The Orchard Inks Deal With EMI Music Publishing to Distribute Mastertones

The Orchard Inks Deal With EMI Music Publishing to Distribute Mastertones

Partnership with the World's Largest Music Publisher Solidifies The Orchard's Position as Number One Independent Distributor of Mastertones

The Orchard Offers One-Stop Licensing for Mastertones and Song Placement in Films, TV, Games and Ads

- Coming Soon from The Orchard to Mobile Devices in the US and Canada: Simply Red, The Donnas, and Medeski Martin & Wood -

NEW YORK, Dec. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The Orchard, the world's leading distributor and marketer of independent music, today announced an agreement with EMI Music Publishing (EMI), the world's largest music publisher. Under the agreement, The Orchard will deliver mastertones from EMI's world-renowned catalogue to mobile users in the US and Canada through The Orchard's unparalleled network of mobile providers. Mastertones, also known as realtones, are digital clips of real music that replace the standard ringtones that mobile users hear when they receive an incoming call.

The agreement is significant because, unlike online download music sales, a publisher's permission is required before a ringtone or mastertone can be sold. The partnership with EMI solidifies The Orchard's position as the leading independent distributor of mastertones in the world. The Orchard maintains relationships with the leading mobile companies globally-the largest mobile network of any music distributor. The Orchard's mobile network spans over 200 global services including Dwango Wireless, 9 Squared, IAM Mobile, Mobilestreams, and Arvato Mobile and Hudson South. The Orchard also maintains a catalogue of more than 700,000 tracks from thousands of labels spanning 73 countries and every music genre, which it markets and distributes to more than 125 of the world's leading digital music stores, including iTunes, eMusic, Napster, MSN, Yahoo!/MusicMatch, and Real/Rhapsody.

The Orchard's relationship with EMI will enable its mobile partners to offer customers in the US, its territories and Canada diverse and acclaimed artists including Simply Red, The Donnas, and Medeski Martin & Wood, among many others. Through The Orchard's mobile partners, users can preview 30- second clips of tracks from the EMI catalogue and instantly purchase and imbed the clips in a wireless device.

"We are pleased to partner with EMI - the world's largest music publisher, with an unparalleled catalogue of more than one million compositions, said Greg Scholl, chief executive of The Orchard and managing director of Dimensional Associates, the company that owns The Orchard, eMusic and Dimensional Music Publishing. "As mobile sales continue to grow rapidly, The Orchard offers our publishing, label and artist partners an unprecedented global network of mobile sales channels. Our industry-leading marketing capabilities enable global mobile carriers to benefit from our vast repertoire of the world's best independent music-instead of carrying the same top 10 hits."

Joanne Boris, EVP of Music Services, EMI Music Publishing adds: "This Partnership furthers EMI's commitment to seeking new opportunities for our writers, while facilitating the licensed use of music in many exciting evolving technology areas. Our creative and practical approach to such areas enables us to provide so much of what is needed so we, our writers and our partners are successful. "

The Orchard currently markets and distributes more than 10,000 mastertones, including non-major label music from artists ranging from Ray Charles, Beck and John Legend. It also features routines and interviews with comedians like George Carlin, Jerry Seinfeld and Woody Allen.

Mobile music revenue is expected to increase by $1.6 billion over the next year, rising to $6 billion globally, according to a recent Research and Markets report. And 60 percent of mobile ringtone revenues come from sales of realtones, according to Telephia's Mobile Audio Report.

About The Orchard

The Orchard (www.theorchard.com) is the leading distributor and marketer of independent music in the world, representing thousands of labels spanning 73 countries and every music genre. The Orchard supplies its catalogue of more than 700,000 tracks to all of the leading legal digital music retailers and mobile operators throughout the world. The company is headquartered in New York and London, with operations in Tokyo, Buenos Aires, Tel Aviv, Hong Kong, Toronto, Kolkata, Johannesburg, Moscow and Melbourne, and local representatives in Paris, Milan, Barcelona, Ramallah and Nairobi.

About Dimensional Associates, Inc.

Dimensional Associates, Inc. is the New York-based private equity arm of JDS Capital Management, Inc. Its portfolio companies include eMusic, The Orchard and Dimensional Music Publishing (formerly DreamWorks Music Publishing).

About EMI Music Publishing

EMI Music Publishing, a unit of Britain's EMI Group PLC, is the world's leading music publisher with rights to more than one million musical compositions and offices in 30 countries. EMI's repertoire includes numerous pop music hits, American standards, country songs, classical works and motion picture and theatrical compositions. EMI also represents many of the top songwriters, producers and artists in the industry today, including Usher, Alicia Keys, Sting, Kanye West, Jay Z, Pink, Rob Thomas, Enrique Iglesias, Dallas Austin, Jermaine Dupri, Sean "P.Diddy" Combs and Enya. A pioneer in the use of technology to further business, EMI was the first major music publisher to establish a web site, the first to incorporate an advanced lyric search engine and the first to initiate the licensing process online.

Media Contacts
For The Orchard - media contact only: For EMI Music Publishing:
Andy Morris, Rob Goldstone, Oui2 PR
The Morris + King Company 212-541-5698
212-561-7465 rob@oui2.comandy.morris@morris-king.com

All other Orchard inquiries: info@theorchard.com

Source: The Orchard

CONTACT: Andy Morris, The Morris + King Company, +1-212-561-7465,
andy.morris@morris-king.com, for The Orchard; Rob Goldstone, Oui2 PR,
+1-212-541-5698, rob@oui2.com, for EMI Music Publishing; Other Orchard
inquiries - info@theorchard.com

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

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