WebProNews

New Digital Music Service To Help Fight Aids In Africa

(RED), the nonprofit organisation co-founded by Bono, is starting a new digital music service (via NYT) in September that will contribute a share of profits to

Room At The Top: Google CIO Exits

Douglas Merrill said farewell to the best job in the world, as he opted for a position with music label EMI.

Michael Jackson's Label Denies Beatles, iTunes Deal

Forget about The Beatles hitting the iTunes Music Store anytime soon, as the Jackson/Sony publishing company Sony/ATV dismissed the chatter coming from England trumpeting a deal.

Digital Music Revenue To Reach $5 Billion

At the end of 2007 digital music revenue in the U.S. grew to $1.98 billion and will reach $5.34 billion by 2012, according to a new report from the Yankee Group, "US Digital Music Forecast: What Fate Awaits Record Labels?"

Digital Music Sales Up 45%

Total overall music purchases were up in 2007, while album sales continued their decline according to Nielsen SoundScan's year-end sales figures.

Can Digital Sales Save The Music Industry?

Digital music spending in the U.S. will comprise over a third of consumer music purchases by 2012, but will not make up for lost CD sales during that time according to a new report from JupiterResearch, "US Music Forecast, 2007-2012."

Napster Founder's Snocap Melts

Shawn Fanning's post-Napster endeavor has fared poorly, with layoffs and "For Sale" signs the order of the day.

Microsoft Jams To MP3 Verdict Win

The patent battle between Microsoft and Alcatel-Lucent over digital music patents took a twist when a judge decided Microsoft won't have to pay a $1.52 billion jury verdict.

Labels to Sell Digital Music Directly to Fans

IODA, a digital distribution company for the independent music community, has announced a new service, which will allow independent record, labels to sell digital music directly to consumers on label and artist Web sites. The company has partnered with DownloadCentric to offer the service to its label, distributor and artist clients. They will use the platform to create customized storefronts, which will facilitate direct-to- fan sales.

EMI Considers Pulling the Plug on DRM

Earlier this week, Steve Jobs wrote an open letter in which he criticized the major record labels for demanding stringent copy-protection technology that limits the flexibility of the music to be played across different device platforms. Representatives from Warner have rebuffed Jobs’ assertion that the elimination of DRM would bolster the online music market, citing potential privacy concerns. EMI, however, is rumored to be looking at ways to unlock the DRM on its musical catalogue.