NEW YORK (www.theorchard.com) - The Orchard, the world's leading distributor and marketer of independent music, today announced a landmark distribution deal with legendary SST Records. SST, which was founded by
Black Flag guitarist, Greg Ginn, has been at the forefront of independent hardcore punk and alternative rock for more than two decades. Until now, its catalogue has never been available legally for sale digitally. For two weeks - beginning today - tracks from 94 of SST's top albums will be made available exclusively on eMusic, the world's leading digital retailer of independent music. eMusic will feature two weeks of special and extensive promotions, highlighting the SST catalogue over the course of this program.
Beginning January 24th, The Orchard will then release the highly anticipated catalogue to other major music services globally, including iTunes, Napster, MSN, MusicMatch, Real/Rhapsody, and Yahoo! In addition, The Orchard will supply the catalogue through its distribution partnerships with the leading mobile companies around the world, the largest mobile network of any distributor, spanning over 200 global services Sprint, Vodafone, Zingy, 9 Squared, Securycast, Arvato Mobile and Hudson Soft.
By assembling an impressive catalogue of independent artists from early hardcore punk acts like Black Flag, the Minutemen, Descendents and Saccharine Trust, to alternative rock luminaries like Soundgarden, SST brings a wealth of well-regarded artists to The Orchard. Other notable bands on the SST roster include: All, Bad Brains, Bias, Confront James, El Bad, fIREHOSE, Get Me High, Gone, HOR, H. R., The Killer Tweeker Bees, Mojack, Saint Vitus and Screw Radio. By entrusting its pioneering catalogue to The Orchard, SST joins the best independent labels in the world who rely on The Orchard as their valued distribution and marketing partner.
Securing prime positioning in a digital music store leads to exponentially increased sales of a product - just as with bricks-and-mortar retail. The Orchard has firmly established itself as the pioneering expert in digital music marketing, merchandising and promotion, and is rivaled only by the marketing departments at major labels. The Orchard leverages its marketing expertise on behalf of the thousands of independent labels and artists and labels - spanning 73 countries and all music genres -- that it represents to more than 125 digital music stores and to over 200 mobile phone carriers globally. With more people working on marketing and promotion than any company outside of the major labels, and the most sophisticated merchandising systems in the industry, The Orchard has invested in a clear leadership position with respect to digital marketing.
"SST entrusting The Orchard with arguably the most important and influential independent label that has yet to make a digital move -- and one of the most pioneering labels in American music -- affirms the strength of our platform and the depth our marketing capabilities," said Greg Scholl, chief executive of The Orchard and managing director of Dimensional Associates, the company that owns The Orchard, eMusic and Dimensional Music Publishing. Scholl added, "eMusic is the perfect place to introduce this legendary catalogue digitally, because eMusic subscribers are rabid music fans and appreciate what SST means to independent music."
"More than any other company in music, The Orchard understands its markets and where aficionados buy their digital music," said David Pakman, CEO of eMusic and a managing director of Dimensional Associates. "We're delighted to have SST first. It adds immeasurably to the diversity of our catalogue, which is the richest catalogue of music outside the mainstream that's ever been assembled."
