Gateway and pressplay are giving consumers a better way to experience digital music.
The Gateway Music Vault by pressplay breaks new ground by giving consumers the
opportunity to buy a PC that's pre-loaded with up to 2,000 hit songs from the most
popular music genres — an instant, comprehensive library that can be enjoyed online or
offline upon signing up for the service. And consumers have the option of broadening
their personal music collection by joining the service and easily streaming, downloading
or making portable copies of more than 200,000 songs from the world's top artists.
Starting December 7, all Gateway consumer desktop PCs will be pre-loaded and
shipped with the Gateway Music Vault by pressplay application. Consumers can
purchase a Mega Pack or Genre Pack of pre-loaded songs as an upgrade to a new
Gateway desktop PC, or as an add-on item to a PC they already own.
"Gateway has emerged as a key supporter of consumers' right to enjoy digital music
legally," said Ted Waitt, Gateway chairman and CEO. "The Gateway Music Vault by
pressplay is a great example of the technology and recording industries working
together to drive innovation and ultimately serve consumer demand for legitimate digital
music. And we're now making it possible for people without a broadband Internet
connection to get in on the fun of digital music by delivering it to them in a whole new
way. People who do have broadband will enjoy the Gateway Music Vault by pressplay
even more."
"We're excited to bring Gateway users a new way to experience digital music through
pressplay," said Michael Bebel, president and chief executive officer of pressplay. "By
pre-loading thousands of hit songs onto Gateway PCs, we are able to offer music fans
immediate access to an entire collection of great music. This partnership breaks new
ground for the music fans and marks the expansion of the traditional delivery of the
pressplay service."
The Gateway Music Vault by pressplay gives music fans access to a growing catalog of
200,000 songs — including rock, pop, jazz, hip-hop, alternative, R&B and country — that
can be enjoyed while online or offline, streamed, downloaded, burned to CDs,
transferred to portable devices, or kept on the PC. Users will discover new music and
old favorites through features including more than 30 pre-programmed music stations on
Radio pressplay, exclusive tracks, recommendations and community features.
Consumers can purchase Gateway Music Vault by pressplay in three basic ways:
— Mega Pack – Music fans receive a 90-day free subscription to the
service(1), which includes 2,000 hit songs pre-loaded and available
instantly for unlimited streaming and downloading(2), as well as 20
free portable downloads. The Mega Pack is available through two
different options: pre-loaded on a Gateway PC, or sold separately as
part of a 40 GB hard drive package that costs $149.99;
— Genre Pack – Consumers receive a 30-day free subscription to the
service(1) including instant access to 150 pre-loaded hit songs(2) from
one of seven music genres of the consumer's choice, the ability to
easily stream, downloading or make portable copies of more than 200,000
songs from the world's top artists, and 10 free portable downloads that
can be burned to CDs, transferred to portable devices, and stored on
the PC. The Genre Pack is available through two different options:
pre-loaded on a Gateway PC or sold separately for $29.99.
— Basic Pack – From any new Gateway consumer PC, customers can easily
register for a three-day free trial of the service(1), which includes
unlimited streaming and downloading(2) of the entire pressplay music
catalog. The Basic Service Pack does not include any pre-loaded
content.
Following the free trials, consumers can continue the pressplay music service
with subscription pricing options starting from $9.95 per month. Members can also
purchase an unlimited number of portable download packs ranging from $5.95 for five
portable downloads, up to $18.95 for 20.
