digital music

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Amazon Keeps Building on Digital Transformation

Firm develops download stores for books, music and movies

(Newser) - Sales of downloadable digital media continue to gain ground on conventional formats—last week, Apple’s iTunes passed Wal-Mart as top US music seller. Not to be outdone, Amazon.com is rapidly expanding its venues for digital Web delivery, the New York Times reports. This year, the company debuted a...

Tech Toy Splurges for That Tax Return

You haven't already spent that tax refund, have you?

(Newser) - This year, the government’s economic stimulus package will add $600 to the average $2,300 refund each taxpayer receives. That’s a sizable chunk of change, perfect for a little tech-toy indulgence, reports ComputerWorld.
  1. Casio Exilim Pro Ex-FI high-speed digital camera: Snag 60 frames in a single second, to
...

Apple Is Unlikely to Offer Unlimited Music, But If It Did...

Competitors cry monopoly, but consumers seem enthusiastic

(Newser) - Don’t expect a subscription music service bundled with iPods anytime soon: that’s the consensus emerging from the news flurry since last week’s report Apple was considering such a move. Still, the flurry made two things clear, declares Nate Anderson in Ars Technica: Apple would need to tread...

Apple May Offer Unlimited Tunes in iPods, iPhones

Apple may bundle unlimited music with next-gen iPhone and iPods

(Newser) - Apple is considering bundling unlimited access to the iTunes library with its next generation of iPods and iPhones, reports the Financial Times. In a similar move launched in December, Nokia will pay music industry partners almost $80 per handset for “comes with music” phones. Apple has offered just $20...

iTunes Store Now No. 2 Music Retailer

Apple's baby takes back seat only to Wal-Mart

(Newser) - iTunes is the world's No. 2 music retailer, a ranking that includes stores that sell CDs. The reason is a combination of a modest increase in digital music sales and a sharp dive in CD sales, so the news isn't much to celebrate for the music industry. And kids are...

CBS Lets You Decide What's on the Radio

New site lets users play any song they want, for free

(Newser) - CBS’ Last.fm used to be plain old Internet radio – you picked a station, and listened to whatever it streamed. That all changed yesterday, when the company announced its plan to let users listen to any song they wanted for free, a risky but potentially game-changing move that has...

Napster Moves to MP3-Only Format
Napster Moves to MP3-Only Format

Napster Moves to MP3-Only Format

Site ditches DRM in blow to digital music copyright proponents

(Newser) - Bad news for digital music copyright advocates: Napster plans to sell music downloads as MP3s and stop selling DRM-protected songs, the digital music retailer said today. Digital rights management blocks consumers from illegally sharing music but is unpopular with users because DRM-protected songs will often only play on certain players...

US Album Sales Plummet In '07
US Album Sales Plummet In '07

US Album Sales Plummet In '07

Growth slows; future looks grim

(Newser) - Album sales in the US fell 15% in 2007, to just 500.5 million units. The total represents both the lowest sales figure and sharpest decline since Nielsen began keeping track of music sales estimates in 1993. Total digital sales, including both albums and singles, were up 14% with 1....

Online Music Sales Surge in Britain

Holiday bounce credited with rare good note for music industry

(Newser) - Online music downloads in Britain surged during the last week of 2007, more than doubling the corresponding week of 2006, Reuters reports. With physical album sales still down and digital piracy continuing, analysts saw a high note: "The news should help induce optimism that the recorded music industry may...

Digital Music Packaging Getting Jazzed Up in '08

Downloads to start offering more than just music

(Newser) - Part of the reasons CDs are still popular in the age of digital music is the extras, Reuters reports. When you buy a CD, you get extended album art, lyrics, and liner notes. With an album downloaded digitally, it's just song titles and thumbnail art. The industry hopes to change...

Amazon Gets Funky With Warner Music
Amazon Gets Funky With Warner Music

Amazon Gets Funky With Warner Music

DRM-free iTunes competitor continues to attract big labels

(Newser) - Amazon’s burgeoning mp3 service landed another big fish today, adding Warner Music’s catalog to its online store. The Amazon shop aims to compete with Apple’s iTunes, selling songs for 89 cents as opposed to Apple’s 99 cents and without digital rights management software that makes sharing...

Interest Grows in Music-for-Rent
Interest Grows in Music-for-Rent

Interest Grows in Music-for-Rent

Subscriptions may be the wave of the future

(Newser) - After years of the iTunes model dominating digital music sales, the time for subscription music services could be near. So far, fewer than 3 million Americans have signed up for such services. But as customizable online radio stations and social networks where users sample and recommend music grow in popularity,...

MySpace Will Transmit Blunt
MySpace Will Transmit Blunt

MySpace Will Transmit Blunt

Revenue-sharing model allows artists to set music prices for direct sale on MySpace

(Newser) - MySpace will host and sell videos of exclusive musical performances on its MySpace Music site, reports the New York Times. Artists will record a series of exclusive videos for the site, and will be able to set their own prices, unlike Apple's iTunes flat-rate prices. The system, called Transmissions, won't...

Shoppers Swoon for Zunes
Shoppers Swoon for Zunes

Shoppers Swoon for Zunes

Thanksgiving shoppers on the hunt for 'iPod killers'

(Newser) - Microsoft's new Zune digital music players have been flying off the shelves, reports PC World. But big retailers have been running out, frustrating hordes of Thanksgiving shoppers attracted by big discounts and plenty of hype. Microsoft,  which seems to have seriously misjudged demand for the best-selling model, the Zune...

Microsoft Finally Makes a 'Pretty Good' Media Player

PC World 's qualified praise for the new Zunes

(Newser) - Microsoft released its latest Zune portable media players today, garnering approval from PC World. "This latest generation of Zunes should finally provide some real competition," declared the reviewer. The magazine praised the players for high sound quality and good extra features, but pointed to improvements to the Zune...

Digital Music for Audiophiles
Digital Music for Audiophiles

Digital Music for Audiophiles

Sooloos delivers what iTunes cannot

(Newser) - New York based Sooloos is producing a digital music system for the most discerning consumers, those who want a totally digitized music system but don't want to sacrifice any audio quality. Starting at $12,900, their fanless Sooloos system speedily accesses a vast hard drive that can accommodate an uncompressed...

Harrison's Catalog Goes Online
Harrison's Catalog Goes Online

Harrison's Catalog Goes Online

Nine albums released, more to come

(Newser) - George Harrison today became the final Beatle to release material online, as nine albums from his solo catalog were made available through iTunes and Amazon.com. Calling the release "exciting," Harrison's widow, Olivia, said: "He had begun digital remastering but had no idea how the digital world...

Radiohead's Free Downloads Prompt Others

Oasis, Jamiroquai are among those mulling freebie releases

(Newser) - Oasis, Jamiroquai and other bands not tied to record labels may soon follow in Radiohead's footsteps by offering their music for free download, reports the Daily Telegraph. While fans may pay whatever they choose for Radiohead's new album, released today, a spokesperson says the majority of visitors preordering on the...

Meet the New Zunes
Meet the New Zunes

Meet the New Zunes

Microsoft rolls out its second generation of mp3 players

(Newser) - The Zune is getting three shiny new models in November, Microsoft announced yesterday, including nano-like flash-integrated 4GB and 8GB players, and an 80GB hard drive model, all priced just like corresponding iPods. They’ll sport new features like wireless syncing, touch-sensitive navigation pads and a redesigned, DRM-free marketplace. But they...

Stand by Your Twang
Stand by
Your Twang

Stand by Your Twang

Country music sales, industry's last stalwart, are finally taking a dive

(Newser) - Country music album sales are down nearly 30% so far this year. That might seem slightly less dramatic against the whole industry's 15% slide, but country’s been the biz’s final remaining hold-out—holding nearly even in 2005 and 2006 amid the digital revolution. So the newest dive may...

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