AC/DC snubs iTunes with Verizon Wireless download deal

Verizon Wireless won an exclusive deal to distribute AC/DC’s entire catalog of 18 albums through its Vcast music service.
One of the last holdouts in the age of digital music, AC/DC opted to join with the nation’s second-largest mobile carrier rather than forge a pact with Apple Inc.’s iTunes. Verizon Wireless is offering full-album downloads of the Australian rock band’s 18 discs, and grants the carrier exclusive mobile rights to the content through March of next year.
The deal also includes exclusive performance footage, but includes several constraints: only the hit “You Shook Me All Night Long” will be offered as a single, the music will be available only online, and albums will cost more through Verizon Wireless than elsewhere.
“AC/DC’s back catalog is hot and fans nationwide have been filling chat rooms and bulletin boards for years speculating about the digital release of their albums,” said John Harrobin, Verizon Wireless’ senior VP of digital media. “By respecting and preserving the full AC/DC album experience though full-album digital downloads and mobile video, we will ensure that the group’s classic rock is understood, embraced and here to stay.”