Universal Music is the latest major record company to sign up to Peter Gabriel’s UK based digital music service OD2. They join BMG, Warners and EMI who have already joined the service, as well as numerous independent labels who struck up a deal with OD2 via the Association of Independent Music. The addition of Universal makes them the biggest source of legal music on the internet. It remains to be seen if Sony will now follow to give the service the full sweep of major labels – Universal and Sony are behind OD2’s main competitor, the US based Pressplay, which has everyone bar Warners signed up.
OD2, who were behind the recent Digital Download Day, requires fans to pay a monthly subscription to listen to songs on their computers or copy them to blank CDs. The service is accessed via partner websites such as those of HMV or Microsoft.