• by Ross Fadner , December 3, 2003

CNET Wednesday officially acquired MP3.com from Vivendi Universal USA, and in so doing announced plans for the re-launch of the site, as well as the addition of a new site for downloading music from independent artists.

The new site will be a free independent artist upload/download service that will be featured on CNET's Download.com. CNET plans to launch the artist site in early 2004, and expects the re-launch of MP3.com to follow shortly thereafter.

The announcement is a definite boost for the more than 250,000 musicians who made their music available for download under MP3.com's old domain, as they are now assured of a new space to store, distribute, and market their work. Following Vivendi's decision to sell MP3.com to CNET in early November, it was unclear whether CNET would be able to accommodate MP3.com's independent artists.

The new music upload/download site that will be featured on CNET's Download.com will enable musicians to upload their songs for free. They should do well by Download.com's tens of millions of unique monthly visitors. Independent artists were notified last week that should copy and hold onto the music they previously stored at MP3.com's old domain for transfer to the new site.

When CNET re-launches MP3.com next year, it will be with a new focus. MP3.com is to be converted from a downloading site into an interactive music information portal, addressing the demand for an information resource centered solely on music, much like CNET publication GameSpot serves as an information portal for the video and computer gaming industry.

As of today, the MP3.com web site has been disbanded, and will serve as a message board providing place-holder content between now and the site's re-launch next year. The object is to generate consumer feedback and input regarding the preferred content of CNET's newly adopted consumer base.

Barry Briggs, chief operating officer of CNET Networks, assures that, "While our strength is in producing interactive content, it is our users and their engagement with our sites that is the core..." He also emphasizes the importance of feedback from artists and enthusiasts alike, which will enable CNET to tailor the new MP3.com to the tastes of consumers.