NEW STORES AND MOBILE PARTNERS

Although we're only one month deep into 2006, we already have a handful of great new retail partners to announce!

SK TELECOM // SOUTH KOREA // MOBILE
SK Telecom is the leading broadband and wireless provider in South Korea. South Korea is one of the largest digital music markets in the world. According to an August '05 article in Variety magazine, mobile and online music sales have overtaken CD sales in the $3 billion South Korean music market. Pricewaterhouse Coopers forecasts that Asia will be the world's fastest growing music market, at 15% a year. The Orchard's partnership with SK Telecom subsidiary Seoul Records will bring Orchard-distributed music to brands like MelOn, MSN, LG Telecom, Yahoo! Korea and about 35 others. SK Telecom adds a strong mobile platform to The Orchard's already-strong Asian digital distribution network, which includes Singapore's Soundbuzz and Japan's iTunes, Listen Musicstore and OnGen. Read the press release.

GROUPIETUNES // US // MOBILE
Launched in 2004, GroupieTunes focuses on giving independent and unsigned artists the ability to communicate and sell content to their fans via mobile phones. In addition to selling tones through its website, GroupieTunes provides ringtones to carriers like Cingular and T-Mobile. As part of its forthcoming 2.0 platform launch, GroupieTunes will offer over a million songs for purchase, SMS-based messaging / community services, full music downloads to compatible phones, mobile games and more!

NAPSTER // GERMANY // DIGITAL STORE
Launched in December, Napster Germany is the first and only subscription music service available to music fans in Germany. The new store features the same services as Napster's US and UK stores: a-la-carte downloads, the Napster subscription service and the Napster To Go portable subscription service.

iMUSIC - ITALY // DIGITAL STORE
This Milan-based digital download store is hosted by Libero - a major Italian internet service provider and the highest traffic portal in Italy. It was launched last January.

SEE COMPLETE LISTS OF ORCHARD-SUPPLIED DIGITAL STORES AND MOBILE PARTNERS.

NEW IN-STORE PLACEMENTS

Each month, our merchandising reputation grows among programmers at digital stores. In the last week of January, we secured over 1,000 promotional placements - hundreds more than the first three months of 2005 combined! Here's just a tiny glimpse of the latest haul.

1) HIP-HOP: iTunes created an "Essentials" page for rap label Delicious Vinyl. The only other labels honored with their own "Essentials" pages are Bad Boy, Roc-a-Fella, Trojan, Chess, and Motown. MF Doom was a featured artist on HMV UK's hip-hop page. Rob Swift was featured on homepages on iTunes US, UK, Germany [alongside a Wild Style soundtrack feature], Japan and Canada.

2) Thirty placements on Verizon's new V CAST Music website, representing the only independent music representing the only independent music for sale: ten "New Albums," fourteen "Hot Albums," one "Hot Song," four "Featured Albums" and one "Featured Song."

3) Major placements for seminal record label SST [press release], including a label banner and "The Story of SST" spotlight on eMusic's home page, a feature on iTunes Canada's Alternative homepage, and a "Just Added" feature on iTunes US Alternative homepage.

4) Meshell Ndegeocello and Ray Barretto featured on Napster US's "2005 Jazz Grammy Nominees" playlist.

5) Bobby Caldwell's Where Is Love feature on iTunes Japan homepage. Also on iTunes Japan: fourteen Music Brokers placements on the Electronic homepage.

WELCOME, NEW LABELS

GEORGE V RECORDS [UK] - Electronic / Lounge.
Catalogue: Buddha Bar compilations.

SST [US] - Punk / Rock.
Artists: Black Flag, Soundgarden, The Minutemen, The Descendents, Bad Brains, fIREHOSE, All and many more.

13th PLANET RECORDS [US] - Heavy Metal / Industrial.
Artists: Ministry, Revolting Cocks.

UKRAINIAN RECORDS [UKRAINE] - World / Pop.
Artists: Alyona Vinnitskaya, Leona, Katya Chilly, Jango and more.

HELICON [ISRAEL] - World / Pop.
Artists: Rita, Rami Kleinstein, Yehudit Ravitz, Aviv Geffen, Arkadi Duchin, Ivri Lider, Idan Raichel, Shiri Maimon, The Fools of Prophecy , Roni "Superstar" and many more.

INDUSTRY NEWS

APPLE CUTS iPOD PRICES >> read more

WILL AMAZON ENTER THE VIDEO DOWNLOAD MARKET? >> read more

EMUSIC LAUNCHES ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN >> read more

ORCHARD CLIENT NETTWERK TAKES ON RIAA >> read more

ORCHARD NEWS

THE ORCHARD OPENS NEW OFFICES IN SAO PAULO, BRAZIL AND BERLIN, GERMANY
WELCOME: David McLaughlin >> Brazil and Kai Dehning >> Germany

THE ORCHARD SECURES EXCLUSIVE DIGITAL RIGHTS TO LANDMARK HISTORIC RUSSIAN AUDIO AND VIDEO CLASSICAL CATALOGUE >> press release

WMI - MPO ONLINE AND THE ORCHARD FORM ALLIANCE TO DISTRIBUTE FRENCH INDEPENDENT LABELS GLOBALLY >> press release

THE ORCHARD LAUNCHES COMPREHENSIVE LICENSING OFFERING, PROVIDING A ROBUST NEW PLATFORM FOR ARTISTS AND LABELS >> press release

THE ORCHARD LAUNCHES NEW VIDEO DISTRIBUTION SERVICE >> press release

THE ORCHARD ANNOUNCES FOUR NEW MOBILE PARTNERS >> press release

THE ORCHARD INKS DEAL WITH EMI PUBLISHING TO DISTRIBUTE MASTERTONES >> press release

UPCOMING EVENTS

PORTO MUSICAL: February 19-22, Pernambuco BRAZIL
www.portomusical.com
Porto Musical is an annual event organized by WOMEX, the Europe-based World Music Expo. It takes place just before the famous local Carnival festival in the historical port of the Barrio do Recife Antigo in Brazil. In addition to a full program of informative industry seminars, Porto Musical will host the best Latin American music from South America and beyond, including esteemed Orchard clients Mr. Bongo [in an opening night DJ set] and The Gift. The Orchard's Brazilian representative David McLaughlin will attend.

MUSIC 2.0: February 23-24, Los Angeles USA
www.ihollywoodforum.com
Music 2.0 brings together industry leaders to analyze trends and developments affecting the business of digital music, including music's growing portability, digital distribution, piracy, desktop music production, industry consolidation, online marketing, and the rapidly expanding number of services targeting music consumers. Orchard co-founder Scott Cohen will speak February 23 at 12:10pm, on a ringtone panel titled "Ringing Up Profits."

DIGITAL MUSIC FORUM: February 28 - March 01, New York USA
www.digitalmusicforum.com
Now in its sixth year, the Digital Music Forum brings together decision-makers from record labels, music publishers, producers and distributors, technology companies, wireless companies, rights organizations, industry bodies, radio, advertising, attorneys, artists investors and venture capitalists to examine the role of digital technologies in the future of music. Orchard CEO Greg Scholl will speak on the "State of the Digital Union" panel on March 01.

COMING SOON

SXSW: March 13-19, Austin TX
www.sxsw.com

CTIA WIRELESS: April 05-07, Las Vegas NV
www.ctiawireless.com

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