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High-speed Internet provider US West (NYSE: USW) announced an agreement today with digital music retailer MCY Music World to deliver encrypted, streamed or digitally downloadable music and live concert broadcasts over the Internet.
MCY.com controls an exclusive catalog with more than 30,000 songs available as digital downloads. Artists include Bob Marley, Tina Turner, Luciano Pavarotti and Louis Armstrong, and a good portion of the collection comes from the company's live Webcasts by stars such as Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney.
As part of the agreement, the Denver, Colorado-based US West will feature MCY.com on its upcoming Internet portal that is being developed for high-speed Web users who connect to the Internet using Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) technology.
US West will take a minority equity position in MCY.com, and will also provide US West.net subscribers with easy access to MCY.com's expanding collection of digitally stored music and entertainment content.
Past Performances or Individual Songs
Beginning in mid-2000, Internet users will be able to listen to Webcasts and purchase downloadable content from MCY.com's catalog through the US West portal.
"We're working to give customers new choices for screening and buying music," said Audrey Thompson, director, product development at US West. "People will be able to download entire CDs, or download and pay only for the songs from the CD that they want to hear."
As part of the partnership, US West will be involved in the production and presentation of new music Webcasts.
"We also plan to work with MCY.com to develop unique, new entertainment content, like Webcasts of special events and performances of hot local bands, that can be streamed directly to the computers of US West's MegaBit customers and others with broadband Internet connections," said Thompson.
Connection to US West Customers
MCY.com will receive an additional delivery system for its content. "Our collaboration with US West is on the leading edge of the revolution in digital entertainment and adds an important piece to the puzzle we have been putting together the last five years," said Bernhard Fritsch, chairman and CEO of New York-based MCY.com. "Now accelerated by US West's high-speed DSL offering, MCY.com's digital entertainment platform will be able to instantly deliver rich digital media, from music to film."
In addition to the MCY.com content, the site will offer movies and music videos on-demand, interactive games, real-time stock information and trading services.
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