7digital and Warner Music announce Pan-European MP3 deal

• 7digital now sells MP3s in the highest number of countries of any retailer in Europe
• Pan-European promotion through 7digital’s partner network aims to increase MP3 album sales across the continent.

London, UK, 3rd August 09 – Warner Music and 7digital.com, “the home of MP3”, today announced an extended partnership that will see high quality MP3 music downloads from Warner Music made available across Europe. Warner Music is the first major to sign a pan-European MP3 deal with 7digital and the retailer is now selling MP3s in a higher number of countries in Europe than any other service.

From this month, 7digital stores in France, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy and Portugal will join those in UK, Ireland, Spain, Austria and Germany that are already stocked with MP3 downloads from Warner Music’s roster of local and international artists.  These eleven stores will be followed by further rollout from 7digital in additional countries across Europe.

The partnership allows 7digital’s extensive partner network, which includes Spotify, Last.fm, AOL’s WinAmp and the open-source Songbird player, to further monetise their European audiences through MP3 download sales in an unprecedented number of European countries.

Ben Drury, CEO 7digital explains, “The completion of this deal gives us the broadest European reach of any MP3 download store. We have seen a dramatic rise in digital album sales since switching to a 100% MP3 catalogue in the UK last September and this is a natural progression to that trend. As well as providing music fans access to high quality MP3 downloads, the deal provides our partners with the capacity to target a wider consumer audience across Europe."

Drury continues, “Using our API, services like Spotify will be able to make one-click downloads a reality, meaning users will only be one step away from owning an MP3 of their favourite track. Multiple click purchasing is a big barrier for consumers, and this is the kind of issue we’re aiming to overcome to drive MP3 sales in Europe.”

Eric Daugan, Senior Vice President, Digital Business, Warner Music Europe, said ”Music fans are now enjoying a whole spectrum of ways to engage with artists online but often they still want to own the music they discover and love as well as play it on their portable device. We’re pleased to be working with 7digital to further expand access to high quality, interoperable music downloads in Europe as well as through 7digital’s network of partners such as Spotify create versatile fan experiences where consumers can quickly and easily collect immersive products from our world-class roster of established and up-and-coming artists.”