June 2008 News
30.06.08
In related news, Verizon Wireless launches Rhapsody's subscription music service this week. It allows users to download as much music as they want to their mobiles for $15 per month
google.com
30.06.08
Fashion label Armani intends to sign four deals with DJs by next spring, and to release both music and apparel collaborations via its Armani Exchange record label
nypost.com
30.06.08
Bono's (RED) charity organisation is set to unveil an online music service in September. The as-yet-unnamed service plans to deliver three pieces of exclusive content a week for a monthly fee of $5. Half the money will go to help fight Aids in Africa, with the other half going to the artists and record labels involved
nytimes.com
26.06.08
Weezer singer Rivers Cuomo creates a new song with help and advice from fans via YouTube
nme.com
26.06.08
SpiralFrog, the free ad-supported music venture, has announced a licensing agreement with Innerground Music
businessofcinema.com
26.06.08
Teddy Geiger is inviting fans to select the 11 tracks for his next album out of a possible 33 online. Of course there is also an option to buy all 33
musicane.com
25.06.08
HMV's new social network (Get Closer) moves into public beta testing in July with a view towards a full launch in Q4. See the next issue of Five Eight for an analysis of Get Closer and how social networking is changing
macworld.co.uk
25.06.08
A fan-generated automated system is pushing Avril Lavgine's 'Girlfriend' video up the YouTube charts
wired.com
25.06.08
The Vines' upcoming album, Melodia, will be sold exclusively in the US by Insound. Those ordering through the online retailer will receive a free MP3 of the song 'Make Believe'
billboard.biz
24.06.08
Universal Music Publishing Group is demoing its RoyaltyWindow.com system (promising flexible reporting and transparent royalty tracking). It could roll out this autumn
billboard.biz
24.06.08
Timbaland wins Songwriter Of The Year at ASCAP's Rhythm & Soul Music Awards. EMI Music Publishing got Publisher Of The Year and Robin Thicke's 'Lost Without U' got R&B/Hip-Hop Song Of The Year
billboard.biz
24.06.08
The MTV Video Music Awards will take place in LA on 7th September as they mark their 25th anniversary
nme.com
23.06.08
MusicMe, the French all-you-can-eat music service, has now made its on-demand streaming service free of charge. Now renamed musicMe free, the site offers 3.5M tracks licensed from the four majors and 760 independent labels
billboard.biz
23.06.08
Interview with Tero Ojanpera of Nokia on Comes With Music and how the mobile company is moving into a wider entertainment offering
nytimes.com
23.06.08
The Shins will self-release their fourth studio album via frontman James Mercer's Aural Apothecary label
billboard.biz
19.06.08
Sony BMG's Columbia Germany label has launched a Berlin unit to cater specifically for alternative and progressive pop artists
billboard.biz
19.06.08
SellaBand marks its second birthday with the SellaBration '08 festival in the Paradiso in Amsterdam on 15th August. A total of 10 SellaBand acts will play at the event and the company has also announced that it now has 22 acts who have hit the $50,000 investment threshold
sellaband.com
19.06.08
Apple opens its first store in Australia today (in Sydney)
macworld.co.uk
18.06.08
Last.fm signs a deal with Universal to offer the label's videos on the site (in an ad-supported model)
webware.com
18.06.08
MySpace Latino launches its new community, Colombianos, targeted at Colombian-Americans and Colombians living in the US. The homepage currently features a video of an acoustic performance by Jorge Villamizar
billboard.biz
18.06.08
Telefónica signs a deal with IODA to make IODA's catalogue of 1M tracks available to mobile users across 24 territories
billboard.biz
17.06.08
Social network MOG signs a deal with Gracenote that lets it add music lyrics to its service
billboard.biz
17.06.08
The Motion Pictures Experts Group will meet this week to consider the case for new digital audio format called MT9 being made an international standard
reuters.com
17.06.08
The Coldplay album sold 302,000 copies in the UK last week - despite only being on sale since Thursday
bbc.co.uk
12.06.08
Sony is teaming up with both Napster and 7digital.com to enable free music to be bundled into certain Walkman-branded music devices
billboard.biz
12.06.08
Telefónica has announced that it will offer the iPhone in 12 Latin America countries (as well as the Czech Republic), taking the total number of countries where it will offer the device to 16
ilounge.com
12.06.08
EMI and BBC Worldwide sign a deal to make thousands of hours of music content available publicly for the first time and for use across assorted platforms and markets
webwire.com
11.06.08
AOL unveils a new online music player and expanded programming options for its AOL Radio service (including 150 local stations)
billboard.biz
11.06.08
The 3G iPhone will be released in Japan today in conjunction with Softbank mobile and Apple
billboard.biz
11.06.08
Musicalties has launched a Music Copyright Help Line. The new service will act as a one-stop-shop for licensing music for film, TV, DVD, and online
musiccopyrighthelpline.co.uk
10.06.08
Samsung partners with Facebook, MySpace, and Bebo to run a competition in which four bands can have their music appear in an ad campaign this summer
guardian.co.uk
10.06.08
Interesting article on the history of MTV and its expansion into local markets
ft.com
10.06.08
RedBoxBlue become the first band to play a gig on Facebook
guardian.co.uk
09.06.08
Last.fm is teaming up with concert promoter the Bowery Presents to feature live music events on its free streaming music website
billboard.biz
09.06.08
Nancy Sinatra is to follow in her father's footsteps by pushing for legislation that will grant performers a royalty for songs aired on traditional radio in the US
yahoo.com
09.06.08
Koch Records is to promote its artists via a series of vinyl protective skins for iPods, phones, and laptops
billboard.biz
06.06.08
Yahoo! Music Europe has revamped its services with a new website. New additions include "best picks" of videos and tracks, recommendation tools, an embedded video player, and improved playlisting
mad.co.uk
06.06.08
Glam Media has partnered with the Russell Simmons-backed hip-hop social network Global Grind on a new series of websites and blogs targeting at the hip-hop community
dmwmedia.com
06.06.08
Warner Music International signs a deal to have Madonna's new album (Hard Candy) pre-loaded onto Sony Ericsson phones across 27 territories
billboard.biz
05.06.08
Indie roots label Rounder signs an international licensing deal with Decca Music Group
billboard.biz
05.06.08
In a "Last.fm in a Box" move, the online radio and recommendation service partners with a whole host of online platforms (including Bebo, Billboard.com, CBS, eMusic, Frengo, Gigya, iGoogle, Live Nation, Meebo, MP3.com, Netvibes, Photobucket, Piczo, WAYN.com, and WordPress.com) to extend its reach
zdnet.com
05.06.08
The Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival is to utilise New York-based Buzzdto to provide attendees with mobile information
billboard.biz
04.06.08
Qloud brings its My Music application to MySpace. The application lets users access tracks and videos that sit in their iTunes collection and which also exist on YouTube (all via their social network profile)
billboard.biz
04.06.08
Radiohead finally make their catalogue available on iTunes
bbc.co.uk
04.06.08
Boston has hired a new lead singer, Tommy DeCarlo, after he was brought to the band's attention by posting karaoke videos on his MySpace profile. Amazing:
dmwmedia.com
03.06.08
HMV - as part of its wider 'Get Closer' brand and concept - launches its new blog platform where its team of experts will blog on music, DVDs, downloads, and games as well as interacting with consumers
hmvblogs
03.06.08
T-Mobile adds digital albums to its Mobile Jukebox service. Albums start at £6 each with 100,000 titles on offer
t3.com
03.06.08
Norwegian record label 2L has released what it claims is the first music album for Sony's next-generation Blu-ray format. The album was recorded by Norwegian orchestra, the Trondheim Soloists
dmwmedia.com
02.06.08
Nokia is set to sign a revenue-sharing deal with mobile content provider Buongiorno. The deal could see Buongiorno's BlinkoGold mobile site (offering video, music, graphics and gaming content) on the Download! application found on 10 different Nokia devices
ft.com
02.06.08
Megadeth have embarked on an interactive widget campaign with Live Nation and Blipback Music. Users can watch exclusive videos, upload their own versions of Megadeth tracks, and get the chance to win Dave Mustaine's guitar
starpulse.com