Rolling Stones Exclusive To RealNetworks' Rhapsody DMS This Summer
Quote:
The Rolling Stones' Music Available in Legitimate Digital Format for First Time Via RealNetworks' Rhapsody and Best Buy Exclusive
With Exclusive Digital Access to the Stones' EMI/Virgin Catalog
RealNetworks' RHAPSODY Service to Offer The Rolling Stones' EMI/Virgin Records
Discography in Digital Format Through Exclusive Retail Agreement with Best Buy
SEATTLE, NEW YORK and MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The
Rolling Stones' catalog of historic recordings for EMI Music's Virgin Records
will be available in legitimate digital format for the first time ever,
marking a major step forward for the online music market. RealNetworks(R),
Inc. (Nasdaq: RNWK), Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: BBY), and EMI Music today
announced that The Rolling Stones' works on EMI's Virgin Records -- such as
Sticky Fingers, Exile on Main Street, and Some Girls -- will be available to
consumers through the award-winning RHAPSODY digital music service for an
exclusive time this summer, offered through a free trial at all U.S. Best Buy
stores. Today marks the first time that The Rolling Stones' albums have ever
been available through a legal online music service.
Coinciding with today's news, Best Buy and RealNetworks announced that
RHAPSODY subscriptions now are available at Best Buy store locations
nationwide. Best Buy, North America's largest consumer electronics retailer,
is the exclusive brick and mortar retailer offering subscriptions to RHAPSODY
during The Rolling Stones exclusive period. Best Buy is bringing RHAPSODY to
customers through interactive kiosks in more than 560 retail stores. Consumers
now have the convenience of signing up for a 14-day free RHAPSODY trial within
a Best Buy store, as well as through the Company's Web site, http://www.bestbuy.com.
The Rolling Stones' EMI Music/Virgin Records recordings are available for
streaming and for purchase as individual tracks exclusively through RHAPSODY
through the end of August, after which time they will remain a key element of
the RHAPSODY permanent repertoire. Music being made available initially
includes 18 classic albums -- ranging from Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main
Street to Bridges to Babylon and Steel Wheels -- and hundreds of individual
tracks released by the band since 1971, including 200 timeless Rolling Stones
songs from the EMI/Virgin catalog, including "Start Me Up," "Beast of Burden,"
"Angie" and "Brown Sugar," with the flexibility to stream or to burn copies
for personal use.
After the exclusive period ends in early September, The Rolling Stones'
EMI/Virgin catalog will be made available to other legal online music sites
through EMI's Digital Distribution programs.
"We're thrilled that RHAPSODY is the first stop for these timeless rock
recordings. Now, Rolling Stones fans can finally get what they want -- and
today they can get it only through RHAPSODY," said Rob Glaser, chief executive
officer, RealNetworks, Inc. "We're also excited about today's announcement of
RealNetworks' relationship with Best Buy, which will place RHAPSODY with the
country's #1 consumer electronics retailer as a perfect back-to-school gift
for students, and well in time for the holiday shopping season."
"This is a tremendous step forward in EMI's very aggressive push to expand
and improve legitimate digital music services," said David Munns, chairman and
CEO of EMI Music North America. "We're pleased that music fans will be able to
listen to and buy The Rolling Stones' EMI catalog through RHAPSODY, and also
delighted in Best Buy's participation nationwide, as it reinforces the growing
popularity of digital as a format consumers want to buy."
"Best Buy has always been a leader in finding innovative ways to meet
customers' entertainment needs, and RHAPSODY is an exciting example of how we
do it," said Gary Arnold, senior vice president of entertainment for Best Buy.
"Being able to offer RHAPSODY and digital access to The Rolling Stones catalog
in all of our U.S. stores and on our Web site is an incredible way for us to
demonstrate to our customers all the great possibilities that digital music
holds."
The Rolling Stones catalog on EMI/Virgin Records is available to consumers
at retail store locations exclusively through Best Buy, and online through
RealNetworks (available at: http://www.realone.com), and RHAPSODY's network of more
than 15 online distributors, including Audiogalaxy, Cablevision Systems
Corporation's Optimum Online(R), Charter Communications, Down Beat, Gateway,
JamBase.com, Lycos, RCN Corporation, Sony's Musiclub, Speakeasy, Sprint, and
Verizon Online.
As part of this launch, Best Buy is also promoting The Rolling Stones' CDs
by offering a 10 percent discount on The Rolling Stones' entire EMI catalog of
titles. This promotion will run from August 24 through August 31 for in-store
purchases only.
About EMI Music
EMI Music is the world's largest independent record company, operating in
nearly 50 countries around the world. Its record labels include Angel,
Astralwerks, Blue Note, Capitol, EMI, EMI Classics, Manhattan, Mute,
Parlophone and Virgin.
About Best Buy Co., Inc.
Minneapolis-based Best Buy Co., Inc. is North America's leading specialty
retailer of consumer electronics, personal computers, entertainment software
and appliances. The Company's subsidiaries operate retail stores and/or Web
sites under the names: Best Buy (BestBuy.com), Future Shop (FutureShop.ca),
Geek Squad (GeekSquad.com), and Magnolia Hi-Fi (MagnoliaHiFi.com). The
Company's subsidiaries reach consumers through nearly 700 retail stores in the
United States and Canada.
About RealNetworks
RealNetworks, Inc. is the leading global provider of network-delivered
digital audio and video services and the creator of the technology that
enables digital media creation, distribution and consumption. Consumers use
RealNetworks' RealOne Player and our content subscription services to create
and play free and premium digital content. Broadcasters, network operators,
media companies and enterprises use RealNetworks' products and services to
deliver digital media to PCs, mobile phones and consumer electronics devices.
Consumers can access and experience audio/video programming and download
RealNetworks' consumer software at http://www.real.com . RealNetworks' systems
and corporate information is located at http://www.realnetworks.com .
The Rolling Stones' Music Available in Legitimate Digital Format for First Time Via RealNetworks' Rhapsody and Best Buy Exclusive
With Exclusive Digital Access to the Stones' EMI/Virgin Catalog
RealNetworks' RHAPSODY Service to Offer The Rolling Stones' EMI/Virgin Records
Discography in Digital Format Through Exclusive Retail Agreement with Best Buy
SEATTLE, NEW YORK and MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The
Rolling Stones' catalog of historic recordings for EMI Music's Virgin Records
will be available in legitimate digital format for the first time ever,
marking a major step forward for the online music market. RealNetworks(R),
Inc. (Nasdaq: RNWK), Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: BBY), and EMI Music today
announced that The Rolling Stones' works on EMI's Virgin Records -- such as
Sticky Fingers, Exile on Main Street, and Some Girls -- will be available to
consumers through the award-winning RHAPSODY digital music service for an
exclusive time this summer, offered through a free trial at all U.S. Best Buy
stores. Today marks the first time that The Rolling Stones' albums have ever
been available through a legal online music service.
Coinciding with today's news, Best Buy and RealNetworks announced that
RHAPSODY subscriptions now are available at Best Buy store locations
nationwide. Best Buy, North America's largest consumer electronics retailer,
is the exclusive brick and mortar retailer offering subscriptions to RHAPSODY
during The Rolling Stones exclusive period. Best Buy is bringing RHAPSODY to
customers through interactive kiosks in more than 560 retail stores. Consumers
now have the convenience of signing up for a 14-day free RHAPSODY trial within
a Best Buy store, as well as through the Company's Web site, http://www.bestbuy.com.
The Rolling Stones' EMI Music/Virgin Records recordings are available for
streaming and for purchase as individual tracks exclusively through RHAPSODY
through the end of August, after which time they will remain a key element of
the RHAPSODY permanent repertoire. Music being made available initially
includes 18 classic albums -- ranging from Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main
Street to Bridges to Babylon and Steel Wheels -- and hundreds of individual
tracks released by the band since 1971, including 200 timeless Rolling Stones
songs from the EMI/Virgin catalog, including "Start Me Up," "Beast of Burden,"
"Angie" and "Brown Sugar," with the flexibility to stream or to burn copies
for personal use.
After the exclusive period ends in early September, The Rolling Stones'
EMI/Virgin catalog will be made available to other legal online music sites
through EMI's Digital Distribution programs.
"We're thrilled that RHAPSODY is the first stop for these timeless rock
recordings. Now, Rolling Stones fans can finally get what they want -- and
today they can get it only through RHAPSODY," said Rob Glaser, chief executive
officer, RealNetworks, Inc. "We're also excited about today's announcement of
RealNetworks' relationship with Best Buy, which will place RHAPSODY with the
country's #1 consumer electronics retailer as a perfect back-to-school gift
for students, and well in time for the holiday shopping season."
"This is a tremendous step forward in EMI's very aggressive push to expand
and improve legitimate digital music services," said David Munns, chairman and
CEO of EMI Music North America. "We're pleased that music fans will be able to
listen to and buy The Rolling Stones' EMI catalog through RHAPSODY, and also
delighted in Best Buy's participation nationwide, as it reinforces the growing
popularity of digital as a format consumers want to buy."
"Best Buy has always been a leader in finding innovative ways to meet
customers' entertainment needs, and RHAPSODY is an exciting example of how we
do it," said Gary Arnold, senior vice president of entertainment for Best Buy.
"Being able to offer RHAPSODY and digital access to The Rolling Stones catalog
in all of our U.S. stores and on our Web site is an incredible way for us to
demonstrate to our customers all the great possibilities that digital music
holds."
The Rolling Stones catalog on EMI/Virgin Records is available to consumers
at retail store locations exclusively through Best Buy, and online through
RealNetworks (available at: http://www.realone.com), and RHAPSODY's network of more
than 15 online distributors, including Audiogalaxy, Cablevision Systems
Corporation's Optimum Online(R), Charter Communications, Down Beat, Gateway,
JamBase.com, Lycos, RCN Corporation, Sony's Musiclub, Speakeasy, Sprint, and
Verizon Online.
As part of this launch, Best Buy is also promoting The Rolling Stones' CDs
by offering a 10 percent discount on The Rolling Stones' entire EMI catalog of
titles. This promotion will run from August 24 through August 31 for in-store
purchases only.
About EMI Music
EMI Music is the world's largest independent record company, operating in
nearly 50 countries around the world. Its record labels include Angel,
Astralwerks, Blue Note, Capitol, EMI, EMI Classics, Manhattan, Mute,
Parlophone and Virgin.
About Best Buy Co., Inc.
Minneapolis-based Best Buy Co., Inc. is North America's leading specialty
retailer of consumer electronics, personal computers, entertainment software
and appliances. The Company's subsidiaries operate retail stores and/or Web
sites under the names: Best Buy (BestBuy.com), Future Shop (FutureShop.ca),
Geek Squad (GeekSquad.com), and Magnolia Hi-Fi (MagnoliaHiFi.com). The
Company's subsidiaries reach consumers through nearly 700 retail stores in the
United States and Canada.
About RealNetworks
RealNetworks, Inc. is the leading global provider of network-delivered
digital audio and video services and the creator of the technology that
enables digital media creation, distribution and consumption. Consumers use
RealNetworks' RealOne Player and our content subscription services to create
and play free and premium digital content. Broadcasters, network operators,
media companies and enterprises use RealNetworks' products and services to
deliver digital media to PCs, mobile phones and consumer electronics devices.
Consumers can access and experience audio/video programming and download
RealNetworks' consumer software at http://www.real.com . RealNetworks' systems
and corporate information is located at http://www.realnetworks.com .
Comments
Originally posted by hmurchison
Anyone who likes the RS already has their albums.
I know I do!
Originally posted by MacsRGood4U
One site reports that the Stones catalogue will be available for streaming only, not burning to CD at Rhapsody whereas iTMS will have all the regular options. Anyone have any more info?
" The Stones' works prior to 1971 were recorded for Abkco Records, and thus are available only for streaming through Rhapsody, as opposed to downloading and burning."