Major and independent record labels today announced the first-ever retail availability of the much anticipated DualDisc -- a two-sided disc made up of a CD player side and a DVD player side.

A broad range of titles have begun to hit retail shelves in the first wave of products that will continue throughout the holiday season and into next year with releases from EMI Music, Silverline Records, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group and Universal Music Group.

DualDisc is a new music product that combines audio and video content on a single disc. In addition to a full album on the CD player side, the DVD player side provides the full album in enhanced sound (such as Surround Sound and/or DVD-Audio or LPCM stereo), and also includes a wide range of special features and exclusive content such as music videos, interviews, photo galleries, web links, concert footage and lyrics.

Some of the more than 50 titles being released on DualDisc during the next several weeks, and a sampling of the types of extra content fans will find in addition to the full album, include:
* Simple Plan's newest album "Still Not Getting Any ... " featuring 20 minutes of exclusive behind the scenes "making of the album" footage
* Nine Inch Nails' "The Downward Spiral" featuring exclusive photos and videos in surround sound and a complete discography, and
* Blondie's "The Curse of Blondie" featuring stunning 5.1 surround sound and music video of club hit "Good Boys."

"DualDisc allows us to take our most recent studio album [The Curse of Blondie] to a whole new level. Now our fans get to experience surround sound, our video, additional photos and lyrics all on one disc," said Deborah Harry, lead singer of Blondie.

Momentum has been building for DualDisc since the major and independent labels previewed the product for retailers at the National Association of Retail Merchandisers conference in San Diego in August.

"We are encouraged about the prospect of delivering a new type of music product that will offer fans an even richer music experience, and we believe that DualDisc will help to further drive traffic to retail," said Sue Peterson, Senior Buyer for the Music Department at Target. "I am hopeful that the record labels and artists will support new releases in DualDisc."

Music fans have also been anticipating the arrival of DualDisc. In test markets conducted earlier this year, consumers were overwhelmingly positive about the product. Some 90 percent said they would recommend DualDisc to a friend and 82 percent said they are satisfied or extremely satisfied with DualDisc.

From mi2n