Virgin to distribute Bowie album over Net

Virgin Records is to distribute the new album by David Bowie over the Internet, the first time one of the leading record labels has taken such an initiative. The album Hours... will be available from the Internet sites of more than 50 music retailers for two weeks before the retail launch on October 4th. A bonus track will be issued to those who choose to download. The music will be available through the Secure Digital Musical Initiative compatible formats. This is the music and technology industry standard that has been developed to safeguard original content. Although singles have been available on the Internet, this is the first time an album will be downloadable.