Amazon Spin-off Brings Rare Music To Consumers

Seattle (WA) - If you’re looking for that rare album from the ’70s and don’t want to spend a fortune on Ebay, Amazon’s "CreateSpace" service may have the answer for you.

The custom CD company announced this week that it has teamed up with EMI Music and Sony BMG, two labels usually up for starting new trends in the digital age, to bring out-of-print albums back in full glory.

Amazon acquired CreateSpace, formerly known as CustomFlix, in July of 2005. The online service allows users to pick from select music and video content and have it burned to a custom CD or DVD.

Since then the online retail giant has launched its own digital music and video service, taking more of a center stage, and the service offered by CreateSpace has become somewhat obsolete.

Amazon said it would use its existing data to determine which albums are of the highest interest to consumers. Even though an item may become out of print, Amazon still lists it on its website for third-party sellers to come forward and offer it, usually at a premium.

Some of the vintage albums coming back for digital distribution include Joe Strummer’s "Earthquake Weather," Grant Green’s "Carryin’ On," and Henry Mancini’s "Hatari Soundtrack."

Another interesting aspect of the new service is that Amazon will print the discs directly from its distribution centers. "Printing these titles in our own fulfillment centers saves transportation costs and transportation fuel," it said.