Pressplay, the forthcoming subscription service from Universal Music Group and Sony Music, has inked a distribution agreement with CD-burning software company Roxio and will offer users the ability to copy certain tracks to blank discs, Billboard Bulletin reports. Pressplay, which is slated to launch by the end of the month, will offer users a certain number of monthly downloads, streams, and burns in its packages. Only tracks that Pressplay and its content partners have clearance to offer as permanent downloads will be available for CD burning.
Additionally, Roxio.com becomes the fourth distribution affiliate of the Pressplay service. Roxio, Yahoo!, and Microsoft’s MSN Music will offer their versions of Pressplay at launch; MP3.com is expected to offer it next year.
Beyond the ability to burn tracks to CDs, Pressplay expects to differ from rival MusicNet in several key areas. Pressplay downloads accumulate, rather than expiring after one month. This means that consumers will be able to keep the tracks, provided they retain their subscription to the service and add new tracks each month thereafter.
Another key difference between the services is that Pressplay will offer hundreds of on-demand streams in even its most basic packages. Real Networks’ version of MusicNet, RealOne Music, limits access to 100 on-demand streams per month in its basic offering. Also, Pressplay subscribers will be able to access to their collections from multiple locations.
Pressplay will likely carry a higher price tag. While the cost of a subscription has not been disclosed (four pricing tiers will be offered), company officials say they view the service as an entirely different value proposition than what is being offered by other subscription businesses.
