EMI DOWNLOADS EUROPEAN PLAN

The company announced plans today for the biggest European music download initiative to date, making available for sales online more than 140k tracks from over 3,000 artists.

The new program, or programme as it’s referred to on the Continent, will enable consumers to burn music, copy tracks to portable devices and purchase singles online as soon as songs are serviced to radio in advance of their commercial CD release.

Now we’re talking.

More than 20 music retail websites in six different European countries, including France, Germany, Spain, the U.K., Italy and Netherlands, will gear up and go live at varying times over the coming weeks. All retailers are using the OD2 platform.

Among the current artists whose music will be offered are Coldplay, Dandy Warhols, Doves, Ben Harper, Janet Jackson, Norah Jones, Lenny Kravitz, Kylie Minogue, N.E.R.D., The Vines and Robbie Williams. Catalog will be available from the Beach Boys, Blondie, David Bowie, Nat King Cole, Deep Purple, Duran Duran, Dean Martin, Pink Floyd, Cliff Richard and Frank Sinatra. No Beatles or Radiohead… yet, but, of course, they’re available on KaZAa…for now.

EMI Recorded Music UK and Ireland Chairman/CEO Tony Wadsworth called the announcement "a significant initiative because it brings many new features to the online offering. EMI has a vast digital catalog and is now providing consumers with the music they want in a way that is faster, safer and more adaptable than is currently available on any of the current services—and it’s legal. Just like my trusty iPOD…"