Now the record set in the birthplace of the Beatles looks set to fall. Sogreat is the growth of concerts on the information superhighway that theorganisers of that electronic milestone now confidently predict that theAmerican group the Backstreet Boys will comfortably top McCartney inMarch.

"The growth is just phenomenal," said Tia Ernst of MCY.com,showing off itstechnological wares at Midem, the record industry's annual marketplace whichattracts more than 4,000 companies from over 90 countries to this Frenchriviera resort.

The rapidly expanding company is the brainchild of Bavarianmusic scholarBernhard Fritsch whose mission statement in a rapidly shrinking globalvillage is "to surmount musical and geographical borders."

Audience figures have climbed steeply in just one year forthe new "music onclick" phenomenon.

It started last year with a concert in Munich by MichaelJackson thatattracted 10 million hits. Next came Luciano Pavarotti in Helsinki and thenMcCartney in Liverpool.

As the technology improves, the potential for onlineentertainment ispotentially monumental.

Next stop is the North American "Into the Millennium" tourby the BackstreetBoys and MCY.com, now headquartered in New York, is confident McCartney'srecord can be smashed.

"Absolutely no doubt about it," said Ernst. "We will beoffering up thewebcast for three months. I am convinced the McCartney figure will betopped. Just look at their fan base."

The Backstreet Boys, whose latest album sold more than 28million copiesworldwide, will also be offering backstage footage and interviews in the webpackage that will retail for under $10.

Ernst said that the Internet was pushing at an open doorwith pop stars."They love it. It is a way of going directly to their fans," she toldReuters at Midem. "Pavarotti adored it, McCartney thought it was the coolestthing and did a little Thank You video for us afterwards."

For the day has come when fans can download a vast catalogueof stars fromTina Turner to Louis Armstrong. "This is the way the industry is going,"Ernst concluded.

-- (Reuters)