slotMusic could mean trouble for CDs

LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK and MILPITAS, Calif. With CDs on the brink of distinction, music retailers and record labels have teamed up to bring consumers a new physical music format. The "slotMusic" microSD cards, invented by SanDisk, will soon be made available with pre-loaded, high quality, DRM-free MP3 music.

slotMusic cards enable consumers to instantly and easily enjoy music from their favorite artists without being dependent on a PC or internet connection. Users simply insert the slotMusic card into their microSD-enabled mobile phone or MP3 player to hear the music – without passwords, downloading or digital-rights-management interfering with their personal use.

Record labels EMI Music, SONY BMG, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group have signed on to bring their artists on board for the project, and retailers including Best Buy and Wal-Mart will be among the U.S. stores to sell the slotMusic cards both in stores and online.