Groupon Grows Ties To Music Biz

Groupon is the latest unconventional outlet for selling music. Today the deal site is offering digital downloads of the new album from pop/rock star David Gray. Lost and Found-Live in Dublin 2011 is available exclusively on the coupon e-tailor for the deeply discounted price of $6, listed as a $13 value. Additionally, Groupon subscribers will be able to sample a track from this release for free via a Groupon RCRDLBL-branded widget. Gray’s label home, Downtown Records, will do a physical release of the album later this year.
This follows a similar Groupon deal with Rihanna’s album in November 2010, and the May 2011 announcement of GrouponLive, a partnership between the deal factory and Live Nation.
Groupon has also offered tickets to Britney Spears’ current Femme Fatale trek for $31, about half the face value of $61.
Seeking increasing name recognition, Groupon was a big sponsor of Saturday’s (6/25) MTV Video Music Aid Japan concert special.
Forbes reports Groupon has 83 million email subscribers, and matched last year’s total coupon sales of 30 million in the first quarter of 2011. Still, the company lost $413 million last year.