Digital music platform eMusic has today re-launched a subscription based music download store, which is a brave move, considering recent industry stats.
eMusic first arrived as one of the first online digital music shops in 1998 and was acquired by Israeli media start-up TriPlay in 2015.
The company has spent the past few years rebuilding the platform from the ground up.
Backed by TriPlay’s proprietary cloud technology, eMusic offers a catalogue of over 32 million tracks and claims to be one of the most “comprehensive digital music services in the world,” comparable to Apple iTunes, Google Play and Amazon.
However, a quick search for some of the top major-label signed music artists returns no results—there’s more luck with independent releases and a press release suggests the catalogue focuses on indie, classical and jazz.
Music is offered in a DRM-free file format and tracks can be previewed for 30-90 seconds via a streaming function.
It offers four price plans: 42 tracks for £17.99 per month, 28 for £12.99 a month and 14 for £6.99 a month.
For £4.99 a month, users can buy the music they want at member prices (typically 55% less than iTunes).
All tiers offer the option to have up to ten connected devices and users have access to free unlimited storage in the cloud.
Tamir Koch, CEO of TriPlay said: “TriPlay’s cloud platform and application development expertise enabled eMusic to evolve from a beloved, discount music outlet to a true value-add digital music service with features and applications focused on super-serving the serious music collector.
“The music collector market remains strong and we now offer a holistic music service with multiple value propositions that benefit the user as well as the artist.”
tamir koch, triplay
“The music collector market remains strong and we now offer a holistic music service with multiple value propositions that benefit the user as well as the artist, with a business model that ensures artists receive fair pay for their hard work and creativity, while enabling the company to be profitable.”
Downloads were down 20.5% worldwide last year as streaming became the dominant form of digital revenue with a share of 59%, according to IFPI stats.
In Q2, Warner Music saw a 17.4% fall in download revenues, which dropped $21m year-on-year to $100m – exactly one third of the size of streaming’s cash haul.
Music Business Worldwide
