Seagram, Bertelsmann to Sell Music Online

Seagram Co., the Montreal-based owner of the world’s biggest music company, and Germany’s Bertelsmann, the No. 3 media company, said they’re forming an online music alliance to create Internet sites that promote and sell music. Seagram’s Universal Music Group and Bertelsmann will allow online users to access information and buy compact discs from the nearly 200 artists represented by the two record companies, and offer titles for purchase from other companies. The venture, called GetMusic, will have its e-commerce site at https://www.getmusic.com. Music companies are trying to carve out a bigger Internet presence to compete with online retailers such as CDNow Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. and digital distributors such as MP3.com.