eMusic Drives Classical Sales

eMusic drives classical sales: Adds noteworthy classical labels Chandos, Telarc and Harmonia Mundi to catalogue of 27,000+ exclusive free samplers from BIS and harmonia mundi france; increases paid classical music downloads.

New York, NY, April 24, 2008 --(PR.com)-- eMusic the world’s largest retailer of independent music — and the world’s second-largest digital music service after iTunes — announced today a number of new and noteworthy independent classical label signings to its growing roster of more than 27,000. They include the prestigious UK-based Chandos Records, one of the world's premier classical music labels; Telarc, the forty-time Grammy award-winning label; and celebrated Harmonia Mundi, hailed by Billboard Magazine as one of this year’s top classical labels and home to a diverse and wonderful crop of artists that includes Paul Lewis, Phillipe Herreweghe and René Jacobs.

Other classical labels recently added to eMusic include Naïve, Vox, Lyrita, Hungaraton, Supraphon, and CSO Resound, the Chicago Symphony’s in-house recording label. These additions will be available on the website both in the US and worldwide.

eMusic revealed that more than half of customers who downloaded one of two recent exclusive free classical music samplers went on to purchase additional classical music. Of those, nearly one third had never downloaded a classical track before. For the past several months, eMusic has offered customers exclusive free samplers from BIS Records, MIDEM's 2008 Classical "Label of the Year” honoree and Harmonia Mundi. Both currently rank in eMusic’s classical music charts top ten.

BIS, the highly-respected, Scandinavian classical imprint celebrates its 35th anniversary by offering more than two hours of free classical music to eMusic customers. The label is known for its complete recordings of composer Jean Sibelius, as well as other projects such as the Bach Cantatas by Bach Collegium Japan under Masaaki Suzuki, and the riveting new Beethoven symphony cycle with conductor Osmo Vänksä leading the Minnesota Orchestra.

Harmonia Mundi’s exclusive free sampler is representative of their excellence in baroque and classical repertoire, as well as their world-class artists. Selected tracks are taken from Paul Lewis’ acclaimed Beethoven Piano Sonata cycle, Andrew Manze and the English Concert’s recordings of Handel and C.P.E. Bach, and vocal ensemble Anonymous 4’s explorations of American folk songs and spirituals.

“Classical labels recognize that eMusic, with its sophisticated adult customer base and unsurpassed editorial features, sells classical music better than any other digital service,” said eMusic President and CEO David Pakman. “For example, classical represents 12% of our sales in Europe and the U.S. is not far behind. Our subscriber base has always been passionate about discovering music outside the mainstream and the free sampler statistics are a perfect example of how eMusic is able to increase sales of classical music and encourage consumers to discover great music outside the commercial mainstream, as well as outside of their preferred genres.”

"As a label head and a regular visitor to their active customer message-boards, I commend eMusic for working successfully to create a truly outstanding digital music experience for classical music fans everywhere," said Robert von Bahr, President of BIS Records. “With their commitment to classical music, eMusic offers our artists large exposure and easy access to an audience that’s fervently interested in an innovative and timeless genre of music,” commented Jean-Baptiste Rivail, International Director of Harmonia Mundi.

About eMusic
eMusic (www.emusic.com) is a digital entertainment retailer focused on serving customers aged 25+ by offering independent music and audiobooks in a universally compatible format at a great value. It is the world’s largest retailer of independent music and the world’s second-largest digital music service after iTunes, with more than three million tracks from 27,000 of the world’s leading independent labels and over 1,500 titles from top audiobook publishers. To super-serve its customers, eMusic provides award-winning editorial content, a vibrant online community and unrivaled music discovery tools. eMusic’s subscription-based service offers 25 free downloads or one free book at sign-up, giving consumers an inexpensive, low-risk way to explore great new music and books they wouldn’t find otherwise. Its universally compatible MP3 files play on any device including the iPod®. Based in New York with an office in London, eMusic.com Inc. is wholly owned by Dimensional Associates, Inc., the private equity arm of JDS Capital Management, Inc.

About Author

Here the author Cathy Halgis Nevins writes about addition of noteworthy classical labels chandos, telarc and harmonia mundi to its catalogue of 27,000+ including exclusive free samplers from bis and harmonia mundi france. Get fun with music downloads, online music, free mp3 downloads, audio books at www.emusic.com.

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