Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Thiruvananthapuram
Music for me, by me
|
You can now browse through thousands of songs and compile your favourites on a CD.
|
Vasundhara Das inaugurating the CD kiosk at Music World.
SWITCHING ON the music system one tired evening, have you ever wondered why the best songs are always placed at the end, or how the order of songs could have been better organised, or even how the cover design for the tape could have been done better?
Music World and hamaracd.com have together launched their personalised CD service that allows you to sort out all these problems and do much more.
In 2000, Saregama, the HMV label, realised that its enormous database of Hindi, Indipop, regional, and classical music could be put to better use by offering customers the option of producing their own CDs. Music World and the RMG Group, with their strategic marketing position, were called in to handle the marketing of the venture and promote it all over the country.
Early this month, the first personalised CD kiosk was launched in Music World, Brigade road, by Vasundhara Das.
The service can be accessed both over the internet at www.hamaracd.com and at the kiosks at Food World, MG Road, and Music World, Brigade road. The service has also been introduced in Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, and Hyderabad.
The process of compiling your own CD is extremely simple. The customer first browses through the database of 20,000 songs, either selecting them by the name of the artiste, genre of music, name of the film, music director, or actor/actress. The customer gets to rearrange the songs in his choice of order.
He also has the option of titling the CD with an appropriate name, and adding an image from the library of artistes provided at the website. The choice of adding a special message to the inlay of the CD is available, and once this is completed, the command to actually burn the CD is given.
The only disadvantage to a large group of listeners is the complete exclusion of English songs and artistes. This, of course, is because HMV's database includes only Hindi and regional numbers. Music World has realised this disadvantage, and is in the process of getting other labels to contribute to the website. Music World has tied up with other e-biz sites such as Indiatimes and Rediff to position their service better.
This personalised CD is available at a rather high price of Rs. 299. But the company explains that the songs are re-mastered and digitally recorded. It also carries the price of royalty to the recording company. Since the process is entirely legal, the price is high.
The company is, however, looking at a price reduction in the future.
In terms of response and demand, Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar seem to be the toppers on the hit list. But music preferences vary according to the region. As the people at Music World say, the process is addictive. Once a person realises that he can listen to songs of his choice and in the order of his choice, he wants to create more such listening material. "In fact, we have received customers who have ordered 70 CDs at one go,'' they say.
The CD space is limited to 60 minutes, which carries anywhere between 12 to 16 songs. This, of course, does not apply to classical music. The CD is delivered within three working days if the order is placed online.
As Raj Grover, Head E-business, Music World, says, the extent of personalisation and convenience of shipping to any location makes Hamara CD an "ideal'' product.
For more information, visit www.hamaracd.com
MONISHA VARADAN
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Thiruvananthapuram
|
