Music Ally

UMG has launched a new digital music store called Lost Tunes in the UK, which focuses on rare and exclusive tracks. Digital firm 7digital is running the store for UMG, and it currently offers a choice of 134 albums from artists like the Walker Brothers, Comsat Angels and Nine Below Zero. 500 more albums will apparently be (more…)

Crazy Frog lives, and he’s got an even more bulging wallet than before! That’s the message coming from mobile content retailer Jamba, which has an advertising warchest of $100 million set aside for this year. The company’s focus continues to be skewed towards ringtones, contrary to doomy predictions of their decline. (more…)

We reported yesterday on MySpace saying its layoffs weren’t really layoffs, but just natural efficiencies at the end of employees’ review periods. However, it’s interesting that the same day, MySpace announced five new executive hires, perhaps in an attempt to show its growth intentions. They’re pretty big names too: new SVP of engineering Manu Thapar comes from Yahoo, SVP of marketing Angela Courtin from MTV Networks, SVP of customer (more…)

If YouTube has been slow to respond so far to the technical gremlins in its audio compression (see story earlier), it might be because it’s got legal issues on its mind. Specifically, another heavyweight media firm is suing YouTube for alleged copyright infringement. This time it’s Italian broadcaster Mediaset, which is owned (more…)

Click To Play

An interview with Pim Betist, Sellaband founder.

Dell tried to take on the iPod with its own MP3 player a few years ago, but it didn’t catch on. Now, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Dell plans to try again, with a new player that could go on sale as early as September. (more…)

Until now, if you wanted to access personalised radio service Pandora on a home music player, you had to pay a $36 annual subscription fee. (more…)

MySpace is shedding some staff, but the company denies it’’s actual layoffs, but is instead performance driven. (more…)

The latest digital music store to launch into the crowded marketplace is Rawrip, a UK-based service that launched in beta yesterday, with a full commercial rollout due in November. Its USP is that it offers artists and labels 100% of the download royalties from sales of their tracks, with Rawrip intending to make its money from advertising around the service. (more…)

The Telegraph has an interesting interview with Universal Music Group International boss Lucian Grainge, which appears to say he disagrees with the BPI’s desire for persistent file-sharers to have their broadband chopped. (more…)