The scores for Bach's concertos and Basie's swing sessions will soon be available as digital files, as another segment of the music industry makes its way online.
Net4music is launching a portal site this week that will give musicians, composers, and music educators access to thousands of digitized, downloadable sheet music titles.
The company will offer about 40,000 titles initially, adding another 10,000 per month in all genres of music, from classical to jazz, pop, country, educational, and gospel music, said François Duliege, CEO of Net4Music.
Publishers will be able to digitize their sheet music from multiple sources into Adobe's PDF format, and then distribute it in customized orders.
The global market for sheet music and music books is currently US$1 billion a year, according to company executives, and the opportunities for musicians and publishers will open up considerably in the online environment.
Although Net4music has yet to announce relationships with publishers such as Harry Fox, BMI, and ASCAP -- which own the majority of copyrighted compositions -- the company intends to build relationships to gain access to currently popular tracks.
"We are a friend of the publishers because we help them further expose and increase sales of not only their A catalog but their B and C titles as well. In existing business models, publishers only have the opportunity to promote their A titles," said Eric Liley, senior vice president of marketing at Net4Music.
The site will be displayed in five languages and will accept 22 currencies, with sheet music going for between $2 and $8 per score, and MIDI audio files being sold for $8.
Buyers can preview songs and buy one score rather than a complete songbook. To protect the files from pirating, the company's distribution system uses an encryption scheme that prevents files from being redistributed.
Another goal of the site is to act as a portal for musicians, where interviews and other information will be made available at no charge. An online directory will list musicians, composers, teachers, manufacturers and retailers, identified by instrument, genre, and geography.
"It will evolve into a portal for musicians with a lot of editorial, education and services like an auction for instruments, and online education," said Duliege.
Founded in 1995, Net4Music has been distributing sheet music in kiosks up until now, but Duliege said that a very brick-and-mortar approach is difficult to manage, and the online possibilities too attractive to ignore.
