City of Industry, Calif. - Specialty youth retailer Hot Topic (NASD: HOTT) on Tuesday announced the launch of ShockHound, its online digital music and merchandise store. ShockHound will offer millions of MP3s from all four major labels and many independents; artists will also be able to upload and sell their music directly to users. The site will also feature editorial content, with a team led by former Ray Gun editor-in-chief Randy Bookasta.

New York - Pop culture-inspired fashion retail store chain Hot Topic plans next month to launch its own digital music store, ShockHound, which will sell music from at least three of the four major labels in MP3 format, The New York Times reported on Monday. "For us, music merchandise is where the profit is," Hot Topic president Jerry Cook told The Times. "The reason we carry CDs in the stores is that to be in a music-centered business and not have music would be a contradiction. And you can't be an online music store and not have MP3s." In addition to MP3s from a wide range of artists, the ShockHound store also expects to sell t-shirts from more than 1,000 bands, as well as music on vinyl.