Compact Disc death foretold for 2012

Major record labels to kill format?

The major record labels are planning to kill off the CD format by the end of next year to make way for digital downloads only.

That’s the claim made by music site Side-Line which says it heard whispers that the end of the CD is nigh from music industry insiders.

That said, it has failed to get any official confirmation from the labels, though that’s not perhaps surprising.

The notion is that, by the end of 2012, the majors will focus entirely on downloads. The only CDs that will go on sale through 2013 and beyond will be special editions and albums from the biggest artists.

If true – we’re not entirely convinced; we can’t see the majors acting in such harmony – the news could spell even bigger profits for digital content suppliers Amazon and iTunes, while ruining bricks’n'mortar stores like HMV, which already struggles due to the rise in digital-download popularity.

HMV, for one, has said its future lies in selling hardware and music merchadise as packaged media – CDs, books, DVDs and games – is slowly replaced by downloads.

Eventually the format will become extinct, though whether its demise will really happen next year is open to question. Such an immediate cut-off point seems unlikely. After all, CDs are still popular - just about.

Article: RSS via Reg Hardware

Tags: CD, Compact Disc, Digital Downloads, Digital Media, Music

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Google Music to Labels: With or Without You

The Wall Street Journal reports that Google Music will launch in the next two weeks—regardless of whether or not Google has inked deals with the four major record label giants. That’s a ballsy move, Google.

It seems Google is betting that it can leverage its status and huge base of users to bully some of the most infamous bullies out there: the recording industry. Google Music has been stuck in a closed Beta because Google hasn’t been able to settle on deals with the four major record labels. Sony Music Entertainment is holding out, citing concerns that Google isn’t doing enough to curb piracy on YouTube and in apps on Google’s Android OS. Warner Music apparently thinks it’s getting low-balled by Google. While Google is offering huge up-front licensing deals to the labels, Warner wants some love on the back-end as well—Google Music’s storage locker is free and doesn’t generate any revenue whereas Apple’s comparable service, iTunes Match, costs $25 per year. Google says that MP3 downloads from Google Music will be enough to cover the difference.

It’s a risky play by Google to offer what it knows is an incomplete service to the general public when much of the competition is up and running without a hitch.

Article: RSS via Gizmodo

Tags: Cloud Music, Google, Google Music, MP3 Store, Music

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Sony Music Unlimited arrives for Android tablets, bearing gifts of unlimited music

It’s been a week of upgrades for Sony Tablet S owners. First came news of the PlayStation Store’s arrival and now comes confirmation that Sony’s Music Unlimited service is available, as well. Yesterday, the company announced that its music streaming service has finally made its way to the Tablet S and other Android slates, a little more than four months after launching on Google-laced handsets. The basics remain the same: $4 per month for a basic subscription or $10 per month for premium service, though Tablet S owners can take advantage of a 180-day free trial, in case they still have their hesitations.

Article: RSS via Engadget

Tags: Android, Apps, Music, Sony, Sony Music Unlimited, Tablet PC's

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iTunes Match toggle shows up in iOS 5 settings

Apple has already launched iOS 5 with the iCloud and the iPhone 4S, but the iTunes Match feature that was promised to also be in tow, still isn’t here. However, today, an on/off toggle for iTunes Match appeared in the iOS 5 Settings app, signaling that the feature is getting closer to launch.

Many users have reported seeing the iTunes Match toggle appear in the Music section under the Settings app. That toggle had been available to developers for testing but had disappeared recently only to reappear again today for both developers as well as the general public.

But if you’re not a developer and you attempt to toggle-on the service, you’ll receive a message to subscribe via iTunes on your computer. And you’ll then find that the service is labeled “coming soon” on your iTunes.

iTunes Match will likely roll out with iTunes 10.5.1, which is still under going beta testing by developers. The service costs $24.99 a year and allows you to sync all your music, including songs not purchased from iTunes. It will likely roll out by the end of this month in the US, followed by releases in other parts of the world later on.

Article: RSS via SlashGear

Tags: Apple, iOS, iOS 5, iTunes, iTunes Match, Music

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Motorolo MOTOACTV takes on iPod nano

Motorola has unveiled its own interpretation of the smartwatch PMP, the MOTOACTV, a 1.6-inch touchscreen Android gadget that packs GPS and up to 4,000 of your songs. Intended to track your fitness in a similar way to Nike+, the MOTOACTV is sweat resistant and includes both an FM radio and an integrated audio coach that tells you how fast you’re going and how far you’ve run.

Meanwhile a companion site, MOTOACTV.com, allows you to plan you route and then monitor your performance over time, setting goals and challenging your friends to beat them. It’s intended to work with Motorola’s SF700 and SF500 wireless Bluetooth headphones, which also include heart-rate monitors to feed info to the MOTOACTV itself.

Battery life is up to five hours of outdoor workouts, up to ten hours of indoor workouts, or nearly two weeks of standby. There’s both Bluetooth 4.0 and ANT+ connectivity, all in something 46 x 46 x 9.6 mm and 35g. An FM radio is also integrated.

Unfortunately, all this wrist-borne fitness doesn’t come cheap. Motorola has two versions of the MOTOACTV in the pipeline, priced at $249 for the 8GB version and $299 for the 16GB version. They’ll both go on sale in the US on November 6, with European availability in Q1 2012.

Article: RSS via SlashGear

Tags: Accessories, Bluetooth, FM Radio, MOTOACTV, Motorola, Mp3 Player, Music, PMP

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Galaxy Player 4.0 and 5.0 land on shelves, deliver Gingerbread without the phone

Right on schedule the Galaxy Player 4.0 and 5.0 have made their way into retail channels and are ready to deliver their particular brand of phone-less Gingerbread right to your greasy little fingers. Both devices sport a 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage, which can be expanded via a microSD slot as well as the usual bundle of Sammy customizations, like TouchWiz and Media Hub. The only difference between the two PMPs is size and price, with the 5-inch model coming in at $270 and the 4-inch a more modest $230. You can pick both up at your local electronics retailer, such as the one thatclaims to be the best, right now.

Article: RSS via Engadget

Tags: Android, Galaxy Player 4.0, Galaxy Player 5.0, Mp3 Player, Music, PMP, Samsung

Posted in Android, Music, Portable Media Players, Samsung | No Comments »

Google’s Negotiating Its Way Into An Online MP3 Store

Google’s not content with being just an online digital locker for your music, it wants you buy MP3s from it, too. A New York Times report suggests Google is looking to open an online MP3 store and is negotiating with the record labels to secure the necessary licensing agreements.

Google currently has an online music service, Music Beta, that serves as an online digital locker. You can upload your music library and access it remotely, but you can’t purchase new music through the service. This limitation puts Google at a distinct disadvantage when compared to its competition.

And there’s a lot of competition. Services like Rdio and Spotify offer subscriptions that’ll let you stream music across a variety of devices. iTunes will match your music and sync it through iCloud. And then there’s Amazon’s Cloud Music which lets you upload and stream your personal library. You can also add tracks by purchasing them from Amazon’s Mp3 store, but there is no all-you-can-eat subscription.

According to the NYT report, Google’s gunning for Amazon, but it has to improve its bargaining skills. The company pursued similar negotiations with the music industry earlier this year, but the parties failed to reach an agreement. If Google can secure the licensing agreements this time around, it could give Amazon and the others a run for their money.

Article: RSS via Gizmodo

Tags: Google, MP3 Store, Music

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Apple unveils new iPod nano, most affordable yet

Apple just unveiled a new iPod nano at its Let’s Talk iPhone event. The company is touting the device as the most affordable nano ever and it’s definitely taking it beyond enjoying music. The new iPod nano integrates Nike+ with a slew of new fitness features rolled in.

The new iPod features an improved navigation interface. It’s now easier to use and instead of having a grid of icons, you now swipe from app icon to icon. It’s integrated Nike+ feaeture lets you track your walking and running metrics and doesn’t require any additional adapters.

There’s also plenty of ways to customize your iPod nano, say, onto a watch strap with various customized clock faces. There are now 16 new clock faces to choose from, including one with Mickey Mouse. These new nanos retail for $129 for the 8GB model and $149 for 16GB model and are available today.

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Tags: Apple, Apps, FM Radio, iPod, iPod Nano, iPod Nano Watch, Multitouch, Music, Nike+, Watch

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Zune HD is dead confirms Microsoft

Microsoft has officially confirmed that its Zune PMPs – including the Zune HD - have been axed, despite having denied yesterday that such a decision about the media players had been made. “We recently announced that, going forward, Windows Phone will be the focus of our mobile music and video strategy,” Microsoft’s Zune Player support page claims, “and that we will no longer be producing Zune players”

As we observed yesterday, the Zune HD has gone two years without a refresh; we initially reviewed it back in September 2009. A refresh was tipped for late 2010, but then Microsoft swung its focus to Windows Phone and how it could include both smartphone and media player functionality in one package.

“Your device will continue to work with Zune services just as it does today” Microsoft assures exising users, “and we will continue to honor the warranties of all devices for both current owners and those who buy our very last devices.” Late last month, Microsoft reducing pricing for its all-you-can-eat music service, Zune Pass, though also removed the ability to download and keep 10 non-DRM tracks per month.

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Tags: Microsoft, Mp3 Player, Music, PMP, Zune, Zune HD, Zune Pass

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RIP Napster? Rhapsody Buys Subscribers, Assets

The once beloved Napster may have reached the end of the line, after a 12-year-long roller coaster ride that included legal woes and social reinvention.

Music subscription service Rhapsody has signed an agreement to acquire Napster from parent company Best Buy for an undisclosed sum. Best Buy gets a minority stake in Rhapsody, which was launched in 2001. Rhapsody gets Napster subscribers and assets as part of the deal, which is expected to close on Nov. 30.

What isn’t known yet is whether the Napster name itself will go away. But from the tone of the announcement, it seems Napster subscribers and intellectual property may be folded into Rhapsody. “There’s substantial value in bringing Napster’s subscribers and robust IP portfolio to Rhapsody as we execute on our strategy to expand our business via direct acquisition of members and distribution deals,” Rhapsody president Jon Irwin said. “This is a ‘go big or go home’ business, so our focus is on sustainably growing the company.”

Rhapsody reported a subscriber base of more than 800,000 paying customers in July. Napster had 700,000 subscribers when it was acquired by Best Buy, but it is unknown how many subscribers Rhapsody will gain through the acquisition. The company hopes to compete with Spotify, the newer and trendier European streaming service which already has more than 2 million paying subscribers.

Until now, Napster has stuck around in name only. The former peer-to-peer music sharing network, launched in 1999, was first shut down in 2001. It reopened after Bertlesmann AG stepped in with an $8 million offer. Best Buy then purchased the company in 2008 for $121 million.

In more recent years, Napster has reinvented itself with social and mobile additions. Once the Rhapsody deal closes, however, all that may remain of Napster is the legend. Luckily, its story may soon be told in documentary form.

Article: RSS via Mashable

Tags: Cloud Music, Music, Napster, Phapsody, Streaming Music

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