Excellent find on the Rob-Stephens revised estimates, Phantom.
Here's some background info. on Amplified.com from their web-site:
>>>amplified.com, the world's first business to business digital music wholesaler, provides leading music affiliates with a customized digital music service, including both digital download and custom CD compilations. With over 100,000 songs licensed in 17 genres and approximately 7,500 songs available for purchase, amplified.com boasts the largest selection of secure song files available for download on the Internet.
amplified.com emerged from MultiPreviews, Inc., in early 1998 with a capital infusion from Noro-Moseley venture capital partners and Philips Electronics. Philips is eighth on Fortune's list of global top 30 electronics corporations and are active in about 80 businesses varying from consumer electronics to domestic appliances, and from security systems to semiconductors. In MultiPreviews, Philips recognized the Company's Internet music expertise as an important ingredient in its plans to increase sales of CD-Recorders and other products.<<<
Also Amplified.com has 15 employees, I would imagine that all operations will move to Valley's Woodland distribution warehouse. There is plenty of room for them.
I briefly looked at Amplified's pop rock music selection, scanning the artists from A through D. I didn't recognize too many artists except for Glen Campbell (2 songs). Of course there was Dead Eye Dick and Dash Rip Rock, but these are not what you would call artists with a broad range of appeal to the mass markets. And the Rhinestone Cowboy hasn't had a hit since......I can't remember.
I don't think digital downloading is going to overtake conventional
Internet CD sales anytime in the near future. A complete line of artists, full albums and current songs will have to be available for easy and fast download before it becomes a significant threat. Although I think it is very good news that Valley does recognize the potential of the digital distribution of music and is preparing for the future. In the short term, I think Amplified.com has a lot more to gain from this potential deal than Valley Media esp. considering Valley's partnerships with Amazon.com, CDNow, Virgin, etc.
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