BlackBerry Playbook to feature 7digital's 13 milllion track music store (update: video)

7digital and RIM are back in bed with news that the BlackBerry PlayBook will ship pre-installed with access to 13 million high-quality (320kbps) MP3 tracks from the London-based media company. At launch, the deal affects the US and Canada only, with more countries promised in 2011. PlayBook users will be able to search and preview tracks before purchasing with a discovery assist provided by 7digital's music recommendation engine. The whole kit will be previewed this week at South by Southwest where we hope to get some hands-on time. Full press release after the break.

Update: RIM's now also announced a new BlackBerry Podcasts app to go along with the music store, and it's provided a video showing off both. Check it out after the break, and hit up the link below for some additional details.

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7digital and RIM Strike a Chord with Music Store on the BlackBerry
PlayBook

7digital Music Store to be pre-installed on the BlackBerry PlayBook at launch in the US and Canada with further international roll out in 2011

7digital Music Store lets users browse, preview and purchase tracks from a catalogue of over 13 million MP3s

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM and WATERLOO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - March 9, 2011) - Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ:RIMM)(TSX:RIM) and 7digital today announced that the 7digital Music Store will come pre-installed(i) on the BlackBerry(R) PlayBook(TM).

The 7digital Music Store will give BlackBerry PlayBook users access to 7digital's catalogue of over 13 million high quality (320kbps) MP3s. BlackBerry PlayBook users will be able to search for tracks, albums and artists and preview tracks before making a purchase. Users can also discover new music through 7digital's recommendation technology. Prices for BlackBerry PlayBook users will match the prices on 7digital.com, with individual tracks and albums priced in a customer's local currency.

Ben Drury, CEO 7digital comments, "We're really excited to be working with RIM to bring the 7digital experience to the BlackBerry PlayBook. RIM has created an incredible tablet with premium multimedia features and together we are delivering a truly exceptional music experience for mobile users, offering content that is extremely easy to discover, purchase and use.

"We currently have the largest international footprint of any MP3 digital music seller and we look forward to expanding our business with RIM throughout the year."

"The 7digital Music Store is a perfect complement to the high-performance BlackBerry PlayBook, providing users with fast searches and downloads, and a slick interface that makes it very easy to discover, purchase and enjoy music," said Alistair Mitchell, Vice President, BBM Platform & Integrated Services. "We are thrilled to be working with 7digital to provide BlackBerry PlayBook users with access to an amazing catalog of 13 million tracks."

The BlackBerry PlayBook tablet running the 7digital Music Store application will be previewed this week at the South by South West conference in Austin, Texas.

(i) Certain territorial restrictions may apply.

About 7digital

7digital is a leading digital media delivery company based in London and operating globally. Through 7digital's download store (www.7digital.com) consumers can access over 13 million legal high quality MP3 music tracks as well as audiobooks and videos at competitive prices across Europe and North America.

Combining 7digital's secure and robust technology platform with the broadest agreements in the digital media industry, the company provides comprehensive digital download services to a wide range of partners around the world. 7digital has worked with record companies, artists, FMCG brands, retailers, consumer electronics companies, fashion brands, advertising agencies and many other organisations to harness the power of digital entertainment, music, video, audiobooks and ebooks, to engage customers. For more information visit www.7digital.com/business.

7digital has provided digital media services to over 500 partners including: RIM, Samsung, Toshiba, HMV, Spotify, Imagination Technologies, Universal Music, EMI, Warner Music, Sony Music, Waterstone's, AOL/Winamp, Imerge, Nestle, Hugo Boss, Yahoo!, Amnesty International and Adidas, and have delivered tens of millions of digital products in over 30 countries.

Visit www.7digital.com

About Research In Motion

Research In Motion (RIM), a global leader in wireless innovation, revolutionized the mobile industry with the introduction of the BlackBerry(R) solution in 1999. Today, BlackBerry products and services are used by millions of customers around the world to stay connected to the people and content that matter most throughout their day. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. RIM is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ:RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:RIM). For more information, visit www.rim.com or www.blackberry.com.

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