Universal Music Germany has confirmed that it will close its download portal Popfile by the end of the year.
The retail site was launched in the summer of 2002 by Tim Renner, then chairman/CEO of Berlin-based Universal Music Germany, in partnership with Deutsche Telekom. Tracks cost €0.99 ($1.32) per download and could be burned to CDs.
Universal Music Germany president Frank Briegmann says in a statement that offering only Universal tracks hindered the commercial potential of the site. “We were not able to offer the complete range of product,” says Briegmann. “We continue to believe in downloads, but on other platforms.”
Briegmann added that Universal will continue to make its repertoire available to Germany’s main legitimate portals.
The closure of Popfile comes three months after Deutsche Telekom affiliate T-Com folded the industry-backed download platform Phonoline, which powered Popfile.