Industry Groups Reach Agreement On Internet Royalties 23/09/08
"In an agreement that ends some cases of litigation and encourages new ways for consumers to listen to music online, a number of key industry groups have reached an agreement on digital royalties and have sent the recommendations to the Copyright Royalty judges. This agreement was necessary to encourage new models without scaring away current and future entrepreneurs and enthusiasts." [Coolfer]
Survey Reveals Opportunities, Threats of Unlimited Music Services 29/09/08
"Today's music industry is often one step forward, one or two steps back. As progress is made in new formats, products and services, revenue is lost in the abandonment of older formats and products. With unlimited mobile music services on the horizon, now is the time to ponder their impact." [Coolfer]
CEO David Pakman to Depart eMusic 29/09/08
"eMusic, the world's largest retailer of independent music and the world's second-largest digital music service after iTunes, today announced that President and Chief Executive Officer David Pakman will depart the company. Pakman will become a partner at a premier venture capital firm. The name of the firm is undisclosed. eMusic has retained the Barlow Group, a Connecticut-based executive search firm to recruit a new chief executive." [MarketWatch]
Free Music: Good or Bad and/or Inevitable? 29/09/08
"While reading the comments to Michael Arrington's positive review of MySpace Music at TechCrunch (seen via Idolator), I came across two comments that perfectly sum up the worries about free music. The move toward free music (free streaming, actually, not free everything) is an inevitable and positive step, but it brings with it permanent changes. Both comments point to the public's attention going to the most popular artists at the expense of everyone else." [Coolfer]
So Long, Music Week 29/09/08
"As of today, I'm a former reader of the Music Week website. Amidst changes to the print publication and a redesign of the website, articles have been hidden behind a subscription wall. Not just its charts and features are inaccessible. The previously accessible short daily news bites are behind a subscription wall. The only free content I could find is the infrequently updated A&R Blog. The UK trade publication offers news that gets overlooked in the U.S. and it's unfortunate that I will no longer be able to read and link to their articles." [Coolfer]
High Drama Over Digital Royalties 28/09/08
"There was a high level of drama this weekend as supporters of Internet radio, spurred by a plea from Pandora, voiced their support for the law passed by the House on Saturday. The Webcaster Settlement Act authorizes SoundExchange to negotiate new royalty agreements for Internet radio through February 15, 2009." [Coolfer]
New organisation to represent industry 26/09/08
"An historic agreement was reached yesterday afternoon with eight industry bodies, including the BPI and AIM, signing up to launch a new umbrella organisation that will “present a unified industry voice” to be headed by BMR chairman Andy Heath and chief executive Feargal Sharkey." [MusicWeek]
Pirate Bay Wins Court Case, Italian Block Lifted 25/09/08
"The Pirate Bay has successfully appealed the decision of an Italian judge who had ordered ISPs to block access to the popular BitTorrent tracker last month. The Court of Bergamo decided that this block was unlawful, and that Italian users should regain access to the site." [TorrentFreak]
A Chat With Merlin CEO Charles Caldas 25/09/08
"Earlier this month, MySpace finalized deals with three of the four majors -- only EMI has yet to join -- to create MySpace Music. The majors will receive equity in the standalone company and will receive a share of its ad revenue." [Coolfer]
Poptastic MySpace Music launches, without indies: Big splash for Big Music 26/09/08
"MySpace Music, the ambitious new joint venture between the major record labels and News Corporation, has finally gone live. Don't let the name mislead you - the only thing it has in common with the scrappy ethos of the original "MySpace" is the name.
Executives have said they want the service to be "the new MTV", and the launch offering certainly lives up to those low ambitions." [TheRegister]
Showing posts with label News Corp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News Corp. Show all posts
9/22/08
Press Reaction to MySpace Music's Equity Deal - 22/09/08
MySpace Music hears the antitrust song: Indies call foul at exclusion 18/09/08
"News Corporation and the major record labels are facing antitrust questions about the blockbuster MySpace Music venture - even before the site has launched.
MySpace Music is billed as the biggest music retail launch of the year. It's a one-stop shop backed by the cross-media muscle of Rupert Murdoch's media empire, with the three biggest record labels. The site promises to offer everything from downloads to ringtones to concert tickets, backed by the "street" cred of the MySpace brand, and a blockbuster launch is expected this week. Astronomical valuations - $2bn - have already been placed on the service, which MySpace insiders want to become the 'internet's MTV'.
The problem? Not everyone can play. Independents say they're being frozen out of the new venture. No independent music company has inked a deal with the News Corp, and independent labels report that they've been blocked from uploading their music. And since MySpace Music is a joint equity venture between News Corp and the three biggest labels, which control 70 per cent of the US recorded music business, the trouble might only be starting." [TheRegister]
MySpace Music Already Faces Legal Challenge 19/09/08
"MySpace Music hasn't even launched yet, but already it is facing anti-trust allegations from independent record labels. MySpace Music has the backing of its parent company, News Corp., as well as three of the four major labels, and the joint venture is being billed as the biggest music retail launch of the year. Together, the three major labels involved - Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group and Sony BMG - account for 70 percent of the U.S. recorded music business. Meanwhile, smaller independent labels feel that they are being frozen out of selling their music on the site, which expects to become the MTV of the Internet. This has the indies crying foul." [FMQB]
MySpace Music Screws Over Indie Labels 9/22/2008
"As News Corp. readies the “internet’s MTV,” MySpace Music, legal troubles are looming even before the site has got off the ground. Indie labels have risen antitrust allegations against the company because its new one-stop music mega-site is allegedly locking out independents and blocking them from uploading their music to the new MySpace venture." [Exclaim]
MySpace Music Faces Threats Of Antitrust Suits From Indie Labels Before Its Launch: Indies claim they're being blocked from uploading music to the site. Sep 19 2008
"The very online service that has been such a boon for independent music artists is now facing criticism for allegedly freezing those same artists out of the picture with its new music venture. MySpace Music is drawing fire for its deal with major labels and threats of a possible antitrust action that could scuttle the venture before it even opens shop, according to a report in the British tech journal The Register." [MTV]
Indie labels may sue MySpace Music for anti-trust September 22
MySpace Music is reportedly set to launch sometime this week, but the new partnership between MySpace and the major labels may already be facing legal action from indie labels that say they are being excluded from the deal. [Prefixmag]
MySpace Music Responds To Indie Criticism 23/09/08
"Responding to reports that MySpace may be the subject of antitrust lawsuits because of an equity stake shared by three of the four major labels, as well as, growing criticism of its treatment of indie labels, a MySpace Music spokesperson gave Hypebot this statement:
“We are not aware of any antitrust complaint or inquiry pending against either MySpace or MySpace Music. MySpace Music welcomes indie artists and is not blocking content from them or other labels. Our goal is to provide the indie community with powerful tools and monetization channels to enable them to access revenue streams previously unavailable.”"
[Hypebot]
Is An Antitrust Lawsuit In MySpace Music's Future? 22/09/08
"Myspace's MySpace music is now scheduled to launch this week, but an antitrust lawsuit may be in the making as indie labels in the EU and US complain they are being excluded.Some speculate that the launch has been delayed because of ongoing negotiations with EMI. Others believe it has been more about tech issues. This is an important launch both for MySpace who wants to cement its relationship with consumers in the face of growing competition and the music industry who needsEu_flag to finds ways to monetize music particularly with MySpace's young audience." [Hypebot]
Indie Music Bigwig: MySpace Music Is Playing Nice With Us September 23
"Last week we heard some vague grumbling from small record labels -- primarily those based in Europe, it seems -- who were angry with MySpace because they didn't yet have access to MySpace Music, the soon-to-launch joint venture between News Corp. and three of the four major labels. And here in the U.S., indie heavyweight IODA, which digitally distributes 1.5 million tracks for several thousand labels, doesn't have a deal with the JV, either." [AlleyInsider]
Indie Labels Bite The Hand That Used To Feed Them: MySpace Music
"MySpace Music, the JV between News Corp. and three of the four big music labels (no EMI, yet) that should be launching any day now, is already drawing the ire of the indie music community. Their gripe? They say they can’t get their music uploaded onto the site, British site The Register reports." [AlleyInsider]
"News Corporation and the major record labels are facing antitrust questions about the blockbuster MySpace Music venture - even before the site has launched.
MySpace Music is billed as the biggest music retail launch of the year. It's a one-stop shop backed by the cross-media muscle of Rupert Murdoch's media empire, with the three biggest record labels. The site promises to offer everything from downloads to ringtones to concert tickets, backed by the "street" cred of the MySpace brand, and a blockbuster launch is expected this week. Astronomical valuations - $2bn - have already been placed on the service, which MySpace insiders want to become the 'internet's MTV'.
The problem? Not everyone can play. Independents say they're being frozen out of the new venture. No independent music company has inked a deal with the News Corp, and independent labels report that they've been blocked from uploading their music. And since MySpace Music is a joint equity venture between News Corp and the three biggest labels, which control 70 per cent of the US recorded music business, the trouble might only be starting." [TheRegister]
MySpace Music Already Faces Legal Challenge 19/09/08
"MySpace Music hasn't even launched yet, but already it is facing anti-trust allegations from independent record labels. MySpace Music has the backing of its parent company, News Corp., as well as three of the four major labels, and the joint venture is being billed as the biggest music retail launch of the year. Together, the three major labels involved - Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group and Sony BMG - account for 70 percent of the U.S. recorded music business. Meanwhile, smaller independent labels feel that they are being frozen out of selling their music on the site, which expects to become the MTV of the Internet. This has the indies crying foul." [FMQB]
MySpace Music Screws Over Indie Labels 9/22/2008
"As News Corp. readies the “internet’s MTV,” MySpace Music, legal troubles are looming even before the site has got off the ground. Indie labels have risen antitrust allegations against the company because its new one-stop music mega-site is allegedly locking out independents and blocking them from uploading their music to the new MySpace venture." [Exclaim]
MySpace Music Faces Threats Of Antitrust Suits From Indie Labels Before Its Launch: Indies claim they're being blocked from uploading music to the site. Sep 19 2008
"The very online service that has been such a boon for independent music artists is now facing criticism for allegedly freezing those same artists out of the picture with its new music venture. MySpace Music is drawing fire for its deal with major labels and threats of a possible antitrust action that could scuttle the venture before it even opens shop, according to a report in the British tech journal The Register." [MTV]
Indie labels may sue MySpace Music for anti-trust September 22
MySpace Music is reportedly set to launch sometime this week, but the new partnership between MySpace and the major labels may already be facing legal action from indie labels that say they are being excluded from the deal. [Prefixmag]
MySpace Music Responds To Indie Criticism 23/09/08
"Responding to reports that MySpace may be the subject of antitrust lawsuits because of an equity stake shared by three of the four major labels, as well as, growing criticism of its treatment of indie labels, a MySpace Music spokesperson gave Hypebot this statement:
“We are not aware of any antitrust complaint or inquiry pending against either MySpace or MySpace Music. MySpace Music welcomes indie artists and is not blocking content from them or other labels. Our goal is to provide the indie community with powerful tools and monetization channels to enable them to access revenue streams previously unavailable.”"
[Hypebot]
Is An Antitrust Lawsuit In MySpace Music's Future? 22/09/08
"Myspace's MySpace music is now scheduled to launch this week, but an antitrust lawsuit may be in the making as indie labels in the EU and US complain they are being excluded.Some speculate that the launch has been delayed because of ongoing negotiations with EMI. Others believe it has been more about tech issues. This is an important launch both for MySpace who wants to cement its relationship with consumers in the face of growing competition and the music industry who needsEu_flag to finds ways to monetize music particularly with MySpace's young audience." [Hypebot]
Indie Music Bigwig: MySpace Music Is Playing Nice With Us September 23
"Last week we heard some vague grumbling from small record labels -- primarily those based in Europe, it seems -- who were angry with MySpace because they didn't yet have access to MySpace Music, the soon-to-launch joint venture between News Corp. and three of the four major labels. And here in the U.S., indie heavyweight IODA, which digitally distributes 1.5 million tracks for several thousand labels, doesn't have a deal with the JV, either." [AlleyInsider]
Indie Labels Bite The Hand That Used To Feed Them: MySpace Music
"MySpace Music, the JV between News Corp. and three of the four big music labels (no EMI, yet) that should be launching any day now, is already drawing the ire of the indie music community. Their gripe? They say they can’t get their music uploaded onto the site, British site The Register reports." [AlleyInsider]
9/19/08
Music News Bulletin - 19/09/08
Legal digital music is commercial suicide
"Opinion Lala, for those who don't know, is a free streaming music venture. Invested in by Warner Music group to the tune of $20m it streams about five million songs, but also offers 89 cent MP3 sales, and song rentals for 10 cents each. But why is almost nobody using their well-designed, expansive, free streaming service?" [TheRegister]
Best Buy snaffles Napster 15/09/08
"Napster's board has unanimously accepted a takeover bid from US retail behemoth Best Buy, worth $120m. Thus ends a bumpy four-year ride as an independent company. Like Frankenstein's monster, the reanimated Napster was constructed from the parts of formerly deceased music companies. Software vendor Roxio acquired the assets of the bankrupt rebel P2P outfit for just $5m in late 2002, and acquired the remains of Sony's unsuccessful music service PressPlay six months later. After the injection of electricity, and $20m, Napster went live five years ago this month." [TheRegister]
China's nonstop music machine: Baidu versus business
"Exclusive Baidu is renowned as China's glittering internet success story, and as the start-up that gave Google a bloody nose. It dominates the web in the world's second biggest economy with 70 per cent market share, and on Wall Street carries a market cap of almost $12bn. But Baidu's success comes at a price, for the legitimate music business, for the development of China and of its intellectual property (IP) law, and for any internet company wishing to do business in China." [TheRegister]
12th century thinking haunts digital music: On serfs, fanbois and bandits 17/09/08
"British digital music company 7Digital claimed a coup yesterday by becoming the first online music store to carry DRM-free catalog from the "Big Four" major record labels. Calling it a coup is misleading, however. It's really further confirmation that the top of the music business is run along feudal lines: closer to the 12th century than the 21st." [TheRegister]
Media standard backers attempt Apple-less solo run: 'We don't need no stinkin' iTunes' 17/09/08
"Computer and entertainment companies have announced a plan to standardise video and music files so that they play on any device. The ambitious plan has not been backed by the dominant force in digital downloads, Apple." [TheRegister]
Yahoo Search Adds Free Streaming 18/09/08
"As a part of its "play the web" mission, Yahoo has partnered with Rhapsody to offer free audio streams to Yahoo search results (read press release). Search results for some artists -- 10,00 at the time, reports Alley Insider -- will have an artist short cut at the top of the page. There are also links to lyrics (Yahoo has licensed lyrics from GraceNote), videos and albums." [Coolfer]
Research on Student Piracy Confirms Market Research and Anecdotes 17/09/08
"Now it's even more official. A professor at the University of Idaho has for years studied students and piracy. His findings echo what everybody else says. According to Woolley, who has been analyzing piracy among university students for several years, students aren’t even ashamed to admit illegally downloading music off the Internet. More than 95 percent of respondents in his research freely admitted to illegally downloading music, and some 63 percent admitted to copying a CD. Students indicate that they expect the trend to continue after they graduate and move into the workplace." [Coolfer]
MySpace Music Already Faces Legal Challenge 19/09/08
"MySpace Music hasn't even launched yet, but already it is facing anti-trust allegations from independent record labels. MySpace Music has the backing of its parent company, News Corp., as well as three of the four major labels, and the joint venture is being billed as the biggest music retail launch of the year. Together, the three major labels involved - Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group and Sony BMG - account for 70 percent of the U.S. recorded music business. Meanwhile, smaller independent labels feel that they are being frozen out of selling their music on the site, which expects to become the MTV of the Internet. This has the indies crying foul." [FMQB]
A Conversation With Tunecore's Jeff Price
"Tunecore In this exclusive Hypebot interview, Ethan Bauley sits down with Jeff Price for a wide ranging conversation between two creative thinkers who know the industry. Price ran successfull indie label spinArt (Pixies, Apples In Stereo) before founding TuneCore which is democratizing digital distribution with its low cost flat fee model. Ethan Bauley is a musician and Director of Social Media Strategy at M80, a WPP agency. M80's sister company, m80 Music, is Dengue Fever's record label." Part One [HypeBot] Part Two [HypeBot] Part Three [HypeBot]
"Opinion Lala, for those who don't know, is a free streaming music venture. Invested in by Warner Music group to the tune of $20m it streams about five million songs, but also offers 89 cent MP3 sales, and song rentals for 10 cents each. But why is almost nobody using their well-designed, expansive, free streaming service?" [TheRegister]
Best Buy snaffles Napster 15/09/08
"Napster's board has unanimously accepted a takeover bid from US retail behemoth Best Buy, worth $120m. Thus ends a bumpy four-year ride as an independent company. Like Frankenstein's monster, the reanimated Napster was constructed from the parts of formerly deceased music companies. Software vendor Roxio acquired the assets of the bankrupt rebel P2P outfit for just $5m in late 2002, and acquired the remains of Sony's unsuccessful music service PressPlay six months later. After the injection of electricity, and $20m, Napster went live five years ago this month." [TheRegister]
China's nonstop music machine: Baidu versus business
"Exclusive Baidu is renowned as China's glittering internet success story, and as the start-up that gave Google a bloody nose. It dominates the web in the world's second biggest economy with 70 per cent market share, and on Wall Street carries a market cap of almost $12bn. But Baidu's success comes at a price, for the legitimate music business, for the development of China and of its intellectual property (IP) law, and for any internet company wishing to do business in China." [TheRegister]
12th century thinking haunts digital music: On serfs, fanbois and bandits 17/09/08
"British digital music company 7Digital claimed a coup yesterday by becoming the first online music store to carry DRM-free catalog from the "Big Four" major record labels. Calling it a coup is misleading, however. It's really further confirmation that the top of the music business is run along feudal lines: closer to the 12th century than the 21st." [TheRegister]
Media standard backers attempt Apple-less solo run: 'We don't need no stinkin' iTunes' 17/09/08
"Computer and entertainment companies have announced a plan to standardise video and music files so that they play on any device. The ambitious plan has not been backed by the dominant force in digital downloads, Apple." [TheRegister]
Yahoo Search Adds Free Streaming 18/09/08
"As a part of its "play the web" mission, Yahoo has partnered with Rhapsody to offer free audio streams to Yahoo search results (read press release). Search results for some artists -- 10,00 at the time, reports Alley Insider -- will have an artist short cut at the top of the page. There are also links to lyrics (Yahoo has licensed lyrics from GraceNote), videos and albums." [Coolfer]
Research on Student Piracy Confirms Market Research and Anecdotes 17/09/08
"Now it's even more official. A professor at the University of Idaho has for years studied students and piracy. His findings echo what everybody else says. According to Woolley, who has been analyzing piracy among university students for several years, students aren’t even ashamed to admit illegally downloading music off the Internet. More than 95 percent of respondents in his research freely admitted to illegally downloading music, and some 63 percent admitted to copying a CD. Students indicate that they expect the trend to continue after they graduate and move into the workplace." [Coolfer]
MySpace Music Already Faces Legal Challenge 19/09/08
"MySpace Music hasn't even launched yet, but already it is facing anti-trust allegations from independent record labels. MySpace Music has the backing of its parent company, News Corp., as well as three of the four major labels, and the joint venture is being billed as the biggest music retail launch of the year. Together, the three major labels involved - Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group and Sony BMG - account for 70 percent of the U.S. recorded music business. Meanwhile, smaller independent labels feel that they are being frozen out of selling their music on the site, which expects to become the MTV of the Internet. This has the indies crying foul." [FMQB]
A Conversation With Tunecore's Jeff Price
"Tunecore In this exclusive Hypebot interview, Ethan Bauley sits down with Jeff Price for a wide ranging conversation between two creative thinkers who know the industry. Price ran successfull indie label spinArt (Pixies, Apples In Stereo) before founding TuneCore which is democratizing digital distribution with its low cost flat fee model. Ethan Bauley is a musician and Director of Social Media Strategy at M80, a WPP agency. M80's sister company, m80 Music, is Dengue Fever's record label." Part One [HypeBot] Part Two [HypeBot] Part Three [HypeBot]
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