HMV finally understands this 'internet' thing, launches UK music store app
Having filed for bankruptcy and successfully avoided closure just a week later, British high street retailer HMV is hoping a new digital storefront will help it keep the wolves from its door. Under the leadership of Hilco, the retail restructuring business that previously picked up Polaroid's brand, the company today launched a new music store for iOS and Android devices. The apps let smartphone owners listen to or buy tracks by scanning images of CD albums and posters, or by tagging audio tracks thanks to Soundhound's music discovery algorithms. Amazon may have helped put HMV out of business, but the big purple retailer has got one up on Amazon's Cloud Player with some of these features. The company doesn't plan to stop there either: it'll soon integrate its store into a revamped website, letting everyone else get a piece of the action.
