Coffee and apples make music together

Apple Computer Inc.’s iTunes Store now will offer Starbucks’ Hear Music catalog, giving iTunes users the ability to preview, buy and download a wide variety of titles from Starbucks’ Hear Music, which the coffeehouse titan acquired in 1999.

Hear Music produces albums showcasing new and classic artists. The albums include the Artist Choice series, Opus Collections, Debut Series and new works from major artists. Starbucks Hear Music offerings will be available in a special new Starbucks Entertainment area within the iTunes Store and will include content as well as playlists created specifically for iTunes, which is owned by Apple, No. 15 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide to Retail Web Sites.

The move is designed to extend music buying from Starbucks’ bricks-and-mortar stores to the Internet sales channel, says Ken Lombard, president of Starbucks Entertainment. “Our customers want to listen to our music on their iPods, and now that will be easier.”

The Starbucks Entertainment area within iTunes will feature a wide variety of playlists including music hand-picked by the same Starbucks Hear Music content team responsible for selecting the music played in Starbucks stores around the world. Playlists and content will be updated frequently and also will include digital versions of many of Hear Music’s popular CD series and co-releases such as the Marvin Gaye Opus.