Harvey Norman teams with destra to challenge iTunes

Stuart Corner
Monday, 28 August 2006 12:47

Your IT - Home IT

Retailer Harvey Norman has launched a music download service in conjunction with destra Corporation, Australia's largest digital music provider in Australia.
The service, Channel GO www.ChannelGO.com.au launches with gift vouchers, to be sold only in Harvey Norman stores, that will enable the purchase of songs, and entire albums form the service.

It is very much Intel ViiV and Microsoft oriented. Harvey Norman product & marketing manager – software and portable media, Rebecca McLaughlin said, “Harvey Norman is the first Australian retailer to provide not only an online music store but also an Intel ViiV store and Windows Media Centre store. All three digital experiences are integral to the consumer electronic products available in our stores – MP3 Players, Intel ViiV-enabled devices and Microsoft Windows Media Centre based computers. Channel Go provides the glue to our digital offering."

Music is available in Windows Media Audio (WMA) and MP3  formats at $1.69 per track, album prices start at $16.99, the same prices as Apple iTunes.

Launched in 2003, destra Music was the first company in Australia to provide a legal digital music download service. It now has partnerships with major record labels including Sony/BMG, EMI and Warner, and claims to provide access to over 1.5 million tracks.