Industry "Cheap" Alternative to MP3 Downloads: 99 cents for One MP3

The online division of Maverick Records and Vivendi Universal is offering a single in MP3 version for 99 cents. Experts say this can be the first step of the music industry in the direction of accepting online MP3 purchase as an alternative.

On the sites RollingStone.com, GetMusic.com and MP3.com and MP4.com the MP3 file of "Earth" (dance version) by Meshell Ndgeocello can be bought, downloaded and burnt to a CD-ROM. Subscribers of EMusic can get the file for free.

"It's very significant that they would endorse the MP3 format since MP3 has always been a dirty word to the labels. But "I think you'll be able to count the number of sales on one hand", said media expert Phil Benyola from Raymond James Financial.

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