premier music venues across the country. eMusic subscription plans start at $9.99 per month for 40 downloads. A free trial is available to all new users. Based in New York and San Diego, eMusic 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.

Contact:
Andy Morris / Justin Kazmark
Andy Morris and Company
(212) 561-7465 / (212) 561-7466
andy@amc-pr.com / justin@amc-pr.com

Source: eMusic

CONTACT: Andy Morris, +1-212-561-7465, andy@amc-pr.com, or Justin
Kazmark, +1-212-561-7466, justin@amc-pr.com, both of Andy Morris and Company

Web site: http://www.emusic.com/

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