Tracks from edel's catalogue will be securely distributed through Wippit's
subscription-based P2P service.
London/Hamburg, 21st January 2002 - Wippit, the legitimate file sharing
service, and edelNET GmbH, the digital business arm of Europe's largest
independent music group edel music AG, today announce an agreement for the
digital distribution of music. Under the deal, repertoire from edel's
extensive catalogue, which ranges from mainstream pop and dance to
classical, will be made available to Wippit's subscription-based
peer-to-peer service from February 1st 2002.
Wippit provides a platform and technology for the legitimate sharing of
protected music files, which secures the payment of royalties to the right
owners for all material transferred through the service. The co-operation
with edel will guarantee that Wippit's users have access to a broader range
of high-quality music.
Paul Myers, CEO and founder of Wippit says: "This agreement to distribute
music from edel's repertoire means that we're able to offer users a whole
new wave of music for Wippit users to download and keep. As well as its
reputation for producing top quality mainstream pop music, edel also offers
a huge classical collection. By expanding on the material that is already
available, our contract with edel reaffirms the fact that you can take the
best aspects of P2P distribution and incorporate content that caters for
all music tastes."
Adds Stefan Weikert, general manager, new business & communication of edel
music: "We've been actively pursuing moves into the music download market
for a while, with file-sharing becoming increasingly popular. Wippit
provides a secure solution for P2P users which is an attractive platform
for both consumers and right holders. We see a lot of potential in this
new service and are looking forward to this relationship."
About Wippit
Wippit is a peer-to-peer file sharing service for the exchange and
distribution of music files, over the Internet. Wippit is funded through
subscription fees and advertising revenues. It is the latest creation of
Paul Myers. Paul was formerly the founder and MD of The X-Stream Network,
the UK's first Free ISP which was acquired by French Internet giant
LibertySurf in March 2000.
Wippit is offering its P2P Music Subscription Service from
http://Wippit.com
About edel
edel music AG, founded in 1986 and floated on the Frankfurt stock exchange
in 1998, is based in Hamburg, Germany. With a global network of
subsidiaries and partnerships in virtually all music markets, edel music is
considered as the largest independent full-service music group based in
Europe. It is engaged in all aspects of the music business, from the
development and marketing of new artists and concepts to manufacturing and
distribution of all formats worldwide. Its catalogue ranges from pop, dance
and rock to classical and children's repertoire and includes top artists
such as Ash, Chicane, Ace of Base, Peter Cetera, Jennifer Paige, Craig
David, Mis-Teeq, Gregorian and Scooter. http://www.edel.com.