More Music News For Wed. 7/22/09: MySpace Mail, iLike Downloads, New Billboard.com & More

It was great meeting some of you at yesterday's New Music Seminar.  Sorry if we did not get to connect. I'm back at my desk and ready to write up a storm.

• MySpace to soft-launch a mail service on Thursday. (paidContent) Grab you custom @myspace.com url asap. 
• iLike is in talks with all four major labels about opening a download store. (cNet)
  
• Billboard.com redesigns and repositions itself as a more consumer/fan focused web site. (Billboard.biz) Why can't a trade magazine/site just be a trade?
• Rapper Feud Mirrors World Politics – Some of the greatest minds in national security have turned their attention to a classic problem: When there is one dominant power, the rest of the world tries to challenge it. That's what happened to Britain in the 19th century and to the United States today. The same thing is happening in the world of rap. (NPR)
• Spotify has added 2 million tracks from indie digital distributor IODA. 
• During Midem 2009, 18 key players from music (Sony BMG, EMI and Glassnote) and brands/advertising agencies (Coca Cola and Telefonica/02; Euro RSCG KLP, Havas Media et M&C Saatchi) met behind closed doors to explore best practices for music-brand collaborations. The MIDEM Music Marketing Forum's exclusive report is now online free. (MidemNet)
• Debate starting in lower house of parliment on new French Internet piracy bill. (AP)