Legal Download Service Launched In India

Singapore-based digital-music service provider Soundbuzz and leading Indian portal Indiatimes.com have launched what they claim is India's first legitimate music download service.

The service, available April 15, is part of the overall Indiatimes online shopping service and is at soundbuzz.com/partners/indiatimes/musicdownload.asp. The main Indiatimes Web site (indiatimes.com) attracts more than 550 million page views per month.

The service initially features some 10,000 songs by domestic and international artists. Labels making their material available through the site include BMG-Crescendo, Tips Industries, Times Music, Lahari Music, Enrico Hindustan, Archies Music, and EMI's local affiliate, Virgin Records India. Neither Sony nor Universal Music is taking part in the Indiatimes/Soundbuzz service. Individual songs will be priced at between 10 rupees ($0.20) and 24 rupees ($0.50), and payment may be made by credit card only.

"This initiative is an extension of what Soundbuzz has been doing in the region, where we pact with leading portals to offer legitimate downloads," Soundbuzz CEO Sudhansu Sarronwala says. "I see this as a good way to introduce the concept of selling singles—something that doesn't happen at the retail level [in India]."

Vineet Jain, managing director of indiatimes.com parent media group the Times of India, says, "It has been our constant endeavor to upgrade our services and add more features to Indiatimes to make it an entertainment-rich portal. Digital music [downloading] is another step in that direction."

Sony Music India managing director Shridhar Subramanium comments: "I think the Indiatimes/Soundbuzz service will probably make more sense for overseas Indians, for whom the prices could be attractive."

Kumar Taurani, managing director of Warner Music licensee Tips Industries, notes: "We in India have the advantage of learning from what happened in the U.S. with Napster and the overall Net piracy debate. At least with [the Soundbuzz deal], we have introduced Indian consumers to the idea of legitimately buying online music before online piracy gets out of control."