Digital debut
HMV has launched a new digital download store offering many chart tunes for just 40p in a bid to carve a niche in the crowded musical market.
To tempt people away from the likes of iTunes and Amazon, hmvdigital is selling top 40 chart songs for 40p each, with chart albums starting at just £4.99 to download. It also said ‘selected' early adopters will receive free tracks.
However, the offer is set to be available for a limited time and some teething problems have been reported with sluggish speeds and pages unavailable.
HMV first rolled out a download service in 2005 which was only compatible with Windows Media Player but now boasts around 10 million DRM-free songs and audiobooks. It acquired 7digital.com in 2009, which the new site is based upon.
Sarah Hughes, HMV's head of online and digital reportedly described the new site as "a world class download store that reflects both HMV's music retailing heritage and our strategy to be a broad-based entertainment brand."
