The XiVA Music Store has an ever-growing catalogue of music for purchase and aims to deliver an “entirely new download experience”. A graphically rich on-screen interface, a card-based menu system with cover art, and a catalogue of 8.5 million DRM-free 320kbps MP3s are among the features of the new online store.
The service – which is said to constitute the first occasion on which a media server manufacturer has delivered a bespoke online content purchasing offer to its customers, accessible directly through the server’s GUI – also includes an intelligent search engine that can find and recommend tracks from specific or similar artists, as well as a menu system that enables the user to move easily along a particular browsing timeline.
The store will be integrated into Imerge’s media server hardware, enabling users to purchase and download content directly to their home entertainment systems without accessing a web browser or computer. Once downloaded via a simple purchasing system, the new content is automatically added to the user’s music library and may be accessed from anywhere in the home.
Simplicity and ease-of-use are said to be among the benefits of this approach to music purchase and consumption.
Now live in the UK and US, with other territories to follow, the XiVA Music Store was developed in conjunction with 7digital, whose CEO, Ben Drury, commented: “Our partnership with Imerge in the creation of the XiVA Music Store illustrates the flexibility of 7digital’s open technology. The deep integration of our API (Application Programming Interface) within the store, combined with our extensive catalogue of MP3 music, provides a fantastic user experience that makes it simple to discover and purchase new music.”
Charlie Mertz, business development manager for Imerge, told IE Residential: “The XiVA Music Store represents the ultimate evolution of music purchasing. We have developed a stunning, three-dimensional interface that accesses over 8.5 million tracks and integrates seamlessly with the customer’s Imerge media server and content, as well as allowing transfer to iPods/MP3 players or other devices.
“The system encourages a more social approach to buying music, allowing access to the huge track database, while recommending music at every stage. Customers can purchase music related to content they already own, or they can browse a seemingly infinite amount of new music. It’s all about discovering the new and rediscovering the old from a ‘lean-back’ environment, such as the family living room.
“Never before has there been a more ‘human’ approach to digital music. Gone are the days of queuing in a record store, gone are the days of previewing via web-style music stores; the XiVA Music Store is the most advanced, stylish and helpful music store in the world.”
