LONDON, Sep 2, 2005/ NS/ ---- Maverick entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson will today achieve the impossible and be in two places at once as he is digitally downloaded into Virgin’s flagship Megastore in London using the very latest virtual technology.

Branson will magically appear at the launch of the new Virgin Digital service using state of the art 3D hologram technology.

This holographic phenomenon will give Branson the chance to deliver the London press conference in ‘virtual’ person, despite him being thousands of miles away in the Caribbean’s Necker Island.

Commenting on his download experience Branson said: “Having a virtual self has been amazing and has certainly made diary arrangements easier to plan! Seeing as Virgin is going digital, I thought it highly appropriate to do the same.”

The digital download music industry is a rapidly growing business. According to the International Federation of Phonographic Industries (IFPI) the number of legal downloads stands at 180 million worldwide in 2005. Although, digital music only accounts for 2% of UK music sales, the market has doubled in the past 12 months.

Virgin Digital offers an entire ‘Virtual Megastore’ to music fans desktops, featuring over 1.2 million tracks covering 21 genres allowing music fans to explore by artist, track or album for just £9.99 a month. Individual tracks are also available through a pay-as-you-go service; offering easily purchased permanent copies of tracks for as little 79p, plus album bundles at a discounted price.

Customers gain access to a catalogue holding over one million tracks from 15,000 labels. They can also build up their own personal music library by using the ‘Related Artists’ section – a service that will automatically source everyone related to the chosen artist, including acts that have been influenced by them and bands that they have covered.

Virgin Digital also features include internet radio, rip and burn software, music manager software and track sampling, all supported by an ‘Ask the Expert’ service.

Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Group founder adds: “Virgin Digital is an exciting and innovative download service created and designed with the music fan in mind.” With a strong music heritage behind us, as a record label and a retailer, Virgin has a huge advantage, and platform to launch a digital service that will become the ultimate destination to buy, stream, burn and enjoy the best music the world has to offer. It’s also so easy to use – even I can use it!’

To further celebrate the launch of the service, on the evening of September 2nd, Virgin Megastores, Oxford Street will host an exclusive performance from Bloc Party, The Dandy Warhols and The Cribs.

Over 150 live performances are currently also being planned across London, providing exclusive content to the Virgin Digital site and bringing a face to the world of digital music.