Digital Music News (digitalmusicnews.com)

Live Nation Taps Last.fm, Courts Potential Audiences

January 25, 2007

Concert giant Live Nation recently revealed a deal with Last.fm, an innovative music recommendation and social networking startup. The alliance will give Live Nation direct access to the Last.fm audience of ... Read More...

EMI Consolidates Capitol, Virgin Labels; Big Layoffs Potentially Ahead

Paul Resnikoff

January 25, 2007

EMI Music is now consolidating its Capitol and Virgin labels in the United States, according to an announcement issued Thursday. The labels will exist under the newly-created Capitol Music Group umbrella, a ... Read More...

Google Begins Testing on Video Advertising Platform

Alexandra Osorio

January 23, 2007

Google is now triggering a four-week test of its video advertising system, according to an announcement issued earlier this week. The AdSense trial involves music video content supplied by both Warner Music Group and Sony BMG, part of deal that first bubble... Read More...

DRM Soul-Searching Continues, Speculation Surrounds Majors

Paul Resnikoff

January 23, 2007

One of the biggest topics at Midem this year is the effectiveness of DRM, and whether majors will abandon the technology in the near-term. Panel discussions and after-hours chatter have been incredibly heavy... Read More...

Zune Marketing Chief Defends Player, PlaysForSure

Paul Resnikoff

January 22, 2007

Zune is getting off to a soft start, thanks in part to an increasingly-powerful iPod. During the holiday quarter, Apple sold a whopping 21.1 million units, a record-breaking level that highlights the competi... Read More...

Early-Year CD Sales Struggle, Fresh Questions Surround Major Labels

Paul Resnikoff

January 22, 2007

The demand for music could be stronger than ever, though critical questions surround the long-term health of certain segments the music industry. Major labels, the most under siege, now face a potentially fatal drop in CD sales, one that may or may not be o... Read More...

eMusic Pushes Past 250,000 Subscribers, Eyes Asia

Alexandra Osorio

January 22, 2007

Independent online music store eMusic has now reached its 250,000th subscriber, according to an announcement issued Monday. The milestone is part of an accelerating growth curve for the company, and follows ... Read More...

Music Choice Boasts 600 Million On-Demand Requests

Paul Resnikoff

January 18, 2007

Music Choice, a provider of cable and satellite television-based audio and video content, recently counted its 600 millionth on-demand order. The accomplishment follows a heavy push into on-demand content by... Read More...

More Drama Surrounds DJ Drama Mixtape Raid

Paul Resnikoff

January 18, 2007

More details are now surfacing on a recent raid against DJ Drama and his Aphilliates Music Group. Drama, whose real name is Tyree Simmons, was arrested along with companion DJ Don Cannon under felony racketeering charges. Both were taken into custody and r... Read More...

US Weekly Album Sales Remain Problematic

Alexandra Osorio

January 17, 2007

Album sales in the United States remained problematic during the recent week, and new lows emerged. Total sales dipped 14% from the comparable period last year, though the most concerning development surroun... Read More...

V2 Undergoes Radical Restructuring, Staffers Dismissed

Alexandra Osorio

January 14, 2007

V2 North America has now undergone a radical restructuring, one that will terminate all new release efforts. Various reports pointed to the changes at the tail end of last week, and V2 has now confirmed the ... Read More...

Pirate Bay Ponders Island Purchase, Legal Evasion Scheme

Paul Resnikoff

January 14, 2007

The Pirate Bay, a notoriously massive BitTorrent tracker, is now pondering the purchase of a small island. The evasive destination, currently based in Sweden, would use the purchase to position itself as a sovereign nation. "We have made progress in Ladoni... Read More...