eMusic, the indie-focused, MP3-format-selling online music service touted its 100th million download mark today, roughly three years after the service launched. Of course, compared to the 1 billion tracks sold in about the same time by iTunes, you get the perspective on scale. EMusic, a unit of NYC-based Dimensional Associates, offers downloads through a subscription plan. The company said the service has more than 220,000 subscribers.
eMusic’s big differentiating factor is selling DRM-free MP3 files for the music, but that could change as other players like Yahoo Music and others experiment with MP3 formats. I have also heard some rumblings about the site/serving being for sale, though nothing concrete has emerged as of yet. Dimensional Associates, the parent, is the Rye, New York-based private equity arm of JDS Capital Management. Its portfolio companies include eMusic, The Orchard and eMusicLive (formerly Digital Club Network).
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eMusic’s 100 Million Downloads; Potential Sale?
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There is also the fact, beyond the lack of DRM, that the pricing in eMusic translates to about 25-35 cents per song, vs iTunes 99 cent pricing.