eMusic - World's Largest Digital Retailer of Independent Music - Begins Reporting Download Sales to SoundScan

eMusic - World's Largest Digital Retailer of Independent Music - Begins Reporting Download Sales to SoundScan

eMusic Now Sells More Than 4.5 Million Downloads Monthly - and Has Sold 45 Million Downloads in the Past 2 Years

eMusic/SoundScan Data Expected to Present More Accurate Picture of Online Music Sales

NEW YORK, Jan. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- eMusic, the world's largest digital retailer of independent music, selling more than 4.5 million downloads monthly, announced that, effective today, its sales figures are being reported to Nielsen SoundScan, the information system that tracks sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada. By reporting these new data, eMusic will reveal a more precise picture of digital music market sales to SoundScan, which has been severely undercounting the burgeoning independent music sector to date.

"The independent music sector is enjoying spectacular growth while overall recorded music sales from major labels continue to decline, and yet many in the music industry treat the independent music market as an afterthought. We're certain that independent music market share has been inaccurately reported," 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. "The strong growth of the independent sector can be attributed to the efforts of businesses like eMusic which have invested millions of dollars to promote and carefully merchandise music outside the mainstream top 40. By reporting our sales data to SoundScan, macro digital music sales figures will shift, reflecting a dramatic increase in independent music market share."

eMusic is now second only to iTunes in monthly download sales-even though its entire one million-track catalogue is comprised entirely of music from independent labels. Over the past 24 months, eMusic has sold more than 45 million tracks-this represents more music sold by other major music services like Rhapsody, Microsoft's MSN, Yahoo!, and Napster COMBINED*. This accomplishment is that much more remarkable because eMusic has no major label content in its service-only tracks from 3800 of the world's largest independent record labels including: Rykodisc, TVT, Concord Music Group, Naxos, Beggars Banquet, KOCH Records, Epitaph, Comedy Central Records, Smithsonian Folkways, Dischord, Merge, Razor and Tie and Sun Records.

*Data refers to non-expiring digital downloads-not rental songs or streams-and is based on estimates provided by aggregators, published reports, SEC filings, company press releases, and market share data. Not all mentioned music services report sales figures publicly.

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 4.5 million downloads each month; eMusic is among the top digital music services, offering a diverse catalogue of 1,000,000 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. 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.

Media Contacts
Andy Morris / Justin Kazmark
The Morris + King Company
(212) 561-7465 / (212) 561-7466
andy.morris@morris-king.comjustin.kazmark@morris-king.com

Source: eMusic

Contact: Andy Morris, +1-212-561-7465, or andy.morris@morris-king.com, or
Justin Kazmark, +1-212-561-7466, or justin.kazmark@morris-king.com, both of
The Morris + King Company for eMusic

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

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