Sony Connect Inaugurates the Domestic Launch of Its Online Music Store With a
Live In-Flight Concert on United Airlines Featuring a Performance by Grammy(R)
Award-Winning Recording Artist Sheryl Crow
CHICAGO, May 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Connect Inc. today formally announced
the domestic launch of its new Connect(TM) online music store
(http://www.connect.com), offering consumers an easy-to-use, affordable and secure
means of purchasing music online for download to a wide variety of Sony(R)
portable electronic devices. The announcement was made from United Airlines'
Red Carpet Club at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport prior to the
carrier's first-ever Chicago-to-Los Angeles in-flight concert. The concert
features Grammy(R) Award-winning recording artist Sheryl Crow, who will
perform at 35,000 feet in front of an audience of select fans and VIPs. Today
also marked the launch of Mileageplusmusic.com, a partnership between Sony
Connect and United Airline's popular Mileage Plus(R) frequent flyer program.
Mileageplusmusic.com gives the more than 44 million Mileage Plus members the
opportunity to earn and redeem miles for online music.
"We are very excited about the launch of Connect," said Robert S.
Wiesenthal, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Sony
Corporation of America. "Sony Connect provides consumers with an easy-to-use
store that is integrated with a wide range of devices, while meeting the
requirements from the music industry for secure distribution of digital
content."
"Giving music fans the opportunity to connect with the widest range of
artists is what our store is all about," said Jay Samit, General Manager of
Sony Connect Inc. "Discovering new and exciting music is at the heart of the
Connect experience. Additionally, consumers will benefit from the flexibility
that only Sony can offer, with access to the largest selection of portable
audio players on the market, priced to fit anyone's music lifestyle."
Connect.com has licensed more than 500,000 tracks from all major and many
independent music labels, as well as exclusive content from such artists as
Avril Lavigne, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Snow Patrol, and Toby Lightman. The store
will not employ a subscription model; rather, it will offer content ala
carte-style, with singles starting at 99 cents, and entire albums starting at
$9.99. Users may play the Connect downloads an unlimited number of times on
up to three personal computers that are registered with the Connect store,
including the personal computer on which the Connect Downloads are originally
downloaded. In general, users may then transfer the licensed Connect Downloads
an unlimited number of times onto portable music devices and media that are
compatible with the store. In addition, users may "burn" up to ten CDs (five
in ATRAC format and five in Redbook format). Connect users can define their
own genre home page to customize their shopping experience, and Connect is the
only store with album pages for every artist.
Today's event also celebrates the launch of Hi-MD(TM) Walkman(R) digital
music players. Hi-MD Walkman players are compatible with the Sony Connect
online music store and use Hi-MD removable media, providing music lovers with
massive storage capacity to build an infinite library of their favorite songs.
In the U.S. alone, Sony has sold more than two and a half million
Walkman-branded devices that are already compatible with the Connect store.
By the end of the year, that number will increase to over seven million. In
addition to Hi-MD, other compatible devices include Net MD(TM) Walkman(R)
recorders, ATRAC(R) CD Walkman players, and Network Walkman(TM) players. With
devices ranging from $60-$400, Sony meets the needs of a broad range of
customers and applications for digital online music.
The store will feature ATRAC3(TM) audio compression that effectively
reduces the size of audio files while delivering superb sound quality. With
ATRAC3 compression, music can be recorded and compressed to 132kbps (kilobits
per second), allowing consumers to store more high fidelity audio on CD
recordable, MD, Hi-MD(TM) or Memory Stick(R) media.
In the coming months, consumers will be treated to a steady stream of
upgrades. Sony Connect plans to roll out newer versions of the software,
providing users with more features and flexibility, and compatibility with
devices from other manufacturers.
About Sony Connect Inc.
Sony Connect Inc., based in Santa Monica, California, is a subsidiary of
Sony Corporation of America. Sony Connect currently offers consumers more
than 500,000 music tracks from major label and independent artists, as well as
the ability to enjoy that content on a wide range of digital music devices
that are priced to suit any lifestyle.
SOURCE Sony Connect Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.sony.com
http://www.connect.com http://Mileageplusmusic.com
CONTACT:
Mack Araki, +1-212-833-6821,
mack_araki@sonyusa.com, or Lisa Gephardt, +1-212-833-6826,
lisa_gephardt@sonyusa.com, both for Sony Connect Inc.
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