SlotMusic format launched

The next revolution in digital music was announced today with the introduction of SlotMusic.

Just as vinyl gave way to tape, CDs could now be replaced by a fingernail-sized microSD memory card.

Key to the new 1GB music format is that it is DRM-free, which means that it will play on most media players, and it comes fully loaded with songs from four of the biggest labels.

SlotMusic is being developed by SanDisk, the company known for its flash memory cards, along with Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group and EMI Group.

For the music labels much is riding on this tiny format. Last year despite selling 449 million CDs, sales were down by 19 per cent.

Music tracks will play at up to 320Kbps, and an accompanying USB sleeve will let PCs store and play the card's music, SanDisk said.

Critics of the new format point out that SlotMusic will not operate on the iPhone and not all mobile phones carry microSD slots.

But, Danielle Levitas, vice president of IDC, a market research firm, said: "This year, more than 1.2 billion mobile phones will ship globally, outstripping portable media players by nearly an order of magnitude - and this trend is accelerating."

"SlotMusic offers consumers an immediate, tangible, and high-quality alternative to CDs and digital delivery," she added.

However, Mark Mulligan of Jupiter Research was pessimistic about SlotMusic's chances of success.

"The success of the format depends upon consumers opting to walk into a participating store, chose from a probably limited catalogue and then remove their existing memory card to slot the album in. Why wouldn’t they just download it from an online store?" he asked.

The new format will be available in the US before Christmas with Europe to follow after that, according to SanDisk.

www.slotmusic.org