eMusic Press Room
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Media Contacts: Cathy Halgas Nevins eMusic 212-201-9201 or cnevins@emusic.com Denise Yantin eMusic 212-300-2885 or dyantin@emusic.com Matt Hanks or Alexis Tedford Shore Fire Media 718-522-7171 mhanks@shorefire.com atedford@shorefire.com Donna Amato or David Milsom GolinHarris +44 (0) 870 9905 425 or emusicpr@golinharris.com For Immediate Release
eMUSIC: NEWS TO SING ABOUT
NEW YORK, November 20, 2006 -- eMusic, the world’s largest retailer of independent music and the second-largest digital music
retailer after iTunes, is nearing a major milestone with the projection that they will sell their 100 millionth MP3 download in
the next few weeks. To celebrate the news, they’ve called on platinum-selling pop group Barenaked Ladies to write and
record a personalized song about the lucky eMusic subscriber who downloads the 100 millionth track. The winning eMusic subscriber
will also receive a free premium subscription to the site for life, and the opportunity to participate in an upcoming eMusic
print advertising campaign.
“Our 100 million download milestone is a defining moment not just for eMusic but for our industry,” said David Pakman,
President and CEO of eMusic. “It just goes to show what can happen when you offer people passionate, adventurous music on the
terms they want: well priced, expertly curated, and universally compatible: they buy a lot of it! This is a celebration of the
triumph of inspiration over mediocrity. It's also a testimony to the enduring appeal of independent music: the artists who make
it, the labels who market it, and to eMusic subscribers, who have discovered and downloaded tracks from thousands of brilliant
independent artists. We're looking forward to hearing the crafty songwriting of Barenaked Ladies celebrate our lucky 100
millionth downloader."
Barenaked Ladies’ Tyler Stewart said, “eMusic is a fabulous way to bring music to our fans in a fast, efficient, and
good-sounding way. eMusic is an important part of Barenaked Ladies' thrust into the digital music revolution. Long live
eMusic!!"
eMusic started its download ticker on November 1, 2003, when the company established its current subscription model. It has
reached the 100 million mark in scarcely three years by becoming the only major digital music service to deliver downloads in the
universally compatible MP3 format, which works with iTunes, the iPod®, Zune and every other digital music device; by offering an
unparalleled selection of independent music, from more than 9800 of the world’s largest and most innovative labels, that caters
to all musical tastes; and by featuring award-winning editorial content about everything from alternative rock to zydeco. eMusic
adds more than 20,000 new tracks to its catalogue every week; the total currently stands at more than 1.8 million. eMusic’s
subscription-based service offers 25 free downloads at sign-up and gives music lovers an inexpensive, low-risk way to discover
great new music. Its relentless focus on super-serving the oft-ignored 25-and-older music buyer has resulted in eMusic's
indisputable number two market position.
After the winner is identified and Barenaked Ladies write and record the new song, it will be available as an exclusive free
track on eMusic for a week in January, before being bundled with their forthcoming album Barenaked Ladies Are Men (Desperation
Records/ Nettwerk, due February 6) as a paid bonus track.
Barenaked Ladies are a top-selling eMusic artist, and their ties to independent music stretch back fifteen years. The group’s
first release, 1991’s The Yellow Tape, was a self-produced, self-marketed five-song cassette that achieved gold status in Canada
and kickstarted an indie revolution in that country that is still playing out to this day. Their most recent release, Barenaked
Ladies Are Me, released in September, 2006, on their own Desperation Records label, is available as a special 27-track digital
package on eMusic, in addition to a traditional 13-song CD release in stores.
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