Starbucks bringing more music to its coffeehouses

Jim Delehoy, right, chooses music to create a CD at the opening of the new Starbucks' Hear Music Coffeehouse in Santa Monica, California, on Tuesday. The coffee retailing giant has partnered with HP to create a store that allows customers to download and burn customized CDs. PHOTO: EPA

Add music to the coffee and lunch and wireless Internet offered at Starbucks.

Starbucks announced this week it was launching a new digital music service with Hewlett-Packard that allows customers to "burn" compact disks (CDs) of music albums or personalized compilations.

"Starbucks built its brand through innovation in products and services that preserve and enhance the trust our customers have in the Starbucks Experience," said Howard Schultz, Starbucks chairman.

"Innovations like our exclusive music compilations, the Starbucks Card and placing Wi-Fi access in Starbucks stores have transformed the way that millions of our customers enjoy their coffeehouse experience. As a result, Starbucks is well-positioned to deliver this unparalleled music service."

The company launched its first Hear Music Coffeehouse in Santa Monica, California and intends to expand this to more of its 7,500 worldwide locations.

It will offer the CD burning service to 10 Starbucks stores in its home town of Seattle, Washington.

The service offers "more than 20,000 full-length albums and hundreds of thousands of songs." Albums from artists such as the Rolling Stone or Aretha Franklin cost about US$15.

"Hear Music is committed to bringing music into people's lives by helping them discover great music from emerging artists, as well as those artists outside of the mainstream," said Don MacKin-non, vice president of Starbucks Music and Entertainment, in a statement.

The music coffehouses will allow customers to use HP computers to access, personalize music and create their own CDs. They can also listen to interviews with artists including Sheryl Crow, Yo-Yo Ma or the late Johnny Cash.