PT EMI Recorded Music soon will take its most ambitious dive yet into the waters of digital downloads. The recording giant today said that beginning July 1, it will make 100 of its albums and 40 associated singles available for download. Music shoppers will be able to download EMI tracks and albums from online retail sites. The move underscores the record industry's growing efforts to open its popular music libraries to digital downloading. Consumers are increasingly turning to the Internet to download their favorite songs onto computers and portable devices.
Companies are eager to be a part of the action.
Several record labels already are planning to offer their songs for downloading. BMG Entertainment and Sony Music both have announced their intentions to provide digital music downloads . Seagram's Universal Music Group plans to launch a secure download format this spring that will eventually allow people to download most of the label's songs. For EMI, the initial offerings extend partnerships the company has formed in developing its digital download strategy. Digital downloading of music has become a grassroots phenomenon among many Net users.