Calling all you Irish Kazaa users out there - the old "well, there's nowhere else to download from" excuse is about to wear thin. Irish internet service provider Eircom have announced plans to launch Ireland's first online music store.
The new digital platform will be run by London based OD2, who are the company behind most of the key download services already operating in the UK, including Mycokemusic.com. The Eircom service will launch with 250,000 tracks from some 8,500 artists. New tracks will be added on a regular basis, with hopes to have some music available online up to six weeks before retail release.
Announcing the service, Eircom MD Fintan Lawler told reporters yesterday: "We are delighted to add the music club to our suite of content at eircom.net. This new development now makes broadband a must for all music lovers allowing them download their favourite songs from a collection of 250,000 in a minute, up to 10 times faster than a traditional dial up connection."
Eircom will be keen to make the most of their first-to-market status in Ireland. The big players in the download space - Apple, Napster and Sony - are all expected to launch their European services in the next few months.