Synergy Media Group To Digitally Distribute Warner Music Group's Catalog Through TouchstandTM Multimedia Kiosks
Innovative Interactive Retail Display Unit Provides New Platform To Deliver On-Demand CD Burning In Brick-And-Mortar Entertainment Media Stores
Synergy Media Group (SMG) and Warner Music Group (WMG) today announced an agreement to provide consumers access to music from WMG's world-renowned labels and artists for in-store CD burning through SMG's TouchStandTM Multimedia Kiosk. On-demand content from the WMG catalog for both consumer-selected compilations and full albums will be deployed through the TouchStand platform in more than 100 retail locations throughout the U.S.
"We've proven how TouchStands increase retailers' sales of stocked products and special order products by allowing consumers to discover and preview titles from a huge digital music catalog," said SMG President and CEO Michael Fitts. "Our expansion into on-demand CD burning offers consumers greater selection, better service and even more convenience. We're delighted to offer WMG's music to entertainment retailers as part of the TouchStand platform and look forward to adding content from other major and independent labels to our digital music catalog soon."
"We are excited to be working with TouchStand and our retail partners to offer consumers innovative ways to purchase music," said John Esposito, president and CEO of WEA Corp., WMG's U.S. sales and retail marketing company. "With TouchStand, consumers will have the confidence of knowing they can easily access virtually our entire catalog."
The TouchStand Multimedia Kiosk allows today's consumers to sample a broad range of music, exposing them to new content, which encourages purchase while decreasing returns of both store and special order product. SMG is scheduled to deploy CD burning in the second quarter of 2005.
TouchStands can currently be found in more than 100 retail outlets across the U.S. including Altitunes, Bull Moose Music, Independent Music, Tower Records, Value Music, and Zia Record Exchange, among others locations. The multi-media kiosks currently offers a platform of more than 307,000 titles and 3.9 million song previews - the largest music catalog available to brick and mortar retailers today.
About Synergy Media Group (SMG)
Founded in 1991 and based in Denver, CO, Synergy Media Group is an integrated family of companies that applies technological innovation and a commitment to the creation, promotion, and distribution of content to address the evolving needs of today's entertainment market. Synergy Media Group companies - INDIEgo, Synergy Music, Synergy Distribution and TouchStand - provide the media and entertainment industry with innovative approaches to promotion, marketing, distribution and retail technology. To learn more about Synergy Media Group, visit www.SynergyMediaGroup.com.
About Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group, with its broad roster of new stars and legendary artists, is the world's largest privately held independent music company. The company is home to a collection of the best-known record labels in the music industry including Atlantic, Elektra, Lava, Maverick, Nonesuch, Reprise, Rhino, Sire, Warner Bros. and Word. Warner Music International, a leading company in national and international repertoire operates through 37 affiliates and numerous licensees in more than 50 countries. Warner Music Group also includes Warner/Chappell Music, one of the world's leading music publishers, with a catalog of more than one million copyrights worldwide. For more information about Warner Music Group, visit our corporate web site at www.wmg.com.