SanDisk is keeping good on its promise to bring music to its consumers. On Wednesday, the Milpitas, Calif.-based company, along with four music giants, said consumers this week can begin buying its SlotMusic microSD cards to be used in slot-enabled mobile phones, portable media players, computers and car stereos.
SanDisk’s digital-rights management-free SlotMusic cards are preloaded with MP3 music from artists from Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and EMI.
When SanDisk first announced it would be offering the SlotMusic cards, people wondered how the company would compete in a market where Apple’s iTunes Store and Amazon.com are successfully offering digital downloads. Consumers bought $6.3 billion worth of MP3s in 2007, according to NPD Group.
“Anytime something new comes to market there are naysayers. However, there was plenty of positive, too,” said Eric Bone, SanDisk’s vice president of product marketing.
Industry watchers also worry SanDisk is launching SlotMusic at a time when sales of mobile phones and CDs are slowing. Analysts also worried that consumers would not be ready for another music format.
“This product is not for all people and all places,” Bone said. “This is for the general consumer looking for a quick, simple solution. SlotMusic cards are about plug and play –into a mobile phone or MP3 player with a slot. This is not the end-all, be-all for everyone, but it’s a nice alternative to downloading or managing music that many consumers find difficult or tedious.”
The difference, however, may be in the price and convenience of SlotMusic. The cards have 1GB of capacity, are packaged with a USB adapter, and MP3-based tracks are played at up to 320 Kbps, according to SanDisk.
The USB adapter will allow the cards to be used with all computers, including Windows, Linux and Mac. They can also…