Leave it to a punk rock label to provide MP3 with its most significant deal to date for selling a label's music online.
Internet music seller EMusic struck a deal Tuesday with punk label Epitaph to sell MP3 cuts from such acts as Offspring, Tom Waits, and Bad Religion.
"Downloadable music is here to stay," said Andy Kaulkin, president of Epitaph. "EMusic.com has the most thought-out and sensible approach to this medium that will benefit artists, fans, labels, and even traditional retailers like our partners at The Wherehouse. We can’t wait to get rolling."
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The arrangement does not offer the entire catalog for online sale, but is a significant first for the sale of an existing label's music online.
The strategic partnership lets EMusic promote and sell portions of Epitaph's catalog in the popular MP3 digital music format. While major artists have dabbled in online distribution, the fledgling Internet music industry has yet to become a major reseller of an established catalog.
One of the first packages is the compilation PUNK-O-RAMA 4, an Epitaph collection available on CD that will sell as a collection of MP3 songs for US$4.98. The collection features a track from the recently released Tom Waits album, Mule Variations. It also includes rare and unreleased tracks from bands including Pennywise, Bad Religion, NOFX, Rancid, Voodoo Glow Skulls, and H2O.
The partnership calls for releasing selected cuts every two weeks over the next several months.
Despite being a first of its kind for an MP3 retailer, the agreement nonetheless continues to be firmly connected to the brick-and-mortar retail music business.
For songs that are released, EMusic will provide direct links to the site of music retailer Wherehousemusic.com, using the online releases as a promotion for CD purchases from the Wherehouse Web site.
Three previous PUNK-O-RAMA collections will be sold as well, the companies said. Co-marketing and promotional agreements between the companies include EMusic.com's sponsorship of Epitaph’s upcoming PUNK-O-RAMA national concert tour.
