HMV has today launched its new digital music service, hmvdigital.com, in a bid to take on iTunes.

The music service is part of the entertainment retailer’s drive to become an ‘entertainment superbrand’, according to an HMV spokesman, who added that it could eventually be used to download games and films.

The website - designed by 7digital, in which HMV owns a 50% stake - had been in beta testing since March.

HMV already sells digital tracks from its main website, but this new dedicated website is faster and easier to use, featuring enhanced search capabilities, increased content (10 million tracks) and a “host of innovative features”, according to HMV.  These include a recommendations feature and compatibility with any device, including  iTunes.

HMV’s head of online and digital Sarah Hughes called the website “a world class download store that reflects both HMV’s music retailing heritage and our strategy to be a broad-based entertainment brand”.

She added that the “significantly improved new site offers a truly intuitive and engaging customer experience that I very much hope will lead to HMV becoming a bigger player in the burgeoning digital market”.

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