Company Debuts Digital Music Environment Powered by Social Networking Technologies

CHICAGO, May 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Immergent (www.immergent.com) has "turned on the lights" of a new kind of online "record store" – a digital music environment powered by social networking technologies. Designed by music lovers for music lovers, Immergent offers fans rich experiences of buying, sharing, interacting, and discovering music online. The record store website launched its U.S. public beta at the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) 2010 Convention in Chicago.

"Immergent sits at the hub of where art and commerce meet. We're leading the experiential evolution of the music industry," said CEO and Founder John Trickett. "The industry is undergoing a sea change. We expect 50 percent of music sales to be digital before the end of the year, and social networking is a ubiquitous element of millions of people's lives. Immergent successfully combines online commerce with social media – offering the ultimate record store experience."

Top Features for Music Fans

Immergent replicates the feel of the revered Empire Record store in a vibrant, friendly online environment:

• Full range of music: The online store carries the full range of music from the four major and more than 80,000 independent record labels – eight million songs and growing.
• Social networking:  Advanced chat functionality enables fans and artists to connect with each other via text, voice, or video.
• User generated content: Fans and recording artists can share and buy playlists and other user generated content.
• Easy search & discover:  The Immergent search engine enables fans to find exactly what they're looking for and to discover new music effortlessly.
• Find live music: Music lovers can easily find live shows wherever they are, or want to be.
• High quality: Immergent leverages leading-edge technology to deliver fans the highest quality digital music available online that will play instantly on any device without requiring a specific player or software download. 

Immergent has in-depth experience in understanding the needs of artists, the desires of fans, and the requirements of the music business in a $1.5 billion industry in the U.S.*  Since the company's inception in 1999, Immergent has been a record label (new music and catalog) and offered music and video production to an extensive list of top recording artists. The company sees the launch of the online record store as a natural evolution.

"How people connect with each other and how they buy music continues to evolve. Immergent is poised to capitalize on this time of transition -- and will grow with the needs and desires of an ever-increasingly sophisticated online community," added Trickett. "Immergent offers a compelling alternative to music lovers who want to buy, hang out, discover, and share online."

To augment the beta development, Immergent has launched a survey of music fans to identify what's been missing in their music buying experiences.  Hundred of songs will be given away by random drawing when the contest ends on June 30, 2010.  Fans can register their comments and enter to win at: immergent.com/500free.

Available now, the beta version of Immergent has the functionality fans need to search, find, and buy music, as well as chat with each other and artists. Later this year, the company will implement a proprietary Business Intelligence and Analytics tool that will provide every record label access to key, customized data. Also scheduled to launch is iMMerge, a distinctive offering for emerging music artists.

About NARM

NARM (National Association of Recording Merchandisers) advances the promotion, marketing, distribution and sale of music by providing members with diverse meeting and networking opportunities, information and education resources, and advocacy for their common interests. NARM is based in Marlton, New Jersey. www.narm.com.

About Immergent

Designed by music lovers for music lovers, Immergent is the ultimate online "record store" -- a digital music environment with robust social networking features. Immergent was founded in 1999 with the belief that music is not a commodity but rather a lifestyle. Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., Immergent is leading the experiential evolution of the music industry by enabling fans to discover, listen, engage, commune, and own their music experience from the inside out. immergent.com; facebook.com/ImmergentTheRecordStore

*Source: Nielsen SoundScan, Jan. 2010

Immergent and the Immergent logo are trademarks of Immergent, LLC. All rights reserved.

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