Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) has scored a major deal with legendary rock band Eagles to be one of the only two distributors (alongside the Eagles official website and sister store Sam's Club) of the band's first album in twenty-eight years, Long Road Out of Eden. Outside the store and the country, the album's promotion and distribution will be handled by Universal Music Group. The first single from the album, "How Long" is already available on Wal-Mart, Sam's Club websites, in addition to the Eagles website as part of a pre-order package for the album.The coup for this massive release comes just as Wal-Mart opens a new digital music store without Digital Rights Management technology, with more tracks and lower prices than major competitor Apple Inc.'s (NASDAQ: AAPL) iTunes Plus store. Wal-Mart's DRM-free tracks will sell for $.94, about $.35 cheaper than the same track on iTunes Plus. The store also offers the new Universal DRM-free tracks, which became available earlier this month. The store also offers "traditional" DRM tracks cheaper than iTunes, $.88 compared to $.99.
Wal-Mart is the leading music retailer, above Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) and Apple's iTunes, and this development will surely give the company a larger lead. As EMI Group PLC and Universal musicians are already in the store with DRM-free tracks, the Eagles' album will not be the first to enjoy this store but it will certainly be the biggest. Securing Long Road to Eden's physical and digital release will give consumers little option where to buy the album, but with DRM-free tracks available those using other digital services will not be left out of the continued freezing over of hell.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-22-2007 @ 8:36PM
roudy11z said...
It will take more than the Eagles to bring my Wal-Mart back to sanity and real profitability.As I've said previously I will be in charge of the funeral for Wal-Mart which will probably be late Dec or Jan.I will advise you as to the date and time later.
8-22-2007 @ 11:58PM
Beltway Greg said...
Open Letter to Mr. Don Henley and $the Eagles.$ A.K.A. Haliburton's favorite band
From: Beltway Greg
Mr. Henley (and friends):
At one point I actually respected you and believed that you represented all those things that were good about America. But now, I've come to understand (by your actions) that you're nothing but a money grubbing corporate whore. Seriously, you make Gene Simmons of Kiss look sincere; you make the boys from Motley Crue look like they're really doing it for the art. First you pushed ticket prices through the roof. Your fans have supported your endeavors for years making your group "The Eagles" one of the greatest selling bands of all time. And how have you rewarded their loyalty$ By making your concerts out of reach for all but the very wealthy. Now, you sign an exclusive deal with Wal-Mart. Your the man who sang about the "Tired old man that we elected king" and talked about corporate greed and the environment and you do this$ If you ask me Don Felder may not be a member of the band, but at least he still has his dignity and his soul.
This my friend is truly the "End of the Innocence."
What ever happened to that "same small town in each of us?"
Beltway Greg: a fan no more.
P.S. Didn't John David Souther already release your first single back in 1972?
8-23-2007 @ 12:02AM
Ben said...
Tell me this: if the Wal-mart Universal Music downloads are DRM-free MP3's, why do I need Windows to download them? Why would having Windows Media Player 9 (Windows-only) be required to download a MP3 file? Wal-mart, you just lost my business. I'll have to stick with iTunes.