The German government says it is prepared give financial support to small-and-medium sized start-ups in the German music market.
The move was announced by German minister of economics Michael Glos at the Popkomm trade fair in Berlin today (Sept. 19).
Full details of the budget and how the aid will be allocated have not yet been announced. However, this is the first time the government has publicly made a commitment to helping new music industry businesses. Previously, government had claimed said it was too difficult to assess the value of music-related enterprises and determine how much financial assistance to give.
Dagmar Sikorski, president of the German Music Publishers' Association, is among the industry insiders welcoming the government initiative. He says it would "strengthen competitiveness in all segments of the market, especially as smaller music companies need help in the first years after they start a business," Sikorski declares.
At Popkomm, Glos unveiled government statistics which showed the German music industry generated than $6.93 billion in 2006. That figure included $2.36 billion from the recorded music market and $4.99 billion from the concert business.
Source
donderdag 20 september 2007
eMusic Launches DRM-Free Music Tool
eMusic introduced a new music management tool for it's DRM-free digital music service designed to let users more easily transfer tracks acquired through eMusic to existing music management software, such as iTunes, Winap or Windows Media Player.
Before, users had to manually transfer eMusic-acquired files to their respective digital jukeboxes. The new tool allows them to simply select their preferred application, and any song downloaded from eMusic will automatically be added to its library.
The Open Source application works on both Mac and PCs, as well as Linux. As an Open Source application, third-party developers will have access to the source code and thereby develop additional functionality. It uses technology from Open Source firm Mozilla, meaning it can work with may of the add-on programs developed for Web browsers Firefox, including FoxyTunes, gTalk Sidebar, TwittyTunes and Wordpress.com Sidebar.
Source
Before, users had to manually transfer eMusic-acquired files to their respective digital jukeboxes. The new tool allows them to simply select their preferred application, and any song downloaded from eMusic will automatically be added to its library.
The Open Source application works on both Mac and PCs, as well as Linux. As an Open Source application, third-party developers will have access to the source code and thereby develop additional functionality. It uses technology from Open Source firm Mozilla, meaning it can work with may of the add-on programs developed for Web browsers Firefox, including FoxyTunes, gTalk Sidebar, TwittyTunes and Wordpress.com Sidebar.
Source
Popkomm Panelists: Music, Auto Industries Must Align
Vehicles will drive a viable revenue stream for record labels in the coming years, panelists said at the "Auto Mobile Music: The Dashboard Jukebox" session today, on day one of Popkomm, the international music and entertainment conference being held in Berlin. The event runs September 19 - 21.
"Cars have been an offline silo for a long time. Now they are starting to come online," noted moderator Ty Roberts, co-founder of chief technical officer of Gracenote.
While in-car music interfaces are currently limited by technology and safety issues, the participants noted, new voice-activated devices are poised to enter the market, breaking-open the possibilities for tuning in at the wheel.
"We will connect our cars with the Internet in the next three to four years. It's small steps we are taking," explained Wilbert Hirsch, principal of acg audio consulting group in Germany. "The iCar is not far away."
Stephen White, Gracenote's senior director product and content management, urged music companies to align with car manufacturers. "The big opportunity is to work with the automobile industry now. It is a new frontier for digital music," he explained. "We have to see what the reaction is to the user community. You need to think of automotive as a distribution channel."
The sophisticated devices of the future, built into existing satellite-navigation systems, will enable drivers to customize their playlists on the go.
"Personalized downloads to the car will become a viable business model," Hirsch added.
And music videos will inevitably come into the mix. "Music videos in the car are not good for the driver," quipped Chrisa Haussler, senior VP, Sony BMG Music Entertainment Germany. "But how do you entertain the kids in the back. It's a good option."
Other speakers suggested downloads could be bundled into the price of car repayments, and delivered when the vehicle is being serviced.
"When we talk about filling the car up, we could be talking about filling it up with music," Roberts said.
Later in the Popkomm program, the complex system of rights collecting in Europe and the slowing market for ringtones came under the microscope.
Philippe Kern, CEO of KEA European Affairs, and founder of European independent music companies trade body Impala, took moderation duties for the afternoon panel, "Collecting societies joining together: entent cordiale or David vs. Goliath."
The session pitted executives from European collecting societies Buma/Stemra, SACEM, GEMA and labels body IFPI. And although it never quite descended into the battle it promised, attendees were treated to an insight into the competitive nature of European rights organizations.
"Harmonia is ready to cooperate with everyone. We need cooperation from all the societies," commented Thierry Desurmont, deputy chief executive of France's SACEM. Along with Italy's SIAE and Spain's SGAE, SACEM is a crucial cog in the Harmonia one-stop licensing alliance. "But it means the small collecting society will also need to improve their measures of administration to achieve better efficiency."
Speaking from the audience, Joe Mohen, founder and CEO of ad-supported digital music firm Spiralfrog chipped in, "I've come into the industry from a computer programming background. Music is the most complicated intellectual property ever. It makes software seem like a vacation."
Later in the day, executives admitted on the "Stepping into the Popkomm ring" panel that the market for ringtones - until recently a revenue power-player for the industry - has seen its heyday. "It's not a growing business. I hope that it will stay stable, but that is optimistic," said Gudrun Schweppe, VP of music licensing at German ringtone and download firm Jamba. "Handsets are improving and the typical ringtone buyer can edit his music on his computer and turn into a ringtone. We're looking at new business models, such as selling full-track to mobiles. We need to find new ways of having people pay for music. But it's still very difficult to operate on an EU-wide basis."
Source
"Cars have been an offline silo for a long time. Now they are starting to come online," noted moderator Ty Roberts, co-founder of chief technical officer of Gracenote.
While in-car music interfaces are currently limited by technology and safety issues, the participants noted, new voice-activated devices are poised to enter the market, breaking-open the possibilities for tuning in at the wheel.
"We will connect our cars with the Internet in the next three to four years. It's small steps we are taking," explained Wilbert Hirsch, principal of acg audio consulting group in Germany. "The iCar is not far away."
Stephen White, Gracenote's senior director product and content management, urged music companies to align with car manufacturers. "The big opportunity is to work with the automobile industry now. It is a new frontier for digital music," he explained. "We have to see what the reaction is to the user community. You need to think of automotive as a distribution channel."
The sophisticated devices of the future, built into existing satellite-navigation systems, will enable drivers to customize their playlists on the go.
"Personalized downloads to the car will become a viable business model," Hirsch added.
And music videos will inevitably come into the mix. "Music videos in the car are not good for the driver," quipped Chrisa Haussler, senior VP, Sony BMG Music Entertainment Germany. "But how do you entertain the kids in the back. It's a good option."
Other speakers suggested downloads could be bundled into the price of car repayments, and delivered when the vehicle is being serviced.
"When we talk about filling the car up, we could be talking about filling it up with music," Roberts said.
Later in the Popkomm program, the complex system of rights collecting in Europe and the slowing market for ringtones came under the microscope.
Philippe Kern, CEO of KEA European Affairs, and founder of European independent music companies trade body Impala, took moderation duties for the afternoon panel, "Collecting societies joining together: entent cordiale or David vs. Goliath."
The session pitted executives from European collecting societies Buma/Stemra, SACEM, GEMA and labels body IFPI. And although it never quite descended into the battle it promised, attendees were treated to an insight into the competitive nature of European rights organizations.
"Harmonia is ready to cooperate with everyone. We need cooperation from all the societies," commented Thierry Desurmont, deputy chief executive of France's SACEM. Along with Italy's SIAE and Spain's SGAE, SACEM is a crucial cog in the Harmonia one-stop licensing alliance. "But it means the small collecting society will also need to improve their measures of administration to achieve better efficiency."
Speaking from the audience, Joe Mohen, founder and CEO of ad-supported digital music firm Spiralfrog chipped in, "I've come into the industry from a computer programming background. Music is the most complicated intellectual property ever. It makes software seem like a vacation."
Later in the day, executives admitted on the "Stepping into the Popkomm ring" panel that the market for ringtones - until recently a revenue power-player for the industry - has seen its heyday. "It's not a growing business. I hope that it will stay stable, but that is optimistic," said Gudrun Schweppe, VP of music licensing at German ringtone and download firm Jamba. "Handsets are improving and the typical ringtone buyer can edit his music on his computer and turn into a ringtone. We're looking at new business models, such as selling full-track to mobiles. We need to find new ways of having people pay for music. But it's still very difficult to operate on an EU-wide basis."
Source
dinsdag 18 september 2007
Want2BDiscovered.com Gives Global Exposure to Indie Artists via Live Webcasts
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - July 24 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Are you a frustrated musician or vocalist seeking a record deal? Are you an unsigned or indie music artist who is looking for that first big break? Want2BDiscovered.com, LLC is giving unsigned artists more exposure than any other web site and has launched a seven-month urban talent competition - the Urban Showcase Series - to help get musicians discovered and the public involved.
(c) Send2PressOn June 27, 2007, Want2BDiscovered (www.Want2BDiscovered.com) started a competition of unsigned music artists. Broadcast live from the Rutledge in Nashville, TN, six shows are scheduled with four contestants per show (24 in total). There will be a total of six winning contestants who will battle it out, live, at the seventh show on December 14. The finale, as well as the first six shows, will be viewable on the Want2BDiscovered web site.
The six finalists will compete to be the recipient of cash, prizes and the first place title. The remaining artists will be spotlighted on Want2BDiscovered.com's web site and featured as an exceptional talent or rising star.
Remaining competition dates are: July 27, August 31, September 21, October 26, and November 30.
On July 27, there are four contestants and three spotlight musicians scheduled to appear live on stage before hundreds of people, and potentially, thousands via the Internet.
Showcases and competitions are live and web streamed on the web site at: www.Want2BDiscovered.com. Performances are publicly displayed for the world to view and people are encouraged to vote for their favorite artist. Musical categories cover the spectrum and include all genres: rock, jazz, blues, country, alternative, gospel, reggae and more. The focus of the Urban Showcase Series is rap, rhythm and blues, and soul.
So, how do unsigned artists join to live stream their performances? Unsigned artists simply need a Webcam, or camcorder that can be used as a Webcam, and a computer. A musical profile is required prior to signing up for this benefit.
Musical artists who want to get a free music profile can simply click on the "register your music" button on the site and follow the directions.
"And, anyone who is interested in hearing free, live, indie music from the comfort of their living rooms" Ron Link, owner of Want2BDiscovered.com, said, "is welcome to watch and vote online for their favorite indie music artist. We encourage interaction and want to hear from anyone and everyone who loves music and wants to hear something new and edgy."
Want2BDiscovered.com has a mission to introduce the talents of unsigned, indie artists to the world. The company live streams music events to encourage record deals and to promote unsigned and indie music artists. They open up the world to unlimited discovery potential while providing interactive entertainment for people of all backgrounds and ages.
Source
(c) Send2PressOn June 27, 2007, Want2BDiscovered (www.Want2BDiscovered.com) started a competition of unsigned music artists. Broadcast live from the Rutledge in Nashville, TN, six shows are scheduled with four contestants per show (24 in total). There will be a total of six winning contestants who will battle it out, live, at the seventh show on December 14. The finale, as well as the first six shows, will be viewable on the Want2BDiscovered web site.
The six finalists will compete to be the recipient of cash, prizes and the first place title. The remaining artists will be spotlighted on Want2BDiscovered.com's web site and featured as an exceptional talent or rising star.
Remaining competition dates are: July 27, August 31, September 21, October 26, and November 30.
On July 27, there are four contestants and three spotlight musicians scheduled to appear live on stage before hundreds of people, and potentially, thousands via the Internet.
Showcases and competitions are live and web streamed on the web site at: www.Want2BDiscovered.com. Performances are publicly displayed for the world to view and people are encouraged to vote for their favorite artist. Musical categories cover the spectrum and include all genres: rock, jazz, blues, country, alternative, gospel, reggae and more. The focus of the Urban Showcase Series is rap, rhythm and blues, and soul.
So, how do unsigned artists join to live stream their performances? Unsigned artists simply need a Webcam, or camcorder that can be used as a Webcam, and a computer. A musical profile is required prior to signing up for this benefit.
Musical artists who want to get a free music profile can simply click on the "register your music" button on the site and follow the directions.
"And, anyone who is interested in hearing free, live, indie music from the comfort of their living rooms" Ron Link, owner of Want2BDiscovered.com, said, "is welcome to watch and vote online for their favorite indie music artist. We encourage interaction and want to hear from anyone and everyone who loves music and wants to hear something new and edgy."
Want2BDiscovered.com has a mission to introduce the talents of unsigned, indie artists to the world. The company live streams music events to encourage record deals and to promote unsigned and indie music artists. They open up the world to unlimited discovery potential while providing interactive entertainment for people of all backgrounds and ages.
Source
Globalization of Online Record Company Continues With Launch of BETA Records UK
Indie Artists and Fans Are Invited to Join www.betarecords.co.uk Starting September, 2007 as BETA Adds Another Country to a Growing List of Locations
LOS ANGELES, Calif. and LONDON, England - Sept. 4 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- BETA Records, the online record company, officially launched BETA Records UK (www.betarecords.co.uk) on September 1, opening a London office and a portal for music lovers and artists of every style.
Caption: Founders Georg van Handel and Chris Honetschlaeger BETA RecordsFollowing the success of BETA Records in the USA, Germany and Mexico, company founders Chris Honetschlaeger and Georg van Handel are moving forward with creation of an interconnected online community for the sharing of musical and social experiences. Additional expansion is planned with pending deals in the Netherlands and China expected by year-end.
"BETA Records is opening its online portal to singers, songwriters, instrumentalists, bands and fans everywhere, but with the additional advantage of local land-based operations, expanding global distribution channels and new revenue opportunities across BETA's multiple ecosystem platforms," states Honetschlaeger.
"By combining online's social interaction with the personalization of local facilities, BETA Records offers the best of both worlds to everyone who makes or enjoys music," van Handel states. "We love being an online record company, but there are many advantages to having terrestrial operations, including recording studios, mobile recording facilities, A&R representatives, video and broadcast professionals, and distribution channels," van Handel added.
"Unsigned artists joining BETA Records receive their own personal Web presence, complete with hosting of songs, photos, biographical and contact information, and a wide variety of additional features, including opportunities for networking, studio appearances, live shows, airplay on BETA Radio (www.BETA.fm), and presentation to decision-makers throughout the fields of music, motion pictures, television, radio and live venues," says Honetschlaeger.
"Every advancement in technology, recording, distribution and promotion at BETA Records brings independent artists closer to enjoying all the advantages formerly reserved for artists on one of the four major record labels," notes Chris Harper, BETA's Chief Experience Officer.
About BETA Records:
Blending 21st century digital technology with traditional brick-and-mortar approaches, BETA Records is both online and terrestrial. Using a growing network of offices, BETA finds, produces, and showcases unsigned artists and distributes content to fans globally.
bron
LOS ANGELES, Calif. and LONDON, England - Sept. 4 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- BETA Records, the online record company, officially launched BETA Records UK (www.betarecords.co.uk) on September 1, opening a London office and a portal for music lovers and artists of every style.
Caption: Founders Georg van Handel and Chris Honetschlaeger BETA RecordsFollowing the success of BETA Records in the USA, Germany and Mexico, company founders Chris Honetschlaeger and Georg van Handel are moving forward with creation of an interconnected online community for the sharing of musical and social experiences. Additional expansion is planned with pending deals in the Netherlands and China expected by year-end.
"BETA Records is opening its online portal to singers, songwriters, instrumentalists, bands and fans everywhere, but with the additional advantage of local land-based operations, expanding global distribution channels and new revenue opportunities across BETA's multiple ecosystem platforms," states Honetschlaeger.
"By combining online's social interaction with the personalization of local facilities, BETA Records offers the best of both worlds to everyone who makes or enjoys music," van Handel states. "We love being an online record company, but there are many advantages to having terrestrial operations, including recording studios, mobile recording facilities, A&R representatives, video and broadcast professionals, and distribution channels," van Handel added.
"Unsigned artists joining BETA Records receive their own personal Web presence, complete with hosting of songs, photos, biographical and contact information, and a wide variety of additional features, including opportunities for networking, studio appearances, live shows, airplay on BETA Radio (www.BETA.fm), and presentation to decision-makers throughout the fields of music, motion pictures, television, radio and live venues," says Honetschlaeger.
"Every advancement in technology, recording, distribution and promotion at BETA Records brings independent artists closer to enjoying all the advantages formerly reserved for artists on one of the four major record labels," notes Chris Harper, BETA's Chief Experience Officer.
About BETA Records:
Blending 21st century digital technology with traditional brick-and-mortar approaches, BETA Records is both online and terrestrial. Using a growing network of offices, BETA finds, produces, and showcases unsigned artists and distributes content to fans globally.
bron
Universal finds new way of distributing music - Ringles
Still experiencing an inner struggle after not renewing its contract with iTunes, Universal Music has now thought of a fun, new way of distributing music and additional content. Ringle, as that's its name, is an 'offline' retail product that will feature three songs, one ringtone and a wallpaper for mobile phones, all in a flashy, yet to be unveiled package. Already hunted by the likes of Wal-Mart and Best Buy, the Ringle will be very competitive price wise to what iTunes has to offer as it will only cost $5.98, lower than what you'll pay for the same content combination on iTunes. Of course, the problem of it being a retail product still remain, as it will not be as easy to purchase (you actually have to get out of the house!) and it still isn't clear what copy protection method they will use. But, desperate times call for desperate measures. Ringles!
http://www.hardware.info/nl-NL/extcontent/ZpaZbphlmZzGZpSUyA/Universal_finds_new_way_of_distributing_music__Ringles/
http://www.hardware.info/nl-NL/extcontent/ZpaZbphlmZzGZpSUyA/Universal_finds_new_way_of_distributing_music__Ringles/
Wal-Mart offers cheaper DRM-free music, but not for Mac owners
Wal-Mart has started offering Universal music tracks in the unprotected MP3 format, as promised. These play anywhere, but the site only works with Windows...
August 22, 2007 1:59 PM
Wal-Mart has put out a press release to say it is now selling MP3 music files free of copy protection, known as DRM (Digital Rights Management). This follows the Universal Music Group announcement (below) of an experiment with DRM-free tracks, which listed "Amazon.com Inc, Google Inc, Wal-Mart Stores Inc, Best Buy Co, RealNetworks Inc's Rhapsody, Transworld, PassAlong Networks and Puretracks Inc" as participants. Wal-Mart says:
At only 94 cents per track and $9.22 per album, the new MP3 digital format delivers value, convenience and the ability for customers to play music on nearly any device, including iPod, iPhone and Zune portable media players. Wal-Mart is one of the first major retailers to offer MP3 digital tracks with music content from major record labels such as Universal and EMI Music.
Kevin Swint, Wal-Mart's senior director and divisional manager for digital media, says the MP3 catalogue "includes music from popular artists like The Rolling Stones, Coldplay, KT Tunstall, Amy Winehouse, Maroon 5, George Strait and Nelly."
Wal-Mart has put up a free MP3 track -- 12 Stones' It Was You (Acoustic) -- to attact business.
At 94c each, the 256kbps MP3 tracks are more expensive than Wal-Mart's copy-protectected 128kbps WMA downloads, which cost 88c each. However, they are cheaper than tracks from Apple's iTunes Store, and will play on a much wider range of devices. For equivalent sound quality, the MP3 files are also much larger.
Although the MP3 tracks will play on Apple iPods, Mac owners may have problems buying them -- unless they also run Windows. The Wal-Mart store says it requires "Windows 2000, XP or Vista (sorry, no Mac or Linux)" and purchasing needs Internet Explorer or Windows Media Player 9 or later. Of course, a friend could buy the DRM-free MP3 tracks on their behalf and pass them on.....
Update: Sorry, not being a Wal-Mart shopper, I missed the fact that Wal-Mart does not sell music that includes "inappropriate content". As Ars Technica points out: "Only edited versions of albums with parental advisories are available, just as they are in Wal-Mart's offline stores." (In other words, Wal-Mart does not sell CDs that have warning stickers. If record labels choose to provide versions that don't need stickers, Wal-Mart will sell them.)
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/technology/archives/2007/08/22/walmart_offers_cheaper_drmfree_music_but_not_for_mac_owners.html
August 22, 2007 1:59 PM
Wal-Mart has put out a press release to say it is now selling MP3 music files free of copy protection, known as DRM (Digital Rights Management). This follows the Universal Music Group announcement (below) of an experiment with DRM-free tracks, which listed "Amazon.com Inc, Google Inc, Wal-Mart Stores Inc, Best Buy Co, RealNetworks Inc's Rhapsody, Transworld, PassAlong Networks and Puretracks Inc" as participants. Wal-Mart says:
At only 94 cents per track and $9.22 per album, the new MP3 digital format delivers value, convenience and the ability for customers to play music on nearly any device, including iPod, iPhone and Zune portable media players. Wal-Mart is one of the first major retailers to offer MP3 digital tracks with music content from major record labels such as Universal and EMI Music.
Kevin Swint, Wal-Mart's senior director and divisional manager for digital media, says the MP3 catalogue "includes music from popular artists like The Rolling Stones, Coldplay, KT Tunstall, Amy Winehouse, Maroon 5, George Strait and Nelly."
Wal-Mart has put up a free MP3 track -- 12 Stones' It Was You (Acoustic) -- to attact business.
At 94c each, the 256kbps MP3 tracks are more expensive than Wal-Mart's copy-protectected 128kbps WMA downloads, which cost 88c each. However, they are cheaper than tracks from Apple's iTunes Store, and will play on a much wider range of devices. For equivalent sound quality, the MP3 files are also much larger.
Although the MP3 tracks will play on Apple iPods, Mac owners may have problems buying them -- unless they also run Windows. The Wal-Mart store says it requires "Windows 2000, XP or Vista (sorry, no Mac or Linux)" and purchasing needs Internet Explorer or Windows Media Player 9 or later. Of course, a friend could buy the DRM-free MP3 tracks on their behalf and pass them on.....
Update: Sorry, not being a Wal-Mart shopper, I missed the fact that Wal-Mart does not sell music that includes "inappropriate content". As Ars Technica points out: "Only edited versions of albums with parental advisories are available, just as they are in Wal-Mart's offline stores." (In other words, Wal-Mart does not sell CDs that have warning stickers. If record labels choose to provide versions that don't need stickers, Wal-Mart will sell them.)
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/technology/archives/2007/08/22/walmart_offers_cheaper_drmfree_music_but_not_for_mac_owners.html
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