Bands live in a world of instant digital gratification, and that puts the pressure on direct-to-fan companies. A tweet gets an instant response, so why wait weeks to upload music onto iTunes? (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘iTunes’
iTunes Distribution In a Day: Yes, Someone Is Taking It There…
Friday, July 23rd, 2010Tommy Boy: “80 Percent of All Records Released are Just Noise — Hobbyists”
Tuesday, July 13th, 2010Are most musicians today merely hobbyists? Yes, according to Thomas “Tommy Boy” Silverman, who poked another hole in digital utopianism over the weekend. “80 percent of all records released are just noise — hobbyists,” Silverman told Wired. “Some companies like Tunecore are betting on the Long Tail because they get the same $10 whether you sell one copy or 10,000.” (more…)
Bing Music: Cool Integration, If It Works…
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010Bing has been a bit of a surprise by Microsoft, though an integrated stab into music appeared crippled on Monday. In testing, a Zune-powered, ‘playable search’ result refused to play, at least in Google Chrome and Firefox. Instead, a pop-up window offered an unexpected ‘coming soon’ result after serving no music, despite a launch last week. “Coming Soon: Zune and Bing are working to bring you closer to the music you love,” the confusing pop-up read. “Please come back later.” (more…)
The M.I.A. Effect: Does Controversy Still Sell?
Wednesday, June 16th, 2010Artists need lots of attention to survive, and sometimes, controversy does the trick. Case in point? Madonna handcrafted the art of stoking controversy in the 80s and 90s, though in the 2010s, getting sustained attention – and resulting sales – is a much trickier craft. (more…)
McCartney: EMI Is Why the Beatles Are Missing on iTunes…
Tuesday, May 18th, 2010EMI executives sometimes struggle against an avalanche of negative media, and Paul McCartney is the latest source of pain. McCartney recently shifted his entire solo catalog away from EMI, and now, he’s blaming the label for a still iTunes-less Beatles. “It’s been business hassles,” McCartney recently told BBC Radio. “Not with us, or iTunes. It’s the people in the middle, the record label. There have been all sorts of reasons why they don’t want to do it.” (more…)
Freshly-Independent Rhapsody Drops Its Monthly to $9.99…
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010A spun-off Rhapsody is now lowering its monthly price-point, according to details confirmed Tuesday morning. Instead of a more hefty, $14.99 for PC and mobile access, the subscription, cloud-based play is now available for $9.99. (more…)
50 Million Strong, Pandora Makes the iPad Leap…
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010As the iPhone inherits a super-sized sibling, it’s only a matter of time before apps cross the chasm. In the case of Pandora, the leap happened right at launch. The Pandora iPad app comes complete with all the trimmings found on the iPhone and iPod touch, with bigger album artwork and more room for bios and related information. (more…)
Internet Radio Attracting 60 Million Americans…
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010Internet radio stations are now attracting 60 million listeners – a week – in the US, according to the latest from Bridge Ratings. That sounds like a lot of people, though the ramp-up will hit 77 million by 2015, if the projection proves correct. (more…)
Apple Third Largest on Wall Street, Again…
Thursday, April 1st, 2010Apple (AAPL) is once again the third-largest company on Wall Street, as measured by market capitalization. Earlier this month, the company pushed past Walmart (WMT) as iPad anticipation bubbled. Positions then reverted, though Apple is third once again, thanks to rumors of an iPhone expansion beyond AT&T. (more…)
American Idol Keeps Consolidating Online…
Wednesday, March 24th, 2010Want the career-changing spotlight that ‘American Idol’ can offer? Then prepare to make a few concessions, including online. Just recently, Idol started funnelling contestant Twitter accounts into a centralized thread (@AI9Contestants), a move designed to enhance show branding. (more…)
