Web Killed Big Acts, Saved Music: Kot

Tax would give Isle of Man citizens unlimited downloads; Ireland will cut off miscreants

(NEWSER) - Two European islands are taking opposite approaches to music piracy, the results of which could influence internet policy worldwide. The Isle of Man, between England and Ireland, will charge a $1.45 weekly tax on behalf of record labels to let citizens download music without penalty. Meanwhile, Ireland’s main internet provider will start disconnecting outlaw downloaders, the Christian Science Monitor reports. More»

Brit singer says she won't renew recording deal, has no plans for new album

(NEWSER) - After taking heaps of “abuse” for her campaign against music piracy, British pop star Lily Allen today shut down the blog she’d used to explain her side of the fight—only after she’d written that she wasn’t going to renew her recording deal and didn’t plan on another album. “She is not quitting pop music,” a rep tells NME.com about the 24-year-old, who’s still touring in support of her current record. More»

Singer ripped others' music for own mixes before she was a star

(NEWSER) - Singer Lily Allen has caused a stir with recent rants against music piracy (and a blog where she posts opinions from like-minded creative pals), but when she was trying to make it, she was guilty of just that offense. Allen included tracks from Jay-Z, Jefferson Airplane and others on mixtapes (still available, by the way) with her own songs, Michael Masnick notes in a Techdirt post "from the put-the-stone-down-lily,-that's-a-big-glass-house dept." More»

November release tops presale chart

(NEWSER) - Beat it, Beatles, here comes Susan Boyle. Hours after the Scottish singer's upcoming album was announced, it hit No. 1 on the Amazon.com presale charts—putting her ahead of Whitney Houston and the Fab Four. I Dreamed A Dream comes out in late November, the Scottish Daily Record reports. "The moment has finally come," one fan said. "Susan's CD is going to be brilliant and I can't wait." More»

Streaming music gets a foothold among listeners

(NEWSER) - The wide world of online music now offers a range of ways to stream your tunes, from pay sites to musical social-networking services. It’s hard to tell which will stick around, but experts say they may help save the music industry, CNN reports. A sampling:

• Napster: It’s back and it’s legal, and for $5 a month, you can stream 7 million songs and download five.