News

Best Buy kiosks will offer digital downloads of Rolling Stones

August 17, 2003

LOS ANGELES -- RealNetworks Inc. has signed a deal to offer digital downloads of music from the legendary rock band the Rolling Stones through its Rhapsody online music service.

Subscriptions to Rhapsody, which usually sell for $9.95 a month, are now available at stores operated by Best Buy Co. Inc. nationwide, Real said in aReuters report. Best Buy will offer the subscriptions, including a two-week free trial, in kiosks at 560 stores nationwide.

According to the report, the Stones' Virgin Records catalog, including albums like "Sticky Fingers" and "Exile on Main Street," would be available exclusively online through Rhapsody for a limited period this summer.

The deal to offer individual tracks that can be downloaded or played over the Internet through Rhapsody is exclusive through the end of August, though the Stones' tracks will stay in Rhapsody's catalog even after the music is made available to other services by Virgin parent EMI Group Plc.

With the music service, consumers can listen to complete albums, create custom playlists, even burn their own CDs.