Spotify closing new financing deal at $250 million valuation

WMG back on YouTube by the year’s end

September 30, 2009

Apple approves the use of Spotify app – still not in the U.S.

August 27, 2009

Apple has approved the iPhone version of Spotify’s music streaming application! An Apple spokeswoman confirmed. However the app will run only in countries where Spotify is licensed – Sweden, Norway, Britain, Spain, Finland and France.
The company is planning to roll-out in the U.S. by the end of the year. But the great news that “there’s [...]

The battle against Pirate Bay – extreme measures

August 21, 2009

The news:
A major internet service provider in Ireland – UPS Ireland – has refused to block access to the Pirate Bay at the request of the four major music labels. UPS said in a statement:
“UPC has informed the rights holders that there is no basis under Irish law requiring an ISP to block access to [...]

Bring the news and record industry to the 21st century!

August 16, 2009

Almost every day we hear news of another big newspaper having financial troubles. And in the same time new strategies surface, trying to make up with the lost revenue by adopting new business models, more aligned with the digital revolution.
Such a strategy that seems to appeal to News Corp. is to make customers pay [...]

Music site OurStage raises $3 Million; aims for $6 million second round

August 13, 2009

OurStage, the music discovery site that likened itself to an “online American Idol” has raised $840,000 worth of what would become a $6 million second round of funding (per an SEC filing).
The company says it has raised a total of $20 million in funding, including $3 million worth of this second round. OurStage also [...]

Paperless tickets for Bruce Springsteen concerts

August 7, 2009

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE LEGENDARY E STREET BAND ADD 25 NEW US DATES FOR 2009
Paperless Tickets will be made available for select sections at venues sold by Ticketmaster. Want more information on how Paperless Ticketing works?
Visit www.ticketmaster.com/paperless for details.
Many non-Ticketmaster venues will also be offering this service and we will be giving those details shortly.
Source: [...]

Spotify closing new financing deal at $250 million valuation

August 4, 2009

Three new investors have backed Spotify at a valuation of $250 million, according to paidContent.
Investors may include the Li Ka Shing Foundation, which is controlled by Hong Kong investor Li Ka Shing, who has invested $120 million in Facebook and has also invested in Joost. VC Firm Wellington Partners is also participating, according to the [...]

iLike app alert users on local concert dates

August 4, 2009

Social music discovery service iLike has introduced a new iPhone app to alert users when artists they like will be playing in their area.
The Local Concerts app scans the music on the iPod Touch or iPhone and provides a customer concert listing for the artists stored in the device.
The user will even receive alerts when [...]

Apple Teams Up With Record Labels to Revive the Album

July 31, 2009

Apple has joined forces with four major record labels on a mission to get music buyers to start buying albums again instead of just single tracks, the Financial Times reports. The project—codenamed “Cocktail”—will bundle album downloads with lyrics sheets, sleeve notes, photos, and assorted interactive features in an effort to lure consumers into buying the [...]

Mobile streaming growth equals radio death?

July 30, 2009

The Southern California Broadcasters Association has taken issue with a Boston.com story that portrays radio as almost being on its death bed. The article doesn’t cite one statistic showing changes in listening habits the type of young adults it quotes.
Here’s a blurb from a well reasoned response to the article from Mary Beth Garber, president [...]

MySpace-a space for videogames

July 24, 2009

News Corp hopes to transform MySpace,  into a stronger online videogaming platform in order to reposition the six-year-old site as an entertainment destination.

News Corp digital head Jonathan Miller said on Thursday he wants to expand the videogame platform on his company’s sagging social networking site, which lags Facebook in number of users.
“MySpace is and will [...]