eMusic Adds 40 Leading Independent Labels to Its Roster

eMusic Adds 40 Leading Independent Labels to Its Roster

From Cherry Red to Arhoolie, ATO Records and Ninja Tune, eMusic Has It Covered from Punk to Funk

#2 Digital Download Service Passes 150,000 Subscribers; Sells More Than 9 Million Downloads In January and February

NEW YORK, March 13 /PRNewswire/ -- eMusic, the world's largest retailer of independent music, announced 40 new additions to its roster of independent labels, bringing its total number of labels to over 4,000. The company also announced that its paying subscriber base has surpassed 150,000, only six months after hitting the 100,000 subscriber mark. The digital retailer added that it sold 4.9 million digital music downloads in January and 4.5 million in February, second only to iTunes.

"eMusic's growth rate continues to accelerate, and independent labels choose to work with us because they understand that we effectively target and market to their audience," said David Pakman, eMusic President and CEO. "Our rapidly growing subscriber base and focus on merchandising independent artists allows us unusual leverage to help independent labels increase their sales while helping independent artists to build their audience."

Pakman continued, "Over the past 24 months, eMusic has sold more than 54 million tracks. Tracks purchased at eMusic play on any device, including the iPod, and when customers aren't restricted in what they can do with their music, they buy more of it."

From punk to funk, eMusic's new labels cover nearly every genre of music, including rock, dance, blues, country, hip-hop, jazz, classical and more. Notable additions include the UK's legendary Cherry Red, which boasts the punk band Dead Kennedys, and post-punk groups Monochrome Set and Felt among its huge and massively influential catalog. The Dave Matthews Band's label ATO Records(1) also joined the eMusic roster, bringing Mike Doughty and the North Mississippi All Stars.

Some of the most important blues ever recorded arrived via Arhoolie Records, including iconic recordings by Lightnin' Hopkins and Mississippi Fred McDowell, as well as the seminal zydeco of Clifton Chenier. And on the classical side, Harmonia Mundi brings popular and widely acclaimed artists including Anonymous 4, Olga Kern, The Eroica Quartet and Andrew Manze.

In the independent hip-hop world, eMusic added four of the most important labels in existence: New York's Definitive Jux (Cannibal Ox, RJD2), London's Ninja Tune (Kid Koala, Coldcut), Minneapolis' Rhymesayers (Atmosphere, Brother Ali) and Los Angeles' Stones Throw (Madvillian, the late J. Dilla).

Other labels added recently to eMusic's catalog include:

ASV
Auditorium
Bis
Bling 47
Eagle Rock
Fresh Records
GrooveSource.com
Hot Records
Egami Media
Just Music
Justin Time Records
Kudos Records
Larry Coryell Signature
LTM Publishing
Memphis Industries
Morr Music
Mudhut Records
Nublu Records
Output
Play It Again Sam
Real Music
Reincarnate Music
Rendevous
Setanta
Signum Music
Stiff Records
Tompkins Square
Tunecord
Ultra
Upper Class Recordings
Wall of Sound
Within/ Movement in Sound LTD

(1) does not include Dave Matthews Band recordings.

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, 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:

Cathy Halgas Nevins, eMusic
(917) 887-4140 or cnevins@emusic.com

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

Source: eMusic

CONTACT: Cathy Halgas Nevins of eMusic, +1-917-887-4140,
cnevins@emusic.com; or Justin Kazmark, +1-212-561-7466,
justin.kazmark@morris-king.com or Andy Morris, +1-212-561-7465,
andy.morris@morris-king.com, both of The Morris + King Company for eMusic

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

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