Hey, I'd almost forgotten about the Playlouder MSP thingy, but it's back in the news because EMI have just signed up and a launch is now expected in late April.
As I'm sure we mentioned eight years ago, Playlouder MSP is a venture set up by the people behind the Playlouder.com website, which will bundle a music and ISP service into one package. People who use Playlouder as their internet provider will also be able to legally access and share music from the service's affiliated labels - which is most of the indies, SonyBMG and, as of today, EMI. Labels whose music is made available via the service receive a cut of revenues based on how much their music is accessed or shared. The service is based on the philosophy that the future of recorded music online is unlimited but monitored access to anything and everything ever released, with consumers charged for access by their internet service provider, who will pay royalties back to the content owners.
With EMI now on board, a beta version of the long awaited MSP service will be launched in April this year, ahead of a full commercial launch in the summer. Although currently a separate entity to the existing Playlouder website, the ISP service and existing editorial platform are expected to be integrated later this year.
Commenting on the EMI deal, Playlouder MSP CEO Paul Hitchman told CMU: "Playlouder MSP is committed to working in partnership with the music industry to monetise the use of music on broadband networks and provide the ultimate consumer experience of online music".
EMI's digital chief Barney Wragg added: "EMI is happy to partner with the Playlouder MSP platform. The bundling of music subscription with broadband services offers a potentially lucrative and legally viable alternative to the current crop of illegal services. The bundling of the music subscription service with a standard broadband model makes for a unique combination that EMI hopes will help grow the subscription music market".