HOBOKEN, NJ (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — eMusic debuted its highly anticipated digital download kiosk at a special show on June 28 at Maxwell's in Hoboken, NJ.
Southern Culture on the Skids took the stage at 10:15 pm. Within minutes after their last song, legal MP3 downloads of the Southern Culture on the Skids performance were available for purchase at eMusic's digital download kiosk onsite at Maxwell's.
The groundbreaking kiosk allows music fans to download the show onto a USB 2.0 pen drive-small enough to fit onto a keychain, allowing them to "take the show home." Fans can also use the kiosk to initiate a free trial subscription to eMusic and then download the show at no charge as part of their free eMusic trial subscription.
The Maxwell's kiosk is the first installation of this groundbreaking technology. In the coming months, eMusic will install the kiosks at other prominent independent music venues across the country through its eMusicLive network of clubs and concert halls.
At select venues, eMusic already provides concertgoers with the ability to leave a show with a CD copy of the performance they just attended through its "See A Show, Buy A Show" (SASBAS) program. Now, with its pioneering kiosk, eMusicLive is offering avid music fans access to the latest innovation in live concert recording technology-helping propel digital music to the forefront of the music industry.
"Offering fans the option to purchase live recordings in an MP3 format is the next step in immediate live recording technology, catering to the changing demands of the music consumer," said Danny Stein, CEO of Dimensional Associates Inc., the private equity firm that owns eMusic and The Orchard. "In addition, as the premier digital music service 100% focused on independent music, we are excited to offer fans selections unavailable anywhere else — live performances from the best emerging and established artists at the nation's best independent live music venues."
"As a founding member of the eMusicLive venue network, Maxwell's has been able to take part in many digital music innovations," said Todd Abramson, co-owner of Maxwell's. "eMusic's digital download kiosk is by far the most compelling, because it has garnered a level of interest from live music fans that I haven't witnessed before. People ask about the kiosk independent of the bands that participate. The kiosk is its own attraction."
The wall-mounted kiosk features a touch screen that provides concertgoers with multiple ways to access the show they just saw. For just $10, an entire night's performance can be downloaded in about 30 seconds to a USB 2.0 pen drive by swiping a credit card. Kiosk-users enter their e-mail address to have a receipt sent to them. Concertgoers can either use their own USB 2.0 pen drive or purchase one at the kiosk for a cost of $20. Also offered through eMusicLive's kiosk is the opportunity to download 50 free MP3s from eMusic. Fans need only enter their e-mail address to have the concert they just attended sent to them for free download when initiating a trial subscription on eMusic. — Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen
