UBC To Launch Digital Radio Music Download Service In Q1 '07

DMD From UBC

U.K.-based UBC MEDIA will go live with a commercial digital music download service in LONDON in the first quarter of 2007, with a full national launch that MAY. The company has reached agreements with major U.K. radio groups, as well as with UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP, WARNER MUSIC and EMI; terms are being finalized with VIRGIN MOBILE to serve as customer-service and billing partner.

Digital Music Downloading (DMD) technology, first unveiled by UBC last year, allows real-time downloads of tracks from radio stations as the listener hears them.  Music files are delivered both to digital receivers and to the user’s home Internet account. UBC in AUGUST announced the successful completion of consumer trials in BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND with CHRYSALIS RADIO-owned HEART 100.7.

This is digital radioâ??s killer application.

Radio stations taking part in the launch so far include HEART and and one other music service yet to be determined from CHRYSALIS, SMASH HITS and THE HITS from EMAP, SMOOTH from GUARDIAN MEDIA GROUP;,and CLASSIC GOLD DIGITAL, which UBC jointly owns with GCAP.

"We are now in a position where the pieces of the DMD jigsaw are in place," UBC CEO SIMON COLE said. "We know there is a demand for DMD -- our trial this summer demonstrated this -- the logistics of delivery are almost finalized, and I am delighted that we have now got every key player in the radio and music industry on board to ensure the successful launch of the service next year. This is digital radio’s killer application."

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