Home > Views > Blogs > Daily Brief > Will iTunes Help XM Revive Radio?
EMAIL
PRINT
RSS
SHARE
TEXT SIZE:
SHARE
Send a copy to me

Separate multiple email addresses (max 20) with commas.

0/1500

Main
Anne Hathaway and the $30,000 Housecall   A New British Invasion: Brokers, Not...
Jun 24 2008 2:16PM EDT

Will iTunes Help XM Revive Radio?

24-coldplay-onstage-large.jpg

If video killed the radio star, then digital music stores nailed the coffin shut and paid for the floral arrangements.

But it now seems that XM Radio, a major newsmaker in 2007 on speculation of a merger with Sirius, has found a way to walk hand in hand with the competition: Check out what sells, then offer an extension of the product.

On July 15, XM will initiate "30 Days of Coldplay," a channel dedicated solely to the work of the industrious British band. While XM has featured artist-exclusive channels in the past, Coldplay will be the first current band timed for the release of new music. Past acts included classics Led Zeppelin and Michael Jackson.

But "30 Days of Coldplay" isn't exactly a shot in the dark. In the week preceding the release of Viva la Vida, the band's fourth studio album, Coldplay smashed pre-sale records on iTunes, and the title track soared to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 based on digital sales alone.

While iTunes may hold the reins when it comes to selling previously unreleased tracks, there are some arenas where radio may yet win. "30 Days" will feature interviews, hard-to-find imported material, and a live performance from Coldplay's Viva la Vida North American tour, at no additional cost to subscribers.

ITunes is undoubtedly a premiere way to gauge what fans want. "The feedback from listeners was very positive," says XM spokeswoman Anne-Taylor Adams of Coldplay's recent work. "These are the artists the fans are eager to hear."

Perhaps the company is keeping an eye on iTunes and the culture of digital music--then using it to return to the past.

by Marisa Rindone

Photograph of Chris Martin of Coldplay at the 2008 MTV Movie Awards by Mario Anzuoni/Reuters/Landov

See more in

Loading...

Add Your Comment

Required fields are marked with an asterisk (*)
Add a comment

Recent Blog Posts

Archive

Previous
Aug
2008
Next


Also in Portfolio.com
Most Read
Most Emailed
Recently Commented