Taylor Swift photo by Amanda Eckard/CMA, courtesy of Erickson PR.

Big Machine Records and its sister label, The Valory Music Co., the label homes of Taylor Swift, Jewel, Reba McEntire and Justin Moore, have partnered with ScatterTunes™ to release V-Albums from their artists. ScatterTunes’s  V-Albums are an innovative approach at taking the traditional album to the next level through enhanced content such as photos, lyrics, digital booklets, videos, artist merchandise and links to the artist’s website and social media networks.

“We are excited to partner with ScatterTunes on this new digital platform,” Kelly Rich, VP Sales, Marketing and Interactive for the Big Machine Label Group said.  “ScatterTunes gives the consumer a more interactive and immersive experience beyond just listening.”

“Big Machine and Valory have consistently been ahead of the curve in the music business. Their recognition of ScatterTunes’ high-quality consumer experience and added revenue streams is extremely gratifying,” Witt Stewart, CEO of ScatterTunes, said.

ScatterTunes is a website and application that allows the listener to purchase music through the ScatterTunes iBoard which can also be used to manage current digital music libraries. Music in ScatterTunes can be imported to iTunes and can also be played on any MP3 player. The additional application, V-Album iBoard, plays V-Albums.

As a consumer of music, I was excited to try out ScatterTunes when I read their press release about partnering with these two labels. The fact that it is compatible with iTunes, is capable of importing existing MP3 files, works with any MP3 player and offers enhanced content made the product attractive before the download started.

The ScatterTunes software download is quick and free. It consists of both the iBoard which is used for managing music and to connect to the ScatterTunes store, and the V-Album iBoard which plays the enhanced contents of a V-Album. While it would be nice to have the applications combined, both are user-friendly and work smoothly together. The ScatterTunes store is searchable and sells most tracks for 99¢ cents, though current or recent hit singles are $1.29 and full albums go for around $10. Music videos are also available for download.

What I was excited to try were the V-Albums. To buy the full album, including full-length album tracks, the price goes up a couple of dollars. However, if you already own the MP3 tracks, you can buy the enhanced V-Album for just $3. I took advantage of a Taylor Swift giveaway on the ScatterTunes website – the first 100,000 fans to enter get a free copy of Taylor’s Fearless (Platinum Edition) album – to see what it was all about.

V-Albums are great for the music fan who wants more. Songs stream – whether you bought them through ScatterTunes or imported them from your own collection – and display the lyrics in a sidebar. Or, you can choose to listen while viewing a high resolution slideshow. Taylor’s V-Album includes a few dozen photos of her and her band. There are also music videos and behind the scenes footage, links to Taylor’s website and her social networks, links to Taylor Swift Merchandise, liner notes and the ability to search for concerts. ScatterTunes is also set up to stream live concerts and events and you can be alerted when an artist you sign up for schedules one.

ScatterTunes is innovative and delivers on their promise of an enhanced listening experience. The software is easy to use and the prices in the ScatterTunes store are fair. The ability to preview both an album and a V-Album before buying is another consumer-friendly feature. For the music lover, ScatterTunes is worth the download.

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