HMV launches iTunes rival selling top 40 singles for 40p

Retailer HMV is going head-to-head with iTunes with the launch of a new music download service today.

The 89-year-old British company will challenge its online rivals, including the American industry leader, Apple, with a launch promotion offering every single in the top 40 UK chart for 40p each.

Shaking off its image as a traditional high-street music shop, the new download service, hmvdigital, officially goes live with a catalogue of over 10 million songs.

Its new service is compatible with any mp3 player and automatically synchronises downloads with iTunes or Windows Media Player libraries. Users can also re-download past purchases if they are lost - something not currently permitted on iTunes.

This is not HMV's first foray into the digital world and it has offered music downloads before. However, last September HMV acquired a 50% stake in digital music specialists 7digital - the company which powers Spotify - which helped boost its online credentials.

The new download service offers millions more tracks with many now available at the highest-quality mp3 compression of 320kbps.

Melanie Armstrong, head of music at HMV, said: "Some people still tend to think of us as a traditional retailer, but the fact is we've completely transformed our business.

"The launch of hmvdigital means we now also have a world-class music download platform that creates a really engaging consumer experience and a genuine alternative to all the other digital music services currently out there."