LONDON (Hypebot) –
European download provider 7 Digital has announced a rare pan-European licensing with the Warner Music Group to sell mp3's throughout the region.
Beginning this month, 7digital stores in France, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy and Portugal will join those in UK, Ireland, Spain, Austria and Germany that already sell mp3's from Warner Music. These eleven stores will be followed by further rollout from 7digital in additional countries across Europe. The partnership includes 7digital’s partner network which includes Spotify, Last.fm, AOL’s WinAmp and the open-source Songbird player.
From the press release:
Ben Drury, CEO 7digital explains, “The completion of this deal gives us the broadest European reach of any MP3 download store. We have seen a dramatic rise in digital album sales since switching to a 100% MP3 catalogue in the UK last September and this is a natural progression to that trend. As well as providing music fans access to high quality MP3 downloads, the deal provides our partners with the capacity to target a wider consumer audience across Europe."
Drury continues, “Using our API, services like Spotify will be able to make one-click downloads a reality, meaning users will only be one step away from owning an MP3 of their favorite track. Multiple click purchasing is a big barrier for consumers, and this is the kind of issue we’re aiming to overcome to drive MP3 sales in Europe.”
Eric Daugan, Senior Vice President, Digital Business, Warner Music Europe, said ”Music fans are now enjoying a whole spectrum of ways to engage with artists online but often they still want to own the music they discover and love as well as play it on their portable device. We’re pleased to be working with 7digital to further expand access to high quality, interoperable music downloads in Europe as well as through 7digital’s network of partners such as Spotify create versatile fan experiences where consumers can quickly and easily collect immersive products from our world-class roster of established and up-and-coming artists.”
