Ultimate Chart (a/o May 20th):
Music festivals aren't cheap. But luckily for those of us without the spare cash, more and more festivals are streaming concerts online for free. The latest is Austin City Limits, which is now streaming about a third of the 130 bands in its lineup this year. Bands to air on the fest's live YouTube feed include Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Black Keys, and Jack White.
Also, rapper Nelly was detained, but not arrested, after police found 0.64 ounces of heroin, more than 10 pounds marijuana, and a .45-caliber pistol in his tour bus. The search was conducted at a routine border patrol checkpoint in the town of Sierra Blanca, Texas.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. will lose millions every year on its free streaming radio service, CBC Music, reports the Globe And Mail. Despite the service's popularity – the website has gotten 7.8 million visits since launching in February – advertising revenue only amounts to roughly $750,000. Eric Boyko, owner of Stingray Digital, complained, "If music is given away for free then people will say that it's free. It will upset the market. That remains a threat, and that is why I'm mad at the CBC – someone is always paying."
Elsewhere, CMJ is descending upon New York City next week, though attendance seems optional. On the West Coast, most executives are weighing the costs of travel and time carefully, especially given a string of just-completed, often redundant events (Digital Music Forum West, SF MusicTech, etc.)
Meanwhile, the SF MusicTech Week continues, with a just-completed party/open house at BAMM.tv headquarters last night. The event featured a live filming of the extremely-retroey Sufis with Dubvirus spinning.
All of which spills into this weekend's Treasure Island Music Festival, whose insane lineup includes AraabMUZIK, The xx, SBTRKT, Public Enemy, Toro y Moi, The War on Drugs, M83, and Girl Talk.
Bidding is now starting for entertainment and event giant AEG. According to Reuters, price tags are north of $10 billion, with Oracle's Larry Ellison among the possible suitors.
Elsewhere, MegaUpload's Kim Dotcom continues to rattle on a comeback, with a relaunch slated by year-end. MegaUpload lead counsel Ira Rothken was on hand at SF MusicTech on Tuesday; the company remains adamantly combative against a heavy US Government crackdown.
LiveUniverse has just been handed a $6.6 million fine for hosting and delivering a long list of illegal lyrics. The site was actually shuttered in late 2010, and owner Brad Greenspan seemed unable to mount a meaningful, adequately-lawyered response.
Sirius XM Radio now has 23.36 million subscribers, according to disclosures this week. That's a gain of roughly 2 million in just one year; Sirius is easily the largest music subscription service in the world.
And, Beatport has just tapped IGN and Gnip cofounder Eric Marcoullier as VP of Digital Business Development.
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