SANTA MONICA, CA — The way to use music today: Arrange it, MP3 it, take it with you and play it! MAGIX Entertainment and Best Buy have teamed up to take the use of MP3s to the next level. While the recording industry is working out its own MP3 distribution strategy, Magix Entertainment Corp., U.S. music publishing software leader, and Best Buy, the nation’s number one specialty retailer of consumer electronics, personal computers, entertainment software and appliances, joined to offer all MP3 fans a comprehensive music package in a special Thanksgiving promotion.
Best Buy is selling the industry’s first package including music creation software bundled with a portable MP3 player. The package called “MUSIC MAKER eBlitz edition” will excite a new generation of MP3 fanatics with tools for a complete music experience starting with the creation of a song, to converting and listening to it with the Shuttle, a portable MP3 player created by eBlitz Audio Labs. MUSIC MAKER eBlitz edition moves users to a new level of interaction with music, taking them from passive consumption of music to an active involvement in the music creation process. Best Buy launched MUSIC MAKER eBlitz edition in over 400 retail stores on Friday, November 26 (Day after Thanksgiving) the year’s biggest sales day. Best Buy is expected to capture the leadership position of MP3 player sales by giving the consumer a range of creative outlets to explore MP3 possibilities.
“Trusting in MAGIX great potential in the consumer market, Best Buy approached us and asked if we would be interested to develop a special Holiday package that would combine MP3 hardware with music creation and encoding hardware. Of course we said yes, because a package like this could move the whole MP3 experience from pure listing to the consumer’s involvement into the creation process of MP3s or music in general”, says Ken Alterwitz, CEO of MAGIX Entertainment.
The MUSIC MAKER eBlitz edition includes all the tools needed for a complete MP3 experience – starting with the creation of a song, to converting and listening to it with a portable MP3 player.
MAGIX MUSIC MAKER enables individuals to create, publish and deliver compelling music and video content creating a new consumer market segment of personal digital publishing. The program features a 16-track arranger with a content library of royalty-free music and video loops in a variety of styles and genres. With MUSIC MAKER users can create music and videos from pre-recorded .wav and .avi files, CD tracks, MP3 files or their own recordings.
With MAGIX MP3 Maker users can convert wav files that they have created in MUSIC MAKER into MP3 files, compile playlists, and transfer them directly to the portable MP3 player Shuttle.
The eBlitz player Shuttle has direct USB connections for free downloads, 8MB expandable to 72 MB, a digital EQ with 5 presents and comes with headphones.
MUSIC MAKER eBlitz edition was sold at Best Buy on Friday Nov. 26, 2000 for the first 5 hours for a special promotion price of $49.99 and after that for $99.99.
