Archive for the ‘Audio’ Category

Report: iTunes still leading music store in the U.S.

by Steve O'Hear

August 6th, 2008 | Posted in Audio | CommentsNo Comments

Apple’s iTunes remains number one in the U.S. amongst all music retailers according to the latest NPD MusicWatch figures. Based on purchases of CDs and a-la-carte digital music downloads from January through to June of this year, the league table is as follows:

  1. iTunes
  2. Wal-Mart (Walmart, Walmart.com, Walmart Music Downloads)
  3. Best Buy (Best Buy, Bestbuy.com, Best Buy Digital Music Store)
  4. Amazon (Amazon.com, AmazonMP3.com)
  5. Target (Target and Target.com)

NPD says the results reflect “the ongoing consumer shift from physical CDs to digital music”, which has helped iTunes to consolidate the lead it established earlier this year.

See also: Review: Amazon MP3 offers compelling, promising alternative to iTunes

Most notably, Amazon has moved from fifth place to fourth, which NPD attributes to stronger CD sales online compared to competing brick-and-mortar stores, along with the launch of the company’s own music download store, AmazonMP3, last year. As a result, we shouldn’t be surprised to see Amazon overtake Best Buy in the not too distant future.

Report: Dell to introduce (new and improved!) MP3 player

by Daniel Langendorf

July 30th, 2008 | Posted in Audio | CommentsNo Comments

The ingredients for Dell’s forthcoming MP3 player look yummy. A sub-$100 price point. Wi-Fi. Access to various online music stores. Maybe even DRM-free.

But will anybody care? Seriously. Haven’t people who want a portable digital music player settled on an iPod or one of its competitors from SanDisk or Microsoft?

With Apple owning more than 70 percent of the MP3 player market in North America, is the remaining 20-something percent incentive enough for Dell to want to re-enter the fray after failing with its first line of digital music players?

May the Dell DJs (2003-2006) rest in peace.

Apparently Dell thinks so. The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) reported today that computer maker Dell will re-enter the market with a new player as early as September. Dell thinks it has a chance this time because, aside from a sub-$100 price point and Wi-Fi access to content, it has a new and improved strategy!

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"Just like your local record store", Universal launches Lost Tunes

by Steve O'Hear

July 30th, 2008 | Posted in Audio | Comments4 Comments

“Think of us as your small local record store, run by a team dedicated to helping you find the very best music”, reads the welcome page of Universal Music’s new music download store.

Launched first in the UK, with international versions of the site expected in the coming months, Lost Tunes is attempting to tap into a bygone era where music fans regularly scoped out local record stores looking for rare gems. “Lost Tunes comes with a secret stash of records you can’t find anywhere else online” the welcome blurb boasts. “Anywhere else online” being an indirect reference to Apple’s iTunes, hence Universal’s choice of name.

To that end, tracks are offered as mp3s, encoded at the higher bitrate of 320kpbs, and compatible with almost any digital music player, including iPods.

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MySpace Music is reportedly set to launch in September as music store, subscription service

by Daniel Langendorf

July 23rd, 2008 | Posted in Audio | Comments1 Comment

TechCrunch noted today that MySpace’s music store will launch in September with three of the four major labels providing content. The lone holdout, EMI, is expected to give in soon.

Chris DeWolfe, CEO of MySpace, told TechCrunch co-editor Erick Schonfeld that MySpace Music will be a music store and subscription service, with unlimited playbacks of full tracks for free.

DeWolfe said the revenue model will be advertising and paid downloads. Advertisers are reportedly lining up.

See also: Live and in concert: Why MySpace music has a chance against iTunes

MySpace Music first surfaced in March when Sony BMG and Warner were close to signing deals. Universal entered the picture in April, but this is the first time that a launch date has been discussed.

It’s interesting to see how important music is to MySpace, which hosts pages for five million artists. Sixty-five percent of MySpace users embed music on their pages and more than five billion songs are streamed on MySpace monthly.

Music, undoubtedly, will be a growth business for MySpace.

Sky offers subscription-based music service

by Ryan Jarrett

July 22nd, 2008 | Posted in Audio | CommentsNo Comments

Rupert Murdoch’s Sky announced today that they are launching a new music service in the UK, that offers both streaming and downloads of tracks for a monthly subscription.

Downloads will be in mp3 format, compatible with any digital music player including iPods.  According to the press release, “a range of subscription options will be available, offering different download packages tailored to customers’ needs”, suggesting that downloads will be limited per month depending on how much you pay, but streaming maybe unlimited.

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How to tune up a tone deaf Rhapsody

by Guest Writer

July 3rd, 2008 | Posted in Audio | Comments1 Comment

This is a guest post by Michael Pinto who is the Creative Director of Very Memorable, Inc. a design firm that specializes in the youth market and interactive media.

Over one year after EMI took the first step to offer DRM-free downloads (April 2007) Rhapsody has decided to play catch up. Rhapsody is a joint venture between Real Networks and MTV, and that’s where its problems start: At this point for the youth market MTV is no longer associated with music – if anything on cable it’s been replaced by MuchMusic and on the web there are upcoming dynamic brands like Pitchfork.tv that are poised for high growth.

The sad reality is that while MTV is doing better than ever before, its original core competency has faded with time. But even if you go with the nostalgia value of MTV, then it’s a poor idea to keep the name “Rhapsody” which carries no branding weight – if anything the service should incorporate the MTV moniker in some shape or form, even if it’s something as simple as download.my.mtv. If Rhapsody is to break out of its generic funk it’s going to need to take advantage of the creative packaging that MTV Networks use to be well known for – but up to this point has been ignored.

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Radiohead teams with Last.fm to offer "In Rainbows" for free, on-demand streaming

by Daniel Langendorf

July 2nd, 2008 | Posted in Audio | CommentsNo Comments

last.fmLeave it up to Radiohead to find every new distribution method possible for their latest effort “In Rainbows.” This time the band has teamed up with Last.fm to offer the album in its entirety for free, ad-supported, on-demand streaming.

radiohead on last.fm“In Rainbows” can be accessed on Last.fm here. Already nearly 1.5 million listeners have streamed the album.

Radiohead is a popular band on Last.fm. Its songs have been “scrobbled” more than 108 million times.

When Radiohead introduced “In Rainbows” in October 2007, it was first made available as a download fans could purchase at whatever they wanted to pay. At the time, Last.fm noticed the interest in Radiohead was high for its community of 21 million music fans.

“Radiohead understand that the Internet is changing music distribution,” said Martin Stiksel, Last.fm’s co-founder. Last.fm is now owned by CBS Corporation.

“We believe that music fans should be able to access music for free, and just as importantly, that artists and rights holders should be paid when their music is listened to. Last.fm makes this possible.”

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Bono to launch philanthropic (RED) music service

by Steve O'Hear

July 1st, 2008 | Posted in Audio | CommentsNo Comments

Bono and co. to launch philanthropic (RED) music serviceBono and the rest of team behind the non-profit (RED) are to launch a new music subscription service this autumn with half of revenue going towards buying “life-saving medicine for those living with AIDS in Africa.”

For a small monthly fee, subscribers will be sent weekly updates, including tracks from established artists such as U2, Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Elton John, Emmylou Harris and Death Cab for Cutie, along with up and coming acts. Tracks are download to-own and offered as unprotected MP3s. Additionally, (RED) will pass on regular news of the charity’s work in Africa.

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Warner Music jumps on-board Nokia’s all-you-can-eat music plan

by Steve O'Hear

July 1st, 2008 | Posted in Audio, Mobile | CommentsNo Comments

Three down, one to go

Warner Music jumps on-board Nokia’s all-you-can-eat music planNokia continues to cozy up to the music industry, announcing today that Warner Music has signed onto ‘Comes With Music’, the company’s all-you-can-eat music subscription plan. The major recording label becomes the third of the Big Four to have agreed a partnership with Nokia, following earlier deals with Universal Music and Sony BMG. The remaining major holdout is EMI.

Announced last December at the annual Nokia World conference, “Comes With Music” will enable customers to buy a Nokia device with a year of unlimited access to “millions of tracks”, and – rather surprisingly – get to keep any downloaded tracks once the twelve month subscription period ends. The only way to then continue accessing the service, however, is to purchase a new “Comes With Music” device (see our follow-up report).

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Verizon, Rhapsody also team up for VCAST Music with Rhapsody service

by Daniel Langendorf

June 30th, 2008 | Posted in Audio | CommentsNo Comments

Verizon RhapsodyNot only did Rhapsody launch a DRM-free MP3 music store — see Steve O’Hear’s coverage today — but it also has engaged with Verizon Wireless to offer a new mobile subscription plan called VCAST Music with Rhapsody.

Verizon notes that, for the cost of a single CD, its wireless users can subscribe to VCAST Music with Rhapsody for $15 a month to gain unlimited access to Rhapsody’s five million songs. These songs will carry digital rights management to protect against copyright infringement and illegal file sharing. Users can authorize three PCs and three mobile phones for use with the service.

However, Verizon subscribers also have the option to purchase music over-the-air for $1.99 a track, which includes a “complimentary” DRM-free master copy that users can download from their PCs via a VCAST Music with Rhapsody software program at a later time. This software is not available for the Mac.

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