MP3 goes punk...
The deal will see Epitaph artists like The Offspring, Bad Religion, Pennywise, The Cramps and NOFX available exclusively on EMusic.com, one of the Internet's largest MP3 stores. EMusic chairman Bob Kohn last week slammed the SDMI's attempts to squeeze MP3 out of the market, claiming the SDMI alternative would die within a year.
PUNK-O-RAMA 4, a compilation of unreleased tracks from contemporary punk bands and a track from Tom Waits' album, Mule Variations kick-started the partnership yesterday. The album can be downloaded for $4.99 (£3).
Three previous PUNK-O-RAMA albums, compilation albums from Fat Possum and Hellcat Records and other Epitaph material will also be available for download.
Andy Kaulkin, president of Epitaph, is excited by the deal. "Downloadable music is here to stay. We can't wait to get rolling," he said. Gene Hoffman, president of EMusic descibed Epitaph's decision to go with MP3 as "a milestone in the evolution of downloadable music".
Take me to the MP3 Special