News

Best Buy debuts kiosks to sell online music services

November 9, 2003

PHILADELPHIA -- Electronics chain Best Buy and cable company Comcast today will each launch online music services, reflecting the rapid expansion of the legitimate digital marketplace.

According to an article inThe State, Best Buy will open an online music store to compete with Apple's successful iTunes Music Store, which has sold 17 million downloaded songs since the groundbreaking service debuted in April. Comcast will begin selling its own version of the RealNetworks/Rhapsody subscription music service to its 4.9 million high-speed Internet customers nationwide.

Best Buy's 592 stores will begin promoting its own download store, developed in partnership with the online music service, MusicNow, in Chicago. Customers can try out the service at nine kiosks placed throughout the store. And they'll be able to buy any of 40 portable players that work with the service.

Like the Apple store, consumers can go to Best Buy's Web site to buy individual songs for 99 cents or CDs for $9.95. For $9.95 a month, customers get unlimited access to streamed music, programmed commercial-free radio and ``tethered' downloads that cannot be transferred to a CD or portable music player.

Comcast will start selling subscription music services to its high-speed Internet customers, offering a seven-day free trial of the RealNetworks/Rhapsody music service and 10 free tracks if they subscribe for $9.95 a month.