DMX

DMX, Inc., formerly Audio Environments, Inc., and later AEI Music Network, Inc., was a "multi-sensory" branding agency based in Austin, Texas. DMX also provided music for cable and satellite television networks worldwide, including DSTV in Africa. It was the first company to offer music by satellite. History In 1971 Audio Environments, Inc. was founded in Seattle as a music service to license and program original artist music for businesses. Customers did not want to hear the commercials on radio programs, and by the 1970s Muzak was out of favor. AEI's music programs were provided on broadcast cartridges which played continuously. In the 1980s, the company began providing services to international airlines, dental offices and residential and cable television systems. In the mid-'80s tape distribution was replaced with direct satellite broadcasting. In 1990 International Cablecasting Technologies Inc. launched the service called CD/18, a reference to "the equivalent of 18 CD-players", which offered digital music through the coaxial cable. It soon changed its name to DMX (Digital Music Express). It was broadcast on a KU sideband; the space between already existing cable channels was used to deliver the music, so the service didn't require any extra space from the cable companies. In 1993 the subscriber costs were $10.95 per month. By mid 1994 DMX had 350,000 households subscribing. It came with a remote control that allowed the user to see the name of the song, artist and album. In 2001, AEI merged with Liberty Digital Inc. of Los Angeles in a deal that gave Liberty 56 percent and AEI 44 percent of the merged company known as DMX/AEI Music. AEI had large national customers into international markets, while DMX had dealt with smaller businesses. DMX also served residential cable television subscribers working on streaming over the Internet.