iTunes Soars Past 5 Billion Downloads

Apple today announced that is has sold more than five billion downloads on iTunes. The online store remains the #1 music retailer in the US* and claims a catalog of over eight million songs. Customers are also renting and purchasing over 50,000 movies daily, making iTunes the world's most popular online movie store according to Apple.

* Based on data from market research firm the NPD Group's MusicWatch survey that captures consumer reported past week unit purchases and counts one CD representing 12 tracks, excluding wireless transactions. The iTunes Store became the largest music retailer in the US based on the amount of music sold during January and February 2008.

Music News: 6-4-08

> Bertlesmann is intensifying talks with Sony about selling its share of the Sony BMG label partnership. (NY Times)

> Retail giant f.y.e. is testing f.y.e. Tunes Filling Station mp3 download kiosks. (Fye Tunes)

> Tech journal ARS takes a look at Tunecore and the democratization of the music business. (here)

> EMI sells Christian music destination HearItFirst.com to Spinnaker Media. (paidContent)

> Tori Amos will go indie with her new release. (Billboard)

> The world's first Blu-ray music album is released in Norway. (DMW)

> SpiralFrog adds EMI as its second major. Universal was first. (AP)

> EMI Music Publishing has extended its long-term relationship with Grammy Award winning songwriter and performer Ben Harper.

> imeem is adding short audio ads between some songs. (Ad Supported Music Central)

> EMI joins Universal in offering its catalog of recordings free via ad supported Qtrax. (press release) EMI also signed a deal with ad supported SpiralFrog. (FMQB)

> Yahoo is being sued by an Indian music company for copyright infringement. (PC World)

> Boston's Newbury Comics chain is selling $100,000 a month in vinyl records. (Boston Globe)

> Wolfgang's Vault has added download sales from its rare concert archives. (Reuters)

> Radiohead's catalog is up on iTunes both as albums and single tracks, something the band said it would never do. (MacWorld)

> Peter Gabriel launches personalized media reccomendation service The Filter. (AP)

> A look at a variety of products designed to offer improve music sound quality online and off. (USA Today)

Music News: 5-15-08

TOP STORIES:

• Staff and budget cuts led to higher profits at Sony BMG. But are cuts the only way forward?
• imeem joins Google’s Open Social
• Fancorps and Gydget team for fan engagement
• This weeks CIMS indie store sales charts

PLUS -

• QTrax has signed its fourth major publisher Warner/Chappell. (Listening Post)
• SpiralFrog is expanding its sales team with the addition of industry vets Jesse Paynter as senior vice president of sales and Paul Rothkopf as senior vice president of sales strategy. (press release)
• Neal Diamond unseats Madonna to score his first Billboard #1 debut. (FMQB)
• Singer songwriter Josh Rouse has launched a membership only digital music store. (Glider)
• Double standard? UMG fights “excessive” infringement damages. (ars

Undergoing MyBlogLog Verification

Music News: 5-12-08

FEATURES -

• Live Nation and AdBrite launch eFan Finder to track and report the concert promoter’s ad activity across thousands of web sites
• Make sure you didn’t miss anything important last week with our Music 2.0 Week In Review
• Coldplay vs. Radiohead vs. NIN - Does free music help make a band more popular?

PLUS -

• Project Playlist, which is being sued by the major labels, says it will shut down if it can’t make licensing deals. It’s also solicited the help of some heavy hitters including ex-RIAA head Jay Berman. (cNet)
• Sire Records president Michael Goldstein is exiting the label to start a new one for management giant Q Prime. (FMQB)
• After less than a year, Michael Bloom has left the Rhapsody America joint venture where he had served as GM. (Billboard)
• Bertlesmann AG, half of Sony BMG, reported smaller quarterly losses thanks in part to an end to old Napster payouts. (FMQB)
• Madonna has named Stub Hub her official ticket scalper…I mean re-seller. (WSJ)
• Check out two available Summer and Fall music industry internships
• A look inside the $50 million joint venture between Rhino and the Frank Sinatra estate. (FT)
• RockDose.com is celebrating the 29th Anniversary of The Machine - America’s Top Pink Floyd Tribute with a week of Floyd quotes and videos.

Music News: 5-10-08

TOP STORIES -

• MySpace goes viral in partnership with Yahoo, Twitter and others.
• Microsoft sends indie labels an unexpected “Zune Bonus” check
• DIGITAL NARM coverage: Day 1, Day 2
• Is DRM dead? Some in the music industry think its poised for a comeback.
• UK trade group AIM has issued a Digital Copyright Manifesto.

PLUS -

• RealNetworks shared first quarter financial reporting a decline in profit as operating expenses increased. Revenues for the quarter rose 14% in large part because of a $61M payment on an antitrust settlement from Microsoft. Real also announced plans to spin off and perhaps IPO its games division. (paidcontent)
• Live Nation reported a $35 million first quarter loss to Wall Street. (Billboard, press release pdf)
• Last.fm who signed a deal to power AOL Radio in the US last year is now doing the same in the U.K. France and Germany.
• This year’s class of music and music industry students are set to join an “industry in turmoil.” (Financial Times)
• Echonest has launched “Recommend”, an API that helps music services personalize their websites to each visitor’s unique music taste. Any music website - bloggers, social networks, Internet radio or retailers - can access the Recommend API in both free and paid versions. (press release)

MORE @ HYPEBOT.COM

Music News: 5-8-08

FEATURES:

• WMG has dropped its stock dividend as it reports mounting losses
• Microsoft Zune has sent indies unexpected bonus checks
• Coverage from Digital NARM Day 2: A Panel Round-Up and some quotable quotes.

PLUS:

• Video of Neil Young on the release of his archives on Blu-Ray disc and the state of the music industry. (OurDigitalMusic)
• Backed by a former hedge fund manager, SOS Records has launched at WeLoveFreeMusic.com with a business model that gives it away free on the net but sells physical version.
• A new study from Arbitron and Edison Media Research found that at work radio listeners have jumped from 12% to 20%. (FMQB)
• TorrentSpy, a torrent tracker that lost a copyright infringement
  suit from the Motion Picture Association of America has been ordered by
  a federal judge to pay 110 million in damages. (DMW)
• Today, Laurence Trifon will be covering The SanFran MusicTech Summit for Hypebot. The one day event brings together developers in the Music/Technology Space along with the musicians, businesses and organizations who work with them “at the convergence of culture and commerce”.
• MusicIP adds a board member, former Microsoft corporate vice president, Lindsay Sparks. Scott Lehr has also joined the company as vice president of sales, strategy & business development. (press release)

MORE @ HYPEBOT.COM

Music News: 5-7-08

TODAY’S FEATURE STORIES -

• WMG is now selling mp3’s via WalMart.com and Napter appears poised to finally jump on the DRM bandwagon.

• Peter Gabriel’s servers were stolen pulling down several of his web sites.

• An overview of Day 1 at Digital NARM plus quick panel highlights.

• eMusic was forced to yank the Rolling Stones ABKCO catalog.

• WMG appears set to offer DRM-free product to more download stores.

• WMG also will be experimenting with variable pricing.

• A complete list of the lucky folks that TVT owes money to.

• Universal/Buzznet has bought AbsolutePunk.net

PLUS -

• Zune expands its Marketplace and adds more social networking functions. (press release)

• New EMI hires are being forced to take psychometric tests - a favourite ploy of the boss, which typically includes general intelligence tests along with a paper to determine a candidate’s abilities. (Telegraph UK)

• Indie distributor IRIS has signed new deals with Alleviated, Labrador, Definitive and +1 plus direct artist deals with She Wants Revenge, Lou Reed, Larry Heard, Claude Von Stroke, and Lawson Rollins. (Billboard)

• The winners of this year’s Webby Awards have been announced. Music winners is BBC Radio 1 Meet The DJ’s and ResidentAdvisor.net, an EU music site with a heavy concert emphasis. Here’s a full list of winners.

• Neil Young is releasing his entire catalog on Blu-Ray disc. (AP)

• Whole Foods is jumping into the music game supporting select new releases. (Idolator)

• eMusic has added the entire My Morning Jacket catalog. (eMusic)

More @ Hypebot.com