New Music Business Briefing: Amazon Close, Ringtone Rip-Off, Prince Sues & More
>>> Billboard says Tuesday’s the day for the Amazon mp3 store launch. We hear Tuesday is not a hard deadline but they will launch soon.
>>> NY Times tech columnist David Pogue rails against custom ringtones and ringtone prices as the "great digital rip-off". (NYT) I dare to write a column listing the free programs that create tones.
>>> Defendant says the RIAA is abusing the use of the courts to shore up a "failing business model". (ars) Ouch!
>>> The National Association Of Broadcasters is expressing "extreme disappointment" at the way in which SoundExchange is handling net radio royalty negotiations. (FMQB)
>>> Prince plans to sue YouTube, eBay, PirateBay and others for illegal use. (Reuters)
>>> Yahoo! has added an MTV HD channel to its distribution channels its Nissan Live Sets series originally produced for the web.
>>> The Musicians Union has struck a deal with the gaming industry. (DMW)
Read the RIAA article… Those guys should focus more on lowering prices and eliminating middlemen. Until then, this cat and mouse game will continue, and with encrypted file sharing solutions popping up (see http://www.gigatribe.com for an example) the mouse appears to have a distant lead in the race!