ARTISTDIRECT, RADIO FREE VIRGIN HOOK UP
With this agreement, Radio Free Virgin becomes one of the many online music destinations to offer consumers easy one-click ways to purchase products while listening to the music. While a song plays, album artwork as well as a "buy" button will appear within the Radio Free Virgin Player. When listeners click the button, they will be linked to the album and merchandise on the ArtistDirect site.
As everyone knows, it’s all about the merch. Merchandise stock includes CDs, apparel and posters, as well as some exclusive items.
This partnership will help more and more web music fans become impulse-buying fiends, which can only help the economy, right?
"Through their over 40 channels, Radio Free Virgin offers consumers a wide selection of music, and we are complementing that with the ability to buy both the music and merchandise on demand," said ArtistDirect President Keith Yokomoto.
"As a full-service music provider," said Radio Free Virgin GM Zack Zalon, "Radio Free Virgin provides listeners with the best digital broadcasting experience possible, both online and off, across all genres of musical styles."
The only troubling thing about the partnership was the difference in terminology used by the two parties. While ArtistDirect said it was "very excited" to be partnered with Radio Free Virgin, Radio Free Virgin said it was "thrilled" to be partnered with ArtistDirect. That sure sounds like Radio Free Virgin is falling harder and faster for ArtistDirect than ArtistDirect is for Radio Free Virgin—which sounds like a heartbreak in the making.
It’s sad, because we just hate to see virgins get hurt like that.
