Radio company UBC Media has said it is now ready to launch that previously reported service which will offer digital music downloads to listeners of digital radio broadcasts. From early 2007 consumers listening to participating stations will be able to download tracks they are listening to on the radio at the touch of a button directly from their radio set. Tracks will then be downloaded to their radio set, mobile phone and an internet account.
UBC reckon their Digital Music Downloading service will open up music downloading to a whole new and more mainstream audience who may be cautious of using conventional online or even mobile download platforms. It will also more directly link radio broadcasts and the tangible sale of music. Songs will reportedly sell for around 1.25 euro, which will be pretty competitive with other download services.
The launch of the DMD system follows a test on the Chrysalis owned Heart 100.7 radio station in Birmingham. UBC have reached deals with a number of radio, music and mobile companies to make the venture happen, including Virgin Mobile, Universal Music Group, Warner Music, EMI and mechanical royalties society MCPS. UK radio stations expected to offer the service at launch include Chrysalis owned Heart, EMAP owned Smash Hits and The Hits, Guardian Media Group owned Smooth and Classic Gold Digital, which UBC themselves co-own with GCap, with plans in place to roll out the platform across Europe.
Commenting on the launch, UBC boss Simon Cole told reporters: "We are now in a position where the pieces of the DMD jigsaw are in place. We know there is a demand for DMD, our trial this summer demonstrated this, the logistics of delivery are almost finalized, and I am delighted that we have now got every key player in the radio and music industry on board to ensure the successful launch of the service next year. This is digital radio's killer application".
The media company made the announcement about the launch of its download service alongside the publication of their latest financials. Those weren't so great, with turnover down £350,000 to £9.1 million, and the bottom line down from a £132,000 profit this time last year to a £415,000 loss this year. Cole said the financial difficulties were down to a period of "structural change", adding that his company were developing new revenue models for the radio industry of the future (the download platform presumably one of those models), and that those models would in turn ensure UBC's financial success.