Deutsche Grammophon Introduces the Global Site for Downloading Classical Music, the DG Web Shop

Deutsche Grammophon Introduces the Global Site for Downloading Classical Music, the DG Web Shop

November 27, 2007

    HAMBURG, Germany, Nov. 27 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
Deutsche Grammophon (DG), a division of Universal Music
Group, the world's leading music company, will become the
first major classical record label to make the majority of
its huge catalogue available online for download with the
launch of its new DG Web Shop ( http://www.dgwebshop.com
).

    As the world's leading classical music recording
company, Deutsche Grammophon will launch its DG Web Shop on
28 November, enabling consumers in 42 countries to download
music at the highest technical and artistic standards. This
global penetration includes markets where the major
e-business retailers, such as iTunes, are not yet
available: Southeast Asia including China, India, Latin
America, South Africa, and Central and Eastern Europe
including Russia. 

    Michael Lang, President of Deutsche Grammophon, stated:
"Our company was founded over 110 years ago, and since
then, it has stood for innovation and quality.  During the
development of our new web shop, we remained true to these
principles as we continue to expand the digital music
marketplace with our range of download services."

    Almost 2,400 DG albums will be available for download
in maximum MP3 quality at a transfer bit-rate of 320
kilobits per second (kbps) -- an audio-level that experts
agree is indistinguishable from CD quality audio; and which
exceeds the usual industry download-standard of 128-192 kbps
(as well as EMI's 256 kbps on iTunes). 

    Through the launch of this new portal, drawing on the
existing strength of its 250,000 unique web site visitors
per month, the company once again shows that tradition and
technical progress can be combined, and that new
distribution channels can be created to appeal to a wider
range of music consumers.

    Among the highlights of the DG Web Shop are almost 600
album titles which are no longer available as CDs -- these
have been specially converted into MP3 files for the DG Web
Shop, making them available as downloads -- with more
out-of-print titles to follow.  The goal is to digitize all
the great Deutsche Grammophon recordings to be accessible
for download -- a treasure of music history, always
available.

    Visitors to the web shop have the choice of buying
entire albums, collections of albums and box-sets -- or
individual movements, complete works, and individual
pieces.  In contrast to many other digital download
services all tracks are available for sale regardless of
length.  
  
    To design and operate the DG Web Shop, Deutsche
Grammophon has partnered with DDD (Germany) and Fresh
Digital Inc. (UK).  The DG Web Shop will begin by accepting
purchases both in US dollars and euros, depending on the
residence of the customer.  Prices are competitive with
current e-business pricing. For example, individual titles
with a playing time of up to seven minutes will be priced
as low as USD/EUR1.29; while regular-length albums --
with/without "e-booklets" (ie, cover-art,
photographs, and liner notes) -- will sell for between
USD/EUR 10.99 and USD/EUR11.99. 

    All titles will be offered as 320 kbps MP3s without
Digital Rights Management (DRM), as part of Universal Music
Group's ongoing market trials of DRM-free downloads,
announced earlier this year.  This means that DG Web Shop
downloads will be compatible with all portable music
players including iPods and Walkmans; and, of course,
burnable to CD.

    Michael Lang emphasized, "By launching this
easy-to-use, intuitive DG Web Shop, we are not only
expecting a significant growth in turnover but are also
aiming to solidify and expand the digital future.  In
concrete terms, this means establishing innovative sales
channels and concepts:  by attracting the classical novice
and, of course, those already steeped in the genre -- and
everyone in-between -- as they transfer from being only CD
buyers to exploring the advantages of downloading, in
CD-comparable audio.  This web shop's easy-to-use search
function helps all music enthusiasts find and select music
by categories such as genre, composer, artist, as well as
filter by awards, reviews and series."

    Music fans without downloading experience will have
easy access to the world of the DG Web Shop.  "We're
offering music consumers a user-friendly 3-click process --
the easiest way to load our music on their computer and MP3
player," explained Daniel Goodwin, head of Deutsche
Grammophon's Marketing & Media department.  "The
shop is part of Deutsche Grammophon's ever-popular, newly
redesigned web-site, containing news, e-booklets, promotion
videos, tour dates, and more, as well as detailed
information on the composer's works, recordings, and
artists on Deutsche Grammophon.  It now makes our web shop
also a well-rounded music boutique". 

    As Christopher Roberts, President, Classics & Jazz,
Universal Music Group International, summarizes, "The
DG Web Shop will play a defining role in the digital
marketplace -- superior audio, easy-to-use and compatible
with all players.  Now the greatest classical music
recordings are available world-wide."

    Industry insiders expect strong growth rates for
downloading classical music during the coming years.  Price
Waterhouse Coopers, for example, in its study Global
Entertainment and Media Outlook 2006-2010 forecast that
digital turnover will triple between 2007 and 2010.

    About Deutsche Grammophon
    Deutsche Grammophon was founded in Hanover, Germany in
1898 by Emil Berliner and his brothers.  After WW I the
company grew into the most important German record company.
 Renowned, international classical artists on Deutsche
Grammophon helped the company to achieve worldwide market
leadership for classical recordings in the 20th century --
and today it is regarded as the premium brand in the
classical world, winning this year's Gramophone magazine
"Label of the Year" award.  Now based in Hamburg,
it's the largest dedicated classical music recording company
today. 

    Further information is available at
http://www.deutschegrammophon.com .

    For more information, please contact:

     Cecily Chen
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]