Irish customers will shortly be able to download digital music from a subscription site, run by the major music retailer HMV. The company, which has mounted a hugely successful marketing campaign in both Britain and Ireland over the past couple of years, is set to become the first major music retailer in this part of the world with an online subscription service, allowing customers to download digital music from a huge choice of tracks on the company's website, hmv.co.uk.

This highly significant new development - operative from the start of September - is the result of a partnership deal between HMV and online music distribution company, On Demand Distribution (OD2).

Under this new partnership arrangement, HMV customers will have access to the largest official catalogue of digital music ever made available in the Ireland. It comprises nearly 100,000 tracks drawn from the repertoires of EMI, Warner Music and BMG as well as leading independent labels like Telstar, Mushroom and V2. A wide range of artists and music genres will be featured, including, for the first time, almost the entire Elvis Presley catalogue of 990 songs. There will also be 261 tracks from Genesis covering the early years to the present, all of the Craig David and Westlife repertoires as well as many songs from artists like Kylie Minogue, Coldplay, Dido, David Bowie and The Chemical Brothers.

The monthly subscription fee of £4.99 entitles subscribers to create their very own personal mixes. The versatile service has three options - consumers can simply choose to listen to particular tracks (streaming); rent them (via downloads) or buy a permanent copy (which can be burned to CD).

Up to 50 tracks can be downloaded in any month. Alternatively, subscribers can choose to either (a) stream upto 500 tracks, (b) burn approximately 5 tracks to CD or (c) opt for a mix of all three. Single tracks can also be purchased via download or burned onto CD as part of the subscription.

"Whilst HMV fundamentally believes that record stores will remain core to the way that people choose to buy their music for the foreseeable future," Stuart Rowe, HMV E-Commerce Director comments, "it is also evident that a growing number of customers are ready for digital music. As the UK's leading specialist online service that is already profitable, we are well placed to cater to both requirements. Our aim is to give people the widest possible access to pre-recorded music in whichever format they most require it, whether this is through our web site or via our stores."

"Having opened our first shop on London's Oxford Street as long ago as1921, HMV has always been part of the process of change in music distribution, and has played a key role in shaping today's modern music

store," David Pryde, HMV Europe Managing Director adds. "We now find that we are in the unique position of being able to take another strategic step forward to become the UK's first true, multi-channel music retailer."

"HMV's decision is a major milestone for the digital music," Charles Grimsdale CEO of OD2 says. "When the world's largest music retailer gets on board, it's a clear signal that the industry's attitudes towards digital music have changed significantly from the days when it was seen as a threat rather than an opportunity."

HMV joins a number of high profile websites and portals - including MSN.co.uk, Freeserve and Tiscali already using the OD2 service