The Orchard Expands To Russia

The Orchard Expands To Russia

Alexander Shulgin, Legendary Russian Songwriter and Producer, To Pioneer Digital Distribution Of Russian Music By Licensing His Catalogue Exclusively To The Orchard For Global Distribution

The Orchard Opens Moscow Office To Service The Russian Market

-- Russia's import as a global music center underscored by its recent addition to the Live 8 lineup --

NEW YORK and MOSCOW, June 30 /PRNewswire/ -- The Orchard, the leading distributor and marketer of independent music in the world, today announced a worldwide digital distribution and marketing deal with Alexander Shulgin, one of the most popular and successful Russian songwriters and producers. Russian audiences recognize Shulgin as an innovator and an influential figure in the contemporary music and media industry, and he is widely acknowledged as one of the founders and builders of the modern Russian music business. Mr. Shulgin is a multiple recipient of the prestigious 'Song of the Year' and 'Album of the Year' awards.

The Orchard will make Shulgin's catalogue of 1,500 songs available across its global distribution platform, which encompasses more than 100 of the world's leading digital music stores globally, including iTunes, eMusic, Napster, MSN, MusicMatch, Real/Rhapsody, and Yahoo! In addition, The Orchard maintains distribution partnerships with industry-leading mobile companies around the world, including Sprint, Dwango Wireless, Zingy, 9 Squared, HIFI Ringtones, IAM Mobile, Securycast, Arvato Mobile and Hudson Soft.

In addition, The Orchard has opened a Moscow office staffed by local professionals and managed by Max Orlov, The Orchard's chief operating officer and a Moscow native, to assist Mr. Shulgin and others in entering the digital future.

"We have been waiting for the right moment to enter the world of digital distribution and we are pleased to enter into this relationship with The Orchard," said Alexander Shulgin. "We are especially excited about their promotional and marketing capabilities, which is what we feel makes the difference in the crowded digital realm. No other company has the global reach and merchandising skills to ensure that music from non-Western countries like Russia compete on a level playing field across the global music business."

"Russia boasts one of the richest musical heritages of any country, and remains one of the most important regional areas of focus for us. The recent addition of Moscow to the Live 8 Concert lineup underscores the scale and importance of the Russian music market," said Greg Scholl, chief executive of The Orchard and managing director of Dimensional Associates, Inc, the private equity fund that owns The Orchard, eMusic, eMusicLive and Dimensional Music Publishing. "With the addition of Alexander Shulgin's catalogue, we will soon offer an unparalleled selection of Russian content to a global audience. We are excited to establish a formal presence in Russia, and to work with Mr. Shulgin and other leading Russian executives and labels to bring the full wealth of Russia's musical treasures into the digital universe."

About Alexander Shulgin

Alexander Shulgin (www.shulgin.com) is a leading executive in the new Russian music industry, having worked with such iconic artists as Valeria, Mumiy Troll, Dima Malikov, Gruppa.fm and many others. Mr. Shulgin owns and operates Familia Entertainment, a record label, and Familia Publishing, a publishing company. His catalogue includes not only top-10 songs but also a diverse array of rare releases, including hundreds of the best-known Russian gypsy songs, Songs of Siberian Exile and Best Songs of WWI, all of which are part of a Russia's unique musical heritage.

About The Orchard

The Orchard (www.theorchard.com) is the leading distributor and marketer of independent music in the world, representing thousands of labels spanning 72 countries and every music genre. The Orchard supplies its catalogue of more than 600,000 tracks to all of the leading legal digital music stores and services throughout the world. Headquartered in New York, The Orchard maintains operations in London, Paris, Moscow, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Buenos Aires, Tel Aviv and Melbourne.

About Dimensional Associates, Inc.

Dimensional Associates, Inc. is the New York-based private equity arm of JDS Capital Management, Inc. Its portfolio companies include eMusic, The Orchard and Dimensional Music Publishing (formerly DreamWorks Music Publishing).

Contacts: Andy Morris & Company Andy Morris / Carol Klenfner (212) 561-7465 / (212) 561-7467 andy@amc-pr.com / carol@amc-pr.com

Source: The Orchard

CONTACT: Andy Morris, +1-212-561-7465, or andy@amc-pr.com, or Carol Klenfner, +1-212-561-7467, or carol@amc-pr.com, both of Andy Morris & Company

Web site: http://www.theorchard.com/ http://www.shulgin.com/

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