How to Save the Music Biz

The copyright arguments aren't going to stop until the day music dies

(NEWSER) - The music industry wants royalties for the 30-second previews on iTunes—which is "bullshit," writes Nicholas DeLeon for TechGear. It's yet another foolish move in the battle to save the music industry, complains DeLeon. Luckily, he has a "foolproof" way to do just that: Ban music, "shut the whole damn industry down," send iPods to the bottom of the sea, and outlaw whistling. More»

(NEWSER) - 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 whole package. More»

Guitar Hero, Rockband become major music markets

(NEWSER) - Aerosmith didn’t release an album in July, but still had their best sales week ever thanks to Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, which bowed to a cool $25 million. Video games have become music’s hottest market, Rolling Stone reports: Rock Band and Guitar Hero are battling for top acts, and musicians are eager to toss in their tunes. More»

Lessons from a tiny Swedish firm that's raked in $10M

(NEWSER) - As the music industry navigates a path for the digital era, a tiny Swedish label has proven itself an excellent guide. Though it has just 43 employees, X5 Music Group topped the classical charts last year, its sales on par with Universal, the biggest label there is. Its strategy is a novel one: With no CDs, no contracts with artists, and no new music to offer, it focuses its efforts entirely on the Internet, the Wall Street Journal reports. More»

Apple hypes it like crazy

(NEWSER) - After decades of legal battles over the “Apple” brand name, the Beatles and Steve Jobs have officially let it be and come together on iTunes. It’s not the big announcement many tech prognosticators were expecting , but Apple is hyping it to the nines, devoting its entire homepage to it. A round of TV commercials are planned as well, according to Tech Crunch . The Fab Four have even cropped up on Ping. More»