And more downloading news. Download backend provider 7 Digital have announced details of a new download platform which will be offering access to some of the best Japanese music.
The aim of the new venture - called donburitunes.com - is to give Japan's always eclectic music world a new and cost effective way of reaching a Western audience - the high costs of physically distributing in the US and Europe one of the key reasons why many Japanese artists who are huge at home have never been able to build a fan-base over here. Fans of Japanese music who in the past have had to pay for expensive import only albums will now be able to access that music at 77 pence per track.
7 Digital's Ben Drury told CMU: "Donburi literally means a rice bowl topped with food. We wanted to offer an easy way to consume a mix of tunes and encourage music lovers outside of Japan to try out Japanese music. donburitunes.com is a great example of the potential of the web and digital music to transcend the restrictions of selling music in physical format - allowing music to easily reach a global audience."
The service will be provided in conjunction with RightsScale, a Japanese digital distributor. Rightscale's Mamoru Fukumitsu told us: "We promote Japanese music throughout the world and chose 7 Digital as our partner in the UK because of the fantastic support it offers to independent labels and artists. Digital downloads offer immediate, easy and affordable access to music from anywhere in the world - putting into action the promise offered by the web of a 'global village'."