In preview with EMI as the label for the last few months, the MusicGiants Network officially launched today. It’s for people who can tell the difference between MP3s and CD-quality — and are willing to pay for better sound. The MusicGiants Network promises CD quality via the Windows Media Audio Lossless format; boasting up to seven times the sound quality of other commercial services. Most download services provide music at data rates of 128 to 192 kbps while MusicGiants’ music is up to 1100 kbps. Chart.) EMI, SonyBMG, Universal and Warner are on board, presumably happier because the standard price is $1.29 and not $0.99 or less. The average album price is $15.29. They’re also working with smaller companies including indies.
The subscription model is interesting: subscribers pay a $50 annual fee and get an immediate credit in their download account of $50. (Use is limited to PCs running Windows XP or devices that support Windows Media Audio Lossless and Windows Media DRM.) MusicGiants also offers its own home entertainment player: the SoundVault, a tres high-end stero component pre-loaded with Windows XP and the MusicGiants Network software, and capable of storing about 10,000 high-quality downloads. The service and the SoundVault are being marketed through high-end electronics retailers, custom audio/video installers and online.
Michael Bolton and Paul Williams are endorsing the service as is Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Doug Clifford, who says via press release: “You probably think I am getting paid to say this, but in fact it is the other way around. MusicGiants sounds so good I invested in the company.” Press release.
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