Former MegaUpload boss Kim Dotcom has been talking about his plans for a digital music service, Baboom. Revealed earlier in the year, specific details of its plans have been hard to come by until this week’s interview with Wired UK. “We are making an iTunes-Spotify hybrid competitor which allows artists to sell direct to their fanbase and keep 90% of sales,” says Dotcom. “On top of that we’ll be the first site that offers a solution for artists to make money even when we offer music for free.” How? A plugin that replaces internet ads with those sold through Baboom’s own ad network. “100% of the money is credited to the user, who can spend it on music. It’s basically rewarding the user for the ad impressions that they are exposed to every day. We estimate that users will be able to buy around ten additional albums each year without charge.” This will be fascinating to watch: for all Dotcom’s bluster and internet-villain image, his ability to put a technical team together for this kind of service isn’t in doubt. Whether the business model then works is another question, of course.
Tools: platforms to help you reach new audiences
Tools: Kaiber
In the year or so since its launch, AI startup Kaiber has been making waves,…