Thursday’s Music 2.0 Briefing: Jay-Z To Live Nation, Apple Passes Wal-Mart, MySpace Music Nears & More

It’s a big Music 2.0 news day –

> Jay-Z is joining the Live Nation family with an expansive $150 million deal that includes tours and financing the performer and moguls new ventures. (NY Times)

> Digital takes over. Apple has surpassed Wal-Mart as the #1 retailer of music according to a memo sent to employess. (ars)

> MySpace music will launch in the the next few days with three of the four major labels. Universal is still a holdout. (LA Times)

> An extensive interview with EMI’s new digital head Douglas Merrill. (PaidContent)

> Amazon debuts ordering via text message. (press release) Here’s a first look. (ars)

> XM taps Quickplay for mobile Blackberry radio service. (press release)