Universal Music, the world’s biggest music company, launched what it billed as the largest online site for classical and jazz music on Wednesday as part of a drive to exploit rising demand for digital downloads.
“We expect sales to begin with to be relatively modest, but by the third or fourth quarter of the year to be making a positive contribution to the business,” said Mark Wilkinson, a marketing director for Universal’s classics and jazz division.
“I think (the market for digital downloads) can only grow, and as the Apple iPod generation grows, they start to discover the classics,” he added.
Speaking at the launch of the new U.K.-based classical and jazz download Web site shortly after a live performance by Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti, Wilkinson said Universal was tapping into a rich market segment.
