BIG NEWS: NEW WEBSITE

You might have noticed that we launched a new website. We feel that it is a major improvement, representing our company and the great progress we've made since Dimensional Associates purchased us. Check it out and let us know what you think: www.theorchard.com

As part of this technology investment, we have also upgraded our Client Area. Now you have unprecedented access to sales and delivery data, deep links to your music on the major digital stores, screen shots of marketing placements, and much more. Our web-based accounting tools are the best in the business, and we will continue to improve them to ensure that you're using the best tools available to manage your digital assets. Here are some of the recent upgrades.

More Accounting Details. Now you can view and sort digital download details by store, artist, release and track. Moreover, you can analyze your digital sales in two unique ways:

1. Total Activity Month-by-month details of sales activity. Total Activity contains the most up-to-date reports from digital stores, including unpaid activity. It's perfect for spotting real-time sales trends.

2. Sales Activity by Quarter Sales data that corresponds with your quarterly statements. Since different stores have different delayed payment schedules, and we pay you quarterly, Sales Activity by Quarter probably contains sales data spread across the previous quarter or two.

Delivery Status. Now you can see what's happening to your music: when we received your CDs; when we received and processed your release data; when we encoded your music and delivered it to stores; and when stores posted your music for sale.

Marketing Tools. Direct links to your music on iTunes, eMusic and MSN [more coming soon]; and tips on how to sell your music digitally.

Log in here to take it around the block for a test spin. We hope you like it!

NEW STORES AND MOBILE PARTNERS

As you know, we supply more digital stores and services than any other distribution company, including the major labels. Every week, we widen the gap by adding new stores from around the world. Our international team - located in every major and emerging digital market - makes sure your music is ingested and sold around the world. Here are several new store highlights from the past month.

iTUNES LAUNCHES MORE NEW STORES IN EUROPE.
On May 10, iTunes added Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark to their international empire of stores in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. All iTunes stores contain The Orchard's complete catalogue.

Apple press release:
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2005/may/10itms.html


YAHOO LAUNCHES BETA VERSION OF YAHOO! MUSIC UNLIMITED.
Yahoo recently jumped deeper into the digital music fray, launching a beta version of their download and subscription service Yahoo! Music Unlimited. Like Napster and Real, Yahoo allows consumers to "rent" songs instead of just buying them. Yahoo's new service is powered by MusicNet and contains The Orchard's complete catalogue.

Associated Press article:
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/050510/yahoo_music.html?.v=4


LATIN AMERICA'S FIRST MAJOR DIGITAL STORE LAUNCHES WITH ENTIRE ORCHARD CATALOGUE.
Sanborns, the largest traditional CD retailer in Mexico, launched Beon with The Orchard's full catalog in April. Founded in 1928, Sanborns is the leading Mexican retail chain, operating nearly 50 Sears Roebuck de Mexico stores, over 100 Sanborns department stores, 34 Sanborns Cafes, 65 Discolandia, Mixup, No Problem, and Tower Records music stores, and 160 Pasteleria and El Globo stores. Beon joins iTunes Spain, iTunes Portugal and iMusica Brazil in expanding The Orchard's reach into Latin America.

Beon:
http://www.beon.com/


CLICK HERE FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF DIGITAL STORES SUPPLIED BY THE ORCHARD.

NEW IN-STORE PLACEMENTS

Our marketing team - the largest of any digital distributor - frequently meets in-person with every major digital store. For example, we visited the programming teams at MSN in Seattle, Napster and Yahoo in Los Angeles, iTunes in San Francisco, and several others last month. This month, we will re-visit the programming teams at Napster in London and iTunes in Luxembourg, among others. This translates into prominent placements on store homepages. We are averaging over a hundred placements every day and are proud to announce that we've crossed the 10,000-placement threshold. No one is working harder. Here are a few recent highlights, to give you a flavor - these aren't just additions to playlists! Check it out:

1) Blazin' Squad banner on iTunes UK homepage. LINK

2) Lookout! Records radio station on Musicmatch Radio homepage. LINK

3) Manu Dibango banner on iTunes Sweden's World Music homepage. LINK

4) The O'Neill Brothers feature on Real Music Guide Exclusives homepage. LINK

5) "New release" picks on MSN Music's Metal homepage: Acid Death [Black Lotus], Swan Christy [Black Lotus], Phantom Lord [Black Lotus], Wolfcry [Black Lotus], Early Man [Monitor] and Downfall [Low Frequency]. LINK

WELCOME, NEW LABELS

SHANACHIE [U.S.] - World music, reggae, contemporary jazz, blues, folk, Americana, Latin music, rock, funk and more.
Artists: Me'shell N'degeocello, Liquid Soul, Pentangle, Clannad, Groove Collective, Kim Waters, The Chieftains, John Lee Hooker, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Jody Watley and 600+ more.

NETTWERK [U.S./CANADA] - Alt rock, metal, AAA singer/songwriters, alt country, folk, bluegrass, electronic and more.
Artists: Erin McKeown, Delerium, gob, The Perishers, Ivy, The Be Good Tanyas, Old Crow Medicine Show, Conjure One, Griffin House, Poi Girl, Amy Corriea, Trespassers William and more to come.

SNAPPER MUSIC [U.K.] - Prog, rock, metal, archival rock.
Artists: The Yards, Gary Glitter [including "Rock n Roll Part 2 (The Hey Song)"], The Alarm, Cradle Of Filth, Katatonia, Peter Green, Fleetwood Mac [original line-up], Ozric Tentacles, My Dying Bride and more to come.

DAY BY DAY ENTERTAINMENT [U.S.] - Rap / hip-hop, electronic.
Artists: MF Doom, MF Grimm, Mudville, dub-L, Megalon, Masked Avengers & Maylay Sparks, Cryptic One, B Will & Infinit EVOL and more to come.

JERKY BOYS RECORDS [U.S.] - Comedy, prank phone calls, customized ringtones.
Artist: Jerky Boys

ORCHARD NEWS

THE ORCHARD TO PROVIDE WURLD MEDIA WITH MUSIC FOR SALE ON PEER IMPACT
http://www.theorchard.com/news/tomembers_061405.php

THE ORCHARD ANNOUNCES SIGNIFICANT LABEL EXPANSION IN UK AND EUROPE
http://www.theorchard.com/news/tomembers_060705.php

THE ORCHARD PARTNERS WITH ECD, SIGNIFICANTLY EXPANDING REACH IN CHINA
http://www.theorchard.com/news/tomembers_060605.php

THE ORCHARD AND EPSA ANNOUNCE SOUTH AMERICA EXPANSION
http://www.theorchard.com/news/tomembers_060305.php

THE GODFATHER OF LO-FI GOES DIGITAL [GLOBAL AND MOBILE]: DANIEL JOHNSTON'S RARE EARLY RECORDINGS TO BE MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE
http://www.theorchard.com/news/tomembers_053105.php

INDUSTRY NEWS

EMUSIC UNVEILS POWERFUL NEW SEARCH FILTER
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050616/nyth116.html?.v=14

INDIE LABELS FORM NEW LOBBYING GROUP
http://news.com.com/Indie+labels+join+forces/2100-1027_3-5736142.html?tag=nefd.top

APPLE TO MAKE iPOD PODCAST-FRIENDLY
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1818926,00.asp

FILE-SHARING GOES TO SUPREME COURT: MGM v. GROKSTER DECISION DUE ANY DAY
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/20/business/20link.html

APPLE TO LAUNCH JAPANESE iTUNES STORE THIS AUGUST
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=technologyNews&storyID=8714632

WHY AREN'T WOMEN DOWNLOADING MUSIC?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/online/story/0,3605,1478192,00.html

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The Orchard :: 133 Fifth Avenue :: Floor 7 :: New York, NY 10003