AOL Music Launches Country and Urban Music Sites

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AOL Music, http://music.aol.com, announced the launch of two new sites, The Boot, http://www.theboot.com, and The Boom Box, http://www.theboombox.com, dedicated exclusively to country and urban (hip hop and R&B) music genres. These follow the successful launches last year of Spinner, http://www.spinner.com, (for indie and non mainstream music) and PopEater, http://www.popeater.com, (for fans of pop music). AOL Music is the Web’s most trafficked music site, according to comScore Media Metrix and Nielsen Net Ratings.*

Both sites will provide music fans access to their favorite artists, including video and song premieres, news, photos, exclusive interviews, and original editorial features. The sites will be monetized through varying advertising packages that will be sold exclusively through AOL’s Platform-A services.

“We’re constantly looking to provide consumers with online experiences that tap into their specific passion points,” said AOL Senior Vice President Mike Rich. “The launch of these two new sites provides a solid platform for artists and music fans, and also offers a viable new venue for advertisers looking to engage highly desirable and specific audiences.”

Last year, AOL Music underwent an extensive redesign that included the successful launches of Spinner and PopEater. According to comScore, Spinner is consistently the Web’s most visited indie music site, while PopEater has emerged as one of the most popular destinations for mainstream music. As a whole, AOL Music has increased its page views by 55% year over year.

“Despite these genres’ popularity, the Web has grossly underserved these fans, until now,” said AOL Music Vice President and Editor in Chief Bill Crandall. “With the launch of The Boot and The Boom Box, we’re taking the next step in providing users with an all encompassing music offering and experience.”

*comScore Media Metrix and Nielsen Net Ratings numbers measured from March 1 to March 31, 2008

About AOL Music

AOL Music is the Web’s most trafficked music site with over 20 million unique visitors per month providing music fans with unparalleled access to artist videos, songs, photos, news and lyrics. AOL Music’s network of sites includes Spinner.com, PopEater.com, TheBoot.com, TheBoomBox.com and it is home to some of the web’s most popular original series including Sessions, The DL, Top 11 Video Countdown, 3X3, and The Interface.

About AOL

AOL is a global Web services company that operates some of the most popular Web destinations, offers a comprehensive suite of free software and services, runs one of the largest Internet access businesses in the U.S., and provides a full set of advertising solutions. A majority-owned subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., AOL LLC and its subsidiaries have operations in the U.S., Europe, Canada and Asia. Learn more at AOL.com.