EMI, Radiowave in Web Venture

Britain’s EMI Group made further inroads into the Internet on Tuesday with plans to take its roster of artists onto branded Internet radio sites in an alliance with U.S. interactive audio company Radiowave.com. EMI, home to the Rolling Stones and Spice Girls, said it would work with Radiowave.com to develop Internet radio channels providing music, biographies and discographies based on EMI’s extensive stable of artists and music library.

“We are no longer tied to a single business model for selling music, and this is a chance for more artists to get more focused attention and for genres that don’t get mainstream play to be heard,” said Jay Samit, senior vice president of new media at EMI Recorded Music.

Pop, jazz, hard rock and Christian music will be among the sites rolled out, with the first set for launch by the end of March. Radiowave.com is majority-controlled by U.S. cell phone maker Motorola.