AUCKLAND, New Zealand,
December 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --
- rara.com streaming music service to launch across New Zealand
- Ad-free access to >10 million tracks from just $1.99 per month in New
Zealand
- HP to pre-load rara.com on HP PCs in New Zealand
- Grammy award winning Imogen Heap
named first Associate Editor of rara.com
- rara.com secures licensing from Universal Music Group, Sony
Music Entertainment, EMI Music, Warner Music Group
- rara.com now live in 17 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe and the USA
- rara.com expected to launch in 6 more countries across the
world this week
- rara.com releases consumer research showing 70% of consumers do
not "do" digital music today
rara.com, a revolutionary new digital music service designed
specifically for the mass market who still use CDs and want an
easier way to adopt digital music, launches across New Zealand today, less than 24 hours after
launching across the USA, UK,
Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain,
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, The
Netherlands, Norway,
Sweden, and Switzerland. Canada, Mexico and four other territories in the
Asia Pacific region are expected
to launch later this week.
To enable as many consumers as possible to experience the joys
of rara.com, consumers will be able to gain instant access to
rara.com and a catalogue of over 10 million tracks ad-free from
just $1.99, for the first three
months.
The new service will also be pre-loaded on the vast majority of
New Zealand HP PCs and also available on Android, iOS and other
platforms.
Imogen Heap, who will sit on the
new service's Music Advisory Board as an Associate Editor, said,
"I'm really excited to be an associate editor for rara.com. As an
artist in this transitional music business phase I believe that
rara.com is heading sharply in the right direction. I've travelled
the world this year and have realised that even if fans want to pay
for artists' work consuming it legally online can often be very
difficult. rara.com is a super easy service for everyone to use and
I love the information on tracks and artists that rara.com gives
you. This is just the beginning for rara.com and it's a great
start."
"Uniquely, you can experience access to all the music you want,
ad-free, for less than the price of a single track," said
Tim Hadley, rara.com Director.
"Whether you're into Gaga or Elgar, rara.com is a new kind of
streaming music service which makes accessing the music you love
online easier and more delightful than ever; type rara.com into
your web browser and you have a world of music at your fingertips."
The new service was developed following ICM Research*
commissioned by rara.com which shows at least 70% of consumers have
not bought a digital music track in the past six months, and that
60% have never experienced any form of digital music.
rara.com reaches this market by utilising a simple and beautiful
user interface, which removes the need to navigate or manage lists
of digital media files, through a standard web browser.
rara.com also features a wide selection of expertly curated
music channels to suit your every mood at the touch of a button
making playing music online with rara.com as easy as switching on
your radio or CD player.
rara.com users can also share music through Facebook and other
social networks.
rara.com has secured international licensing agreements with
Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, EMI Music and
Warner Music Group. Publishers and collection societies have
also licensed the service internationally with Omnifone creating a
catalogue of over 10 million tracks for rara.com users to
enjoy.
"rara.com has delivered a music service that taps into an
entirely new type of music consumer," said Rob Wells, President of Global Digital Business
for Universal Music Group. "Instead of competing with existing
digital music services, it's designed for the mass market of
consumers who have yet to do digital music at all."
"We are pleased to be partnering with rara.com on the
launch of their new music service," said Michael Paull, Executive Vice President, Global
Digital Business, Sony Music Entertainment. "Growing the audience
for digital music around the world requires services that resonate
with the mass market. rara.com has been designed with
broad consumer appeal in mind with a simple interface that provides
a great music experience and accessibility across a range of
devices."
"rara.com is a great new way for a whole new audience of fans to
find, listen to and share music online, building deeper connections
with the artists they love and discovering a world of new music as
well," said Mark Piibe, Executive
Vice President - Global Business Development at EMI Music.
"The intuitive and thoughtfully designed interface combined with
the curated channels makes rara.com a service that will be
accessible and appealing to a wide audience and, potentially, an
entry point for many people just starting the transition to digital
music." said Stephen Bryan,
Executive Vice President of Digital Strategy and Business
Development, Warner Music Group.
rara.com is powered by global cloud music service provider
Omnifone. "Omnifone is proud to be behind this global digital music
service," said Omnifone CEO Jeff
Hughes, "rara.com's unique service is a great example of how
a company can utilise Omnifone's MusicStation Platform and unique
global licensing services to bring a truly innovative service to
market."
rara.com's global footprint will more than double by the end of
2012.
Notes to editors:
*ICM Research: Sample 1000 adults.
Unique introductory pricing
Access to rara.com in New
Zealand costs just $1.99 per
month for the first 3 months followed by a flat fee of $7.99 per month for online access (web), with
mobile access to rara.com on Android smartphones (web + mobile)
just $2.99 per month for the first 3
months then $13.99 per month.
Users are free to unsubscribe from the service at any time.
About rara media group
rara.com, announced today, is the new global digital music
service designed for the mass-market. rara.com parent rara media
group limited is a private company, headquartered in London with offices throughout Europe, Asia-Pacific and in North America. Licensed globally by all of the
major labels; Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, EMI
Music and Warner Music Group, rara.com is partnered with digital
music service provider Omnifone.
About Omnifone
Omnifone is the leading independent provider of cloud music
services for consumer electronics vendors, ISPs, consumer brands,
automotive and mobile companies globally including Sony, Sony
Ericsson, RIM and rara.com. With services licensed in 23 markets
and a global catalogue of over 12m licensed tracks, Omnifone has
the widest global reach of any cloud music service provider able to
develop, license and run white label cloud music services across
virtually all connected device platforms including TVs, games
consoles (in-home and portable), set-top boxes, home cinema
systems, Blu-ray players, picture frames, cars, mobiles, PCs,
tablets and web browsers. For further information visit
http://www.omnifone.com
About Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is the world's leading music company with
wholly owned record operations or licensees in 59 territories. Its
businesses also include Universal Music Publishing Group, the
industry's leading global music publishing operation.
Universal Music Group's record labels include A&M/Octone,
Decca, Def Jam Recordings, Deutsche Grammophon, Disa, Emarcy,
Fonovisa, Geffen Records, Interscope Records, Island Records, Lost
Highway Records, Machete Music, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville,
Mercury Records, Polydor Records, Motown, Universal Music Latino,
Universal Republic and Verve Music Group as well as a multitude of
record labels owned or distributed by its record company
subsidiaries around the world. UMG's catalog is marketed through
two distinct divisions, Universal Music Enterprises (in the U.S.)
and Universal Strategic Marketing (outside the U.S.). Universal
Music Group also includes Global Digital Business, its new media
and technologies division; Bravado, its merchandising company; and
Twenty-First Artists, its full service management division.
Universal Music Group is a fully owned subsidiary of Vivendi
(Euronext: VIV).
About Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with
a current roster that includes a broad array of both local artists
and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog
that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. It
is home to premier record labels representing music from every
genre, including American Recordings, Arista Nashville, Arista
Records, Battery Records, Beach Street Records, BNA Records,
Columbia Nashville, Columbia Records, Day 1, Epic Records,
Essential Records, Flicker Records, J Records, Jive Records, LaFace
Records, Legacy Recordings, MASTERWORKS, Polo Grounds, RCA Records,
RCA Nashville, RCA Red Seal, RCA Victor, Reunion Records, Roc
Nation, Sony Classical, Sony Music Latin, Star Time International,
Verity Gospel Music Group, and Volcano Entertainment. Sony Music
Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of
America.
About Warner Music Group
With its broad roster of new stars and legendary artists, Warner
Music Group is home to a collection of the best-known record labels
in the music industry including Asylum, Atlantic, Cordless, East
West, Elektra, Nonesuch, Reprise, Rhino, Roadrunner, Rykodisc,
Sire, Warner Bros. and Word, as well as Warner/Chappell Music, one of the world's leading music
publishers, with a catalog of more than one million copyrights
worldwide.
About EMI Music
EMI Music is one of the world's leading music companies,
representing artists spanning all musical tastes and genres. Its
record labels include Angel, Astralwerks, Blue Note, Capitol,
Capitol Latin, Capitol Records Nashville, EMI Classics, EMI CMG,
EMI Records, EMI Records Nashville, Manhattan, Parlophone, Virgin Classics and
Virgin Records.