Revolutionary Online Music Service Launches In Kiwi Market
Music access like never before. That's what new on-line music platform The Racket ( > www.theracket.co.nz ) are promising Kiwi consumers.
Live from Tuesday, 5 August, www.theracket.co.nz offers free on-line music news, gig guides, reviews, competitions and The Racket community forums.
Go up a notch as a paid subscriber and www.theracket.co.nz enables users to build personalised playlists with streaming capability, soon to include any web-enabled devices such
as mobile phones.
For $20 per month up to 500 songs can be streamed at any one time, while a premium subscription of $30 per month
increases capacity to 1000 songs and allows users to 'go public', enabling them to broadcast their playlists on the free
public broadcast facility.
It's the latter service that's anticipated to be a hit with bands and musicians, keen to raise their profile with
additional facilities to advertise gigs, engage with fans and create links to their own websites.
The Racket carries international content but has a local focus with their Featured Artist section, showcasing the cream
of New Zealand talent such as Shihad and The Electric Confectionaries who are lined up to launch the feature. The Public
Radio section also provides a platform for unsigned talent to stream their music to the masses and even sell singles
on-line - DIY- style.
"The Racket is aiming to support local talent and add to the diversity of New Zealand's music industry by offering more
choice to music consumers," says founding member Rob Gordon of The Racket Media Group.
"By working with major labels (Universal, Sony BMG, EMI and Warner) and Independent Music New Zealand, The Racket has
been able to establish a large and musically diverse catalogue for its members. With the inclusion of a requests page
we've made a commitment to grow with the tastes of our members."
As The Racket is a paid-up member of both APRA and PPNZ, by joining The Racket members are ensuring that both the
performers and composers of the music are being paid for their work.
Says Anthony Healey, Executive Director of NZ Operations of APRA NZ:
"Music plays a huge role in our lives today and smart convenient solutions that ensure the makers of the music share in
the rewards should be the future."
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