Universal Music Launches New Global Direct To Consumer E-Commerce Unit Incorporating The Market Leading Technology Of Digital Stores Limited

LONDON -- Universal Music Group, the world’s leading music company, has today launched a new global direct to consumer (D2C) unit following the integration of the Digital Stores Limited (DSL) and its market leading technology platform for building and operating D2C (e-commerce) stores.

London-based DSL joins Universal Music following the acquisition of its parent company EMI Recorded Music. DSL’s e-commerce technology will now be Universal Music’s standard in-house e-commerce platform for consumer and artist music stores around the world and a global centre of expertise for Universal Music’s existing D2C teams. DSL continues to be run by Russel Coultart who has been appointed Vice President Global D2C, reporting to Universal Music’s President of Global Digital Business Rob Wells. Coultart and his team are now based out of Universal Music’s London offices.

DSL was co-founded in 2000 by Coultart and has since grown to become one of the leading European online retail service providers for artists and brands. The company currently operates consumer stores for a number of Universal Music’s artists - including Emeli Sandé, Bastille, Empire of the Sun, Professor Green, Naughty Boy and most recently for Queen whose new DSL-run online store launched last month, for third party artists and labels including One Direction, Pet Shop Boys, Blur and Mute as well as leading UK online music site recordstore.co.uk which is wholly owned by DSL. The business was acquired by EMI in 2010.

Rob Wells said: “DSL know better than anyone how to run first rate and profitable artist and label digital stores and their D2C technology is the best we’ve ever seen. We’re really pleased to bring them into Universal Music so we have a strong and experienced partner in this important area for our artists and our business.”

Coultart said: “With Universal Music’s incredible artists, people and assets, the D2C opportunity for the company around the world is immense and everyone at DSL is very excited about the possibilities ahead of us. We’re already exploring some great ideas with our new colleagues and the strength of UMG allows us to deliver an even more effective and seamless service to all of our partners.”

About Universal Music Group

Universal Music Group is the global music leader, with wholly owned operations in 60 territories. Its businesses also include Universal Music Publishing Group, one of the industry’s premier music publishing operations worldwide.

Universal Music Group’s record labels include A&M/Octone, Angel, Astralwerks, Blue Note, Capitol Records, Decca, Def Jam Recordings, Deutsche Grammophon, Disa, Emarcy, Fonovisa, Geffen Records, Interscope Records, I.R.S., Island Records, Lost Highway Records, Machete Music, Manhattan, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville, Mercury Records, Motown Records, Polydor Records, Republic Records, Universal Music Latino, Verve Music Group and Virgin Records, as well as a multitude of record labels owned or distributed by its record company subsidiaries around the world. The Universal Music Group owns the most extensive catalogue of music in the industry, which includes the last 100 years of the world’s most popular artists and their recordings. UMG’s catalogue is marketed through two distinct divisions, Universal Music Enterprises (in the U.S.) and Universal Strategic Marketing (outside the U.S.). Universal Music Group also includes Global Digital Business, its new media and technologies division, and Bravado, its merchandising company.

Universal Music Group is a fully owned subsidiary of Vivendi.