Search Results for: no cure

Bertelsmann AG media group said on Tuesday it will use the new secure technology of Napster song-swap firm for its BeMusic operations as part of a licensing agreement between the two companies. BeMusic is part of the German-based Bertelsmann eCommerce Group and its holdings consist of Web-retailer CDNOW, record club business BMG Direct, and myplay Inc, a digital music locker company. The technology licensing deal culminates a long-running alliance between Napster and Bertelsmann, which broke ranks with other major music companies last year by entering into a strategic alliance with the song-swap service. Napster, which had allowed free swapping between… Read more »

No Doubt began as a good-time ska-party band, full of California sunshine. But in the last few years, that’s been obscured by smog: bruised egos within the band, gloomy lyrics and weak record sales for last year’s Return of Saturn. The bad times are all gone on their upcoming album, Rock Steady, reports singer Gwen Stefani. “We’re not taking ourselves so seriously,” she says. “It’s like, get over it. We’re a fucking band and we’re really lucky to be doing what we do.” Rock Steady, out December 18th, is a sweet pop confection, made with arrays of keyboards, a dance-floor… Read more »

Music publishers and recording companies are expected early this week to announce a deal for licensing of music online, removing a hurdle that threatened to thwart industry plans to launch Web services, sources close to the talks said on Sunday. Under the deal, which is expected to be announced as early as Tuesday, the major labels would pay music publishers, who own the copyrights to underlying compositions, a $1 million advance to cover the use of their music over the next two years, said a source familiar with the matter. The publishers’ effort has been led by the National Music… Read more »

MusicNet announced today the launch of its technology platform, which is being delivered to distribution partners, AOL and RealNetworks, for incorporation into their systems for future consumer offerings. MusicNet is providing the entire technology platform and music content from label partners BMG, EMI, Warner Music Group and Zomba to its distribution partners. MusicNet’s technology platform, developed over the past year by the MusicNet team with support from RealNetworks, will offer both streaming and downloading of content and includes secure, end-to-end digital rights management functionality enabled by RealSystem Media Commerce Suite. The infrastructure also includes proprietary security features, peer-to-peer file sharing,… Read more »

French-American media giant Vivendi Universal confirmed on Tuesday its profit and sales targets for this year and said it was well positioned for additional growth despite the uncertain economic environment. The company issued its bullish outlook as it reported that net profit dwindled to a meager 22 million euros ($20.3 million), weighed down by goodwill from its Seagram merger, provisions and losses at companies in which it holds stakes. The company’s outlook compared favorably with those of its top competitors, several of which have issued profit warnings in recent days. Media firms, particularly those exposed to the tumbling advertising market,… Read more »

RealNetworks ®, Inc. and a host of industry leaders today announced the eXtensible Media Commerce Language (XMCL) initiative, an open XML-based language designed to establish industry-wide standards for Internet media commerce. By standardizing the language for business rules, XMCL will enable content to be played in a way that is independent of codecs, digital rights management systems, and e-commerce systems. XMCL will greatly simplify deployment and accelerate the market for digital media commerce over the Internet. RealNetworks intends to submit the XMCL proposal to the appropriate standards organization, and will work with other industry leaders to ensure the initiative evolves… Read more »

Continuing its mission of bringing music fans closer to the artists they love, global music media company GetMusic kicks off a stellar summer of unique programming, live events and interactive content with extensive coverage of the two-day KIIS-FM Wango Tango music festival in Los Angeles this weekend. In addition to interviewing artists for the site, GetMusic will be the exclusive sponsor of the event’s autograph-signing tent for fans on both Saturday and Sunday, June 16 and 17. Some of today’s most popular artists are scheduled to stop by, including Dream, Eden’s Crush, Samantha Mumba, 3LW and Nikka Costa. On Monday,… Read more »

Launch announced that it will eliminate approximately 60 positions, reducing its staff levels to a total of 175 while consolidating its Santa Monica operations into one facility. Additionally, the company discontinued its European expansion plans. The company reported that net revenues for the first quarter of 2001 were $3.8 million, compared to $6.4 million for the same quarter last year. According to a company announcement, 70 percent of revenues were from advertising and 30 percent from content licensing. Launch also announced today that it has signed a non-binding term sheet providing for $5 million in a secured convertible note financing.… Read more »

The Crowes and Oasis don’t plan on merging into a bluesy Brit-pop supergroup anytime soon, but the two bands will definitely jam onstage together on their joint Tour of Brotherly Love, Gallagher promises. “It’d be rude not to, wouldn’t it,” Gallagher said Wednesday from his manager’s office in London. “I have no doubts in my mind that there’s gonna be various people on stage at various points – as for what we’re gonna do, I don’t know.” The songwriter/guitarist/vocalist said that his top three choices of cover songs to play with the Crowes would be Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven,”… Read more »

MeasureCast announced that it has secured $3 million in phase one of its second round of financing, led by Seattle-based FBR CoMotion Venture Capital. The company, which offers next-day audience measurement reporting and provides the radio industry with weekly charts and the MeasureCast Internet Radio Index, plans to use the cash for product and business development, customer support, as well as sales and marketing efforts. MeasureCast raised $3.5 million in its first round of funding in April 2000 from FBR CoMotion and individual investors. “This latest cash infusion is further proof that the MeasureCast Streaming Audience Measurement Service, and its… Read more »