EMI Music, Sony BMG, Universal Music, and Warner Music together with memory card manufacturer SanDisk came up with a new method of distributing music – slotMusic, which is a microSD card with MP3s without DRM (digital rights management).

The slotMusic card can hold 1G byte of data and is compatible with pocket devices such as mobile phones. Its users will be also able to add their preferred content on the card through a USB adapter shipped with it.

The move made by the above-mentioned record companies comes amid slowing music sales. The companies have been looking for new ways of selling music and slotMusic is the latest.

SanDisk announced the slotMusic card on Monday and it essentially means that Music consumers will now be able to buy the album of their favorite singer on microSD card which is a lot more compact than the traditional CD. The offer targets the millions of users of cell phones and MP3 players with MicroSD slots.

Initially, the involved companies will launch 29 albums on the new format, The Wall Street Journal reported.

"The releases are mostly by current pop artists including Rihanna, Ne-Yo, Robin Thicke, New Kids on the Block, Weezer, Usher, Chris Brown, Akon and Leona Lewis. In a nod to older buyers, Elvis Presley is also represented," The WSJ reported citing a source close to the deal.

In the official statement, the companies involved in this project did not mention anything about pricing, but according to a report from The New York Times, the microSD albums will sell for about $7 to $10.

To convince their potential customers, the record companies involved in this project will also offer liner notes, album art, videos, and "other creative content that an artist may choose".

However, a more compact storage device is always welcomed, but the fact that users will have to take out the phone’s memory card and insert the slotMusic (in many cases this involves removing the battery as well) may not be such a catch.