TEXT OF STORY

MARK AUSTIN THOMAS: If you're heading into a Starbucks today you'll be part of a worldwide marketing extravaganza and no, it's not for the coffee. It's for Paul McCartney's new album "Memory Almost Full." That's the first CD on the Starbucks music label and the company's promotion is grande. Jeremy Hobson has the story.

---

[ Music: Paul McCartney's "Dance Tonight" ]

JEREMY HOBSON: That song, "Dance Tonight," and the rest of McCartney's new album will be on repeat today.

All day — at more than 10,000 Starbucks locations around the world.

Media Consultant Aram Sinnreich says Starbucks isn't afraid to get into the declining CD market because it can promote its CDs in house.

ARAM SINNREICH: Companies like Starbucks have the capacity to innovate in marketing, distribution and promotion in a way that the traditional major labels don't.

He says that's because Starbucks is everywhere. It's like a radio station with millions of listeners.

Michelle Farber is one of them. She spends hours in a Washington D.C. Starbucks, but may forego Starbucks coffee today.

MICHELLE FARBER: Even songs that I love I don't want to hear over and over and over again, but it's better than the jazz that they've been playing.

[ Music: Paul McCartney's "Dance Tonight" ]

In Washington, I'm Jeremy Hobson for Marketplace.