Sony, EMI team up on Net music development

Two of the world's 'big five' music labels, Japan's Sony Music Entertainment and Britain's EMI, have agreed to co-operate on the development of their respective Internet sites. According to a report in today's Financial Times, the two companies are exploring ways of bringing technologies and systems both have in development to each others' sites. Those technologies primarily focus of the sale and distribution of music across the Internet. Sony recently unveiled MagicGate, its system for downloading music via the Net to both hi-fi units and to PCs, so it clearly has some key technology to bring to the deal (see Sony enters digital music contest with MP3-beater). EMI has been keeping rather more tight-lipped on its exploration of the Internet as a distribution medium beyond supporting IBM's US-based Project Madison public trials. Given how far behind the Brits tend to be on technology adoption, it's possible EMI won't be contributing anything of that nature and has simply agreeing to back Sony's system and perhaps other technologies and formats too. EMI is the only major label (in the UK at least) to follow Sony's example and release albums on MiniDisc. ® See also Sony to offer music downloads by satellite Music industry sues MP3 search engine developer