With many music consumers having abandoned the CD format, both independent and label artists have been looking for a more tangible alternative to downloads and streaming, which do not properly serve an artist’s bottom line or represent fans’ investment in their music. A new option for retailers and the show merch table comes from Nashville-based artist service.

Muzicard is a credit card-shaped USB flash drive with functionality similar to a CD and additional facilities. The card actually acts as its own music player, via a proprietary html interface, featuring album art and other content. This album widget can be customised to offer a full album, live cuts, rare tracks, best-of, or whatever the artist wishes to provide. Further, the interface offers a video player, artist info, fan signup, links to social media and a sponsorship section, similar to an artist’s own website. Cards come with custom printing on the front and back. Drive sizes are available between 1GB and 128GB.

The album widget will work with a variety of devices, including PC, Mac, smartphones, tablets, smart TVs and vehicles that support USB media. The main functions of the widget (Audio, Video, Album Art, Shout Out) operate completely within the card itself and do not need an internet connection to function. Coming soon, an additional feature will allow tracking of when and where cards are plugged in.

‘With CDs quickly becoming obsolete, Muzicard offers an opportunity to provide fans with the next generation of music merchandise that merges the physical with the digital world of music,’ says company founder and principal, Mike Farona. ‘Muzicard offers a consumer-friendly plug-and-play music device that’s not only elegant and simple to use, but easy for artists to create and update.’ 

More: www.muzicard.com