Coke moves into the online music business

Drinks firm Coca-Cola is moving into music sales by launching a download site with more than a quarter of a million tracks, it was announced today.

The company says it will have the largest collection of legal downloads on the Internet when it begins trading next month.

The move follows last week’s announcement that the company is to sponsor the official single and album charts.

That means it will be namechecked in Radio 1’s weekly top 40 countdown, and will be mentioned in the closing credits of Top Of The Pops.

Mycokemusic.com will be the first dedicated music download site run by a food and drink brand.

At its launch it will have 250,000 tracks from 8,500 artists. The firm said today it was talking to all major record labels and providing popular hits, but declined to name the sort of acts whose music would be featured.

A spokeswoman said: “It heralds a new era in the UK music industry as legal downloading is set to be one of the most important innovations in the way consumers access music.”

Coca-Cola says it wants to offer consumers “new and progressive ways” to experience music and it says the new site is supported by the British Phonographic Industry.

Major stars are said to be donating exclusive tracks during the first 12 months of promoting the new site.

Users will have to be over 18 years old because they will need to pay with a credit or debit card.

Coca-Cola marketing director Julia Goldin said: “We’re delighted to bring downloadable music to more people and we are working in close partnership with the music industry to do so.

“Consumers have told us that downloading music is confusing and complicated and what they want is an easy, simple-to-use downloadable service from a trusted brand.”

A number of leading music retailers such as HMV and Virgin already offer downloads.

A spokesman for HMV said: “From a retailer’s point of view, we feel confident that people will stick to established retailers that have a lot of experience in the area.

“They can offer expertise and depth of knowledge and we feel the vast majority of record buyers would want to continue buying from these sources.

“For many people there is an emotional attachment to buying music and people enjoy going to record stores or visiting them online to browse.”