Two Washington-based companies have joined forces to offer a one-stop shop for iPod neophytes. MyerEmco AudioVideo is offering services from Riptopia — a company that specializes in “ripping” or transferring CDs to digital music players — in its 10 D.C.-area locations.
The partnership is part of a conscience strategy to position Riptopia, a two-year-old start-up, as a major player in the growing CD ripping industry, company President Kurt Beyer said.
“CDs will continue to be the dominant form of music for the next five to seven years,” Beyer said. “We are positioning ourselves throughout the country to help that transitioning process [to digital music players]. We’d like to roll out to every single electronics store.”
With billions of CDs in the hands of consumers, Beyer said he is hoping to tap into a consumer base looking to conveniently transfer CD collections to an iPod or other digital music player.
“Our main customers are baby boomers. They have been collecting CDs for the last 20 years,” Beyer said. “They have money, but don’t necessarily have the time or knowledge [to rip CDs]. You’re not going to spend every weekend for six months to get your music online.”
Riptopia will reformat and transfer up to 1,000 CDs to a player in 48 hours for $1.49 each, according to its standard price package. It will also back up your digital music library onto a DVD. Riptopia also uses technology that allows the company to process up to 700,000 CDs a month.
Prior to the MyerEmco partnership, customers had to mail their CD collection to Riptopia, which is one of several CD ripping services across the country. Offering the service in-store allows MyerEmco — which sells and installs high-end home entertainment systems — to offer a more comprehensive system totheir customers, said Keith Wimmer, MyerEmco’s director of marketing and training.
“We not only sell the product, but we install it from start to finish,” he said. If a customer wants to store their music online, “we’re expected to be able to deliver that and handle all the details.”
Riptopia’s strategy
» The start-up financed its growth through venture capital investments. Last year, the company closed on its first round of fundraising with $3.5 million from angel investors.
» Riptopia opened a second processing center — the first is on K Street — in San Francisco last month to expand its West Coast presence.
» The company has also finalized an in-store partnership with Bang & Olufsen and will roll out its CD ripping services in the electronics stores in the next two months.
