LONDON, UK (PLMSP) - PLAYLOUDER MSP (PLMSP), the world's first and only music ISP unveils details of its groundbreaking UK licence deal with SONY BMG, the first major to license its catalogue to PLMSP signalling a landmark in the development of the UK digital music market. The deal sees a major label embrace a new business model, which brings licensed file sharing to UK consumers for the first time. The deal is also a clear indication of Sony BMG's progressive position within the constantly evolving digital music world and shows that the major is at the forefront in identifying and supporting compelling new business models in the digital music market.
PLAYLOUDER MSP (PLMSP) subscribers purchase their broadband access directly from PLMSP for an all-in fee of �26.99 per month (the same price as BT's service). As well as receiving all the standard facilities and services (such as fast internet access and email), PLMSP customers are also able to enjoy unlimited legal downloading of music and can freely share licensed music with other PLMSP subscribers using P2P file-sharing for no extra cost. PLMSP's unique position as the world's only licensed music ISP allows it to control the flow of music files over its network ensuring that all file-sharing traffic stays within its 'walled-garden'. By controlling the network on which the music flows, PLMSP is able to effectively and accurately track and monitor the distribution of digital music through a sophisticated method of audio fingerprinting and return the appropriate share of revenues back to the rights owners.
"What I like about PLMSP's service is that it retains the sense of community and spontaneity which makes P2P and super distribution so attractive to consumers, whilst ensuring that this activity takes place within a framework in which the music can be tracked and rights owners get paid" commented Clive Rich, SVP Futures Division at SONY BMG.
PLMSP is the only ISP network in the world optimised for music downloading. File sharing is faster and more reliable for PLMSP subscribers who are also protected from "spoofs" and viruses which plague uncontrolled and unlicensed file-sharing on other ISP networks. PLMSP also ensures that all of the music it has licensed is always available in high quality encoded formats for its subscribers to download. PLMSP continues to work in partnership with music rights holders to improve and enhance the effectiveness of the service to deliver licensed music to its subscribers.
So how does the deal work? PLMSP has agreed to pay music rights owners a proportion of broadband subscription revenues paid by subscribers, subject to an agreed minimum per subscriber per month. Artists included in the licence deal include Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, George Michael, Jamiroquai, Macy Gray, Manic Street Preachers, Oasis, The Clash, Travis, Jennifer Lopez, Elvis Presley, Pink, Will Young, Outkast, Alicia Keys and Dido.
The deal also coincides with the renewal of PLMSP's MCPS-PRS licence, which grants PLMSP the right to include songs owned by virtually every UK music publisher and songwriter within its service. The renewal was backed by support from MCPS-PRS CEO, Adam Singer, who commented "The best way to make legitimate music flourish on line is to give the public what they want, with the flexibility of use they demand and charge them for it. "PlayLouder MSP is one of the forces that is doing this and this deal with Sony BMG can only help music grow in an online world."
PLMSP already has licences from most of the leading indie record labels via a deal agreed with the Association of Independent Music (AIM) in November 2004. Alison Wenham, Chief Executive of AIM, commented: "PlayLouder MSP is a simple but radically different solution to the means of accessing music on the Internet. I think it's brilliant and when it is launched I will be the first person to sign up for it".
The landmark deal with Sony BMG has also been welcomed by BPI Chairman Peter Jamieson, who said: "Ensuring record companies are adequately and reliably recompensed for the use of their copyrights on the internet is the number one issue for our business. The BPI welcomes the innovative thinking which has gone into the creation of PlayLouder MSP and we give it our full support."
The PLMSP solution moves digital distribution of music and other media into a new era with consumers empowered and licensed to use digital technologies to access as much music as they wish, wherever and however they wish, with rights owners compensated by a pool of money divided fairly between them according to usage. This is a solution that has been called for and promoted by virtually all digital media visionaries across the world, such as Jim Griffin, Bob Lefsetz and Michael Robertson.
"PLMSP brings more music and more freedom to consumers and could well be the most important development in digital distribution since the invention of the MP3 format" enthused PlayLouder MSP's CEO Paul Hitchman.
