Death Of The Music CD?

SanDisk is teaming up with some of the biggest music labels in an effort to ease the venerable and increasingly unloved audio CD into the retirement home. The Milpitas maker of flash memory said today that it is partnering with four top labels to roll out a new music medium based on its microSD cards that will feature full-length, pre-loaded albums and additional content. Called slotMusic, the format is compatible with more than a billion cell phones, MP3 players, PCs and game consoles and will give music lovers a more versatile way to experience their music, SanDisk said."We see slotMusic as the album of the 21st century and something that makes sense for people today," said Daniel Schreiber, general manager and senior vice president of SanDisk Audio/Video.The slotMusic cards, about the size of a fingernail, will appear in Wal-Mart and Best Buy outlets in time for the holidays. Pricing has not been announced, though Schreiber said they will be in line with other music options.Music labels EMI Music, Sony BMG, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group have pledged their support for slotMusic and will roll out a mix of current and older albums using the format. Universal, for example, will have 20 albums at release and 30 by the end of the year from artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Akon and New Kids on the Block."It's about providing more choice for consumers," said Rio Caraeff, executive vice president of eLabs for Universal Music Group. "It's a mode of getting music that has no friction. It just plays. It gives people the benefits of digital music with no headaches."Caraeff said the cards are one way for recording companies to recoup some of the money they're losing with the decline of CDs. SOURCE:SFGATE.COM