Universal Music Launches Value Campaign, Reduces Download Prices On 1,500 Albums

(Universal Music Group International) -- Universal Music, the world's leading music company, is launching an aggressive European strategy to reduce permanently the digital download prices of 1,500 back catalogue albums. Beginning on November 1, the campaign will offer consumers the best online value for some of music's most popular, influential artists.

At the centre of this digital download value drive - a music industry first in terms of scale - are albums by artists ranging from Buddy Holly (The Chirping Crickets), Dusty Springfield (Dusty In Memphis) and the Who (The Who Sell Out, Quadrophenia,) to Bob Marley and the Wailers (Natty Dread, Rastaman Vibration), R.E.M. (Reckoning) and the Cure (17 Seconds).

Universal Music Group International will drive the campaign across Europe through a reduction in the trade price of the 1,500 albums. This will enable online music services to lower the retail prices to their customers. The campaign, open to all Universal Music's digital business partners, will roll out during the next 12 months.

Albums by ABBA, the Allman Brothers, Mary J. Blige, Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, Counting Crows, Sheryl Crow, Free, Nelly Furtado, Jimi Hendrix, Kiss, the Moody Blues, Nine Inch Nails, Sonic Youth, Rod Stewart, Supertramp, Traffic, T-Rex, Thin Lizzy and Stevie Wonder are also central to the value campaign.

"As the leading online record company, we are totally committed to expanding and developing the digital music market," said Max Hole, Executive Vice President, Marketing & A&R, at Universal Music Group International. The promise of the Internet has always been about making it easier for people to access music in new ways and at affordable prices, and that's what we are aiming to achieve."

The exact campaign rollout by country is determined by the individual online music services, in conjunction with their own marketing, branding and promotion strategies.