Digital music distribution people The Orchard have announced a new deal with a Russian download company called Yanga which will make music from numerous Western independent record labels legitimately available for download in the Russian Federation. The Orchard say that through the deal Yanga are the first digital music company operating in Russia to have legitimately licenced a catalogue of music from Western labels.
Confirming the deal, The Orchard top man Greg Scholl told CMU: "Our partnership with Yanga expands our business in a region where we've made strong inroads over the past year, first by opening an office in Moscow, and then by making important licensing deals with many of the leading Russian labels. On another level, this alliance is a major step toward establishing a framework for legitimate digital commerce in Russia. We are committed to the Russian music market, and we look forward to helping Yanga launch its digital music store and play a pioneering role in the Russian industry."
Alexander Kouznetsov, General Manager of Yanga, added: "As we prepare to launch Yanga, we are thrilled to have access to one of the world's richest catalogues of independent music. Our customers will appreciate the depth and diversity that The Orchard offers, and this will help establish Yanga as a destination for the widest possible variety of users. It is a first step in our collective efforts to shape the future of the digital music industry in Russia."
The Russian download space has, of course, not been without controversy in recent times with the likes of AllofMP3.com offering major label music at incredibly cheap prices to both a domestic and international consumer base despite the opposition of the International Federation Of The Phonographic Industry. AllofMP3.com claim they are operating within Russian copyright laws and that they make payments to local royalty bodies - but Western music industry companies are not so convinced while US politicians, in particular, have been putting pressure on Russian authorities to tighten up copyright controls. Presumably legit Russian download ventures like Yanga will offer some hope to the record companies regarding the future of the Russia's digital music market - though presumably Yanga will rely on the authorities to act against the 'so cheap it's almost free' operators like AllofMP3 in order to succeed.