(CelebrityAccess News Service) — Music Choice and Napster, have formed a partnership to provide an integrated offer allowing consumers the ability to immediately download or buy tracks playing on the new Music Choice Broadband music service, scheduled for launch in early 2004. Music Choice Broadband will offer 40 broadband music "channels" to cable operators, who will provide the service to their cable modem customers at no additional cost. The music will be delivered via satellite in multicast format, as opposed to the Internet, for a higher quality listening experience.
When one of the over 500,000 songs available in Napster's library plays on any of the 40 Music Choice Broadband channels, a 'download now' button will be displayed on the Music Choice streaming music player. Listeners can choose to either buy the track or the album on which the track appears or subscribe to Napster and enjoy unlimited listening to Napster's growing catalog of over 500,000 songs. Listeners of the new Music Choice Broadband service will have direct access to Napster, where they can search the largest online catalog available, listen to 30-second music clips, watch music videos, access Billboard chart information and community features and send music to friends at no charge.
"Napster's on demand service for streaming and downloading is a natural fit with Music Choice's new broadband streaming service," said Mike Bebel, president and COO of Napster. "This partnership gives consumers a quick and easy way to take Music Choice's premier service to the next level and obtain the music they want in the most desirable way."
"This partnership makes it incredibly easy for broadband consumers to listen to high-quality music from a leading broadcast music service, and, when they hear something they like, immediately download or buy it from a leading digital music service," stated David J. Del Beccaro, President and CEO of Music Choice. "Unlike competing Internet music services, Music Choice brings together the unique combination of 40 channels of non-stop music with the option of buying or discovering music through Napster." –Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen
