Warner Music and SonyBMG are both involved in a new venture called Digital Access which is aiming to develop the online and mobile music markets in the former Soviet Union. The Moscow based venture, which also involves groups like Access Industries, Soyuz and Nikitin Records, hopes to build a number of legitimate web and mobile based music and download services in Russia and the eleven former Soviet Union countries that make up the Commonwealth of Independent States. Presumably they hope to provide an alternative to the main illegal sources of music that have emerged in those countries, including services like the infamous allofmp3.com, which claims to be legal but which have been widely criticised by the music industry for operating without proper licences.
Commenting on the new venture, Lincoln Benet of Access Industries told reporters this week: "We look forward to accelerating the digital revolution in Russia and CIS with our music partners, providing the wholesale platform of choice for mobile and digital providers".
Explaining their support for the venture, Warner Music International chairman Patrick Vein added: "This is a strategic investment that we believe will play a pivotal role in unlocking the potential of the dynamic Russian music market. By bringing together first-class global and local content, we are creating a one-stop shop for those DSPs and mobile operators who value excellence, and ease of interface".