Music With That Soda Cup? Try Lidrock

April 2, 2004 -- It's a hot new way to satisfy the thirst of those wanting the latest music.

A company called Lidrock is embedding soda cup lids with CDs, CD-ROMs and DVDs. They are being sold at movie theaters, sporting events and restaurants across the country.

In a rare show of unity, the music industry has signed on to the venture, seeing Lidrocks as a way to reach a new audience and counter sagging sales. The founder and CEO of Lidrock is 34-year-old Jeffrey Arnold, who also founded the Internet medical site WebMD.

Lidrocks basically consist of two lids, one on top of the other. After you peel off the top one, you find a disc resting on the second one.

The hope is to stir listeners among audiences who are often difficult to reach. Record industry executives see the lids as a great way of alternative music distribution, and a way to tap into a new base of music buyers at movie theaters, ball games and malls.

Britney Spears, Pharrell Williams and Elvis Presley are among those whose music has been distributed this way. But some artists have declined to have their songs placed on Lidrocks.

Drinks with Lidrocks may cost a dollar or two more, but in some cases the CDs come at no extra price.

The Lidrock company is also planning to put full-length movies on the lids that will self-destruct after 60 hours of purchase.

The company has so far sold more than 10 million Lidrock CDs through fast-food outlets, theme parks and theaters, and expects to ship 50 million of these soda lids by the end of 2004.