Universal Music Group (UMG) and Serato Announce Innovative Secure Digital Delivery Service for DJs Worldwide

November 4, 2009

NEW YORK, and AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Nov. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Music Group (UMG), the world's leading music company, and Serato Audio Research today announced an innovative, global and secure digital distribution service for DJs entitled Whitelabel.net.

The service, which has successfully delivered 2.5 million tracks to over 40,000 DJs worldwide during a pre-launch trial over the past year, marks the first collaboration of its kind between a major recording company and a service specifically designed for DJs.

The Whitelabel MP3 format is a high quality audio file that is ID-tagged with artist and song information, and pre-analyzed for use with Serato DJ software. These files will play as a low quality preview in any MP3 player, and a high quality version when played through Serato approved hardware. Whitelabel.net provides a direct relationship between record companies and performing DJs, reigniting the tradition of breaking new music in clubs. Moreover, Whitelabel.net provides record labels with coveted statistics and feedback on fresh new music as it is introduced to DJs, while enabling DJs to host unique versions of songs with all of the track information they need prebuilt in the audio files.

"Serato is setting the standard for professional DJs that are breaking hits on the radio and in top clubs," said Vincent Freda, Executive Vice President of Digital Logistics for Universal Music. "Using their Whitelabel.net service, we can reach the DJ directly and quickly with new music. Whitelabel.net is more efficient than sending vinyl records and more secure than delivering conventional audio files over the internet."

"We developed the Whitelabel.net service with input from Universal that was completely invaluable," reports Sam Gribben, General Manager of Serato. "They have so much experience with music distribution and helped us figure out the essentials for all labels, no matter how big or small. In turn, we were able to provide them with the security of our Whitelabel audio files to ensure that music could not be leaked or distributed illegally."

About Universal Music Group

Universal Music Group is the world's leading music company with wholly owned record operations or licensees in 77 countries. Its businesses also include Universal Music Publishing Group, the industry's leading global music publishing operation.

Universal Music Group's record labels include A&M/Octone, Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, Disa, Emarcy, Fonovisa, Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Island Def Jam Music Group, Lost Highway Records, Machete Music, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville, Mercury Records, Philips, Polydor Records, Universal Motown Republic Group, Universal Music Latino, Universal Records South, and Verve Music Group as well as a multitude of record labels owned or distributed by its record company subsidiaries around the world. The Universal Music Group owns the most extensive catalog of music in the industry, which includes the last 100 years of the world's most popular artists and their recordings. UMG's catalog is marketed through two distinct divisions, Universal Music Enterprises (in the U.S.) and Universal Strategic Marketing (outside the U.S.). Universal Music Group also includes eLabs, its new media and technologies division; Bravado, its merchandising company; Twenty-First Artists, its full service management division; and Helter Skelter, its live music agency.

Universal Music Group is a unit of Vivendi, a global media and communications company.

About Serato

Serato Audio Research has been recognized as the market leader in time and pitch adjustment since its inception in 1999. Serato formed a product partnership with Rane Corporation in 2004 with Serato Scratch Live. Scratch Live is a revolutionary DJ product that enables DJs to control digital audio files on their computer. Serato has since expanded its reputation for excellent pro DJ products with the release of their new ITCH DJ Software in 2008.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.

SOURCE Universal Music Group