Radiohead Said to Shun Major Labels in Next Deal
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Radiohead, the British rock band, is close to signing a deal to release its next album independently and leave the major record companies behind.
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Three major recording companies have agreed to make their music available to be shared and sold over a new online file-swapping service that aims to lure music fans away from rival
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The final major-label holdout plans to make unrestricted songs available in the near future.
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In a surprising online jeremiad, Steve Jobs urges the Big Four record labels to ditch digital rights management schemes. Will it work?
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Both Radiohead and a former Talking Head have advice for young artists on navigating the chaotic music industry.
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An announcement that Beatles tracks will be available for download is denied by the band's record label.
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(InfoWorld) - Just because three major online music retailers bind their music stores to specific portable players doesn't make it acceptable, a Norwegian consumer group leading the charge against Apple's DRM (digital rights management) policy says. "ITunes Music Store and others are unfair to consumers no matter how many download services follow the proprietary approach," wrote Torgeir Waterhouse, a senior advisor at The Norwegian Consumer Council, in response to a letter written by Apple CEO Steve Jobs andÂ posted on the Apple Web siteÂ on Tuesday. Jobs examined why DRM exists and discusses alternatives to the current set-up in his open response to calls for Apple to allow users to buy songs from the iTunes store and play them on any device. Norway's consumer representative hasÂ threatened legal action against AppleÂ for violating Norwegian law by limiting iTunes customers to playing their music only on iPods. Consumer groups in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, France, and Germany haveÂ joined Norway's complaintÂ against Apple. Jobs points out that Microsoft and Sony also sell music that can only be played on their players, supporting a model that serves customers well with choice and a continuing stream of innovative products. He also suggests that groups like Waterhouse's "redirect their energies" toward convincing the music labels to sell music without DRM, technology that aims to restrict how buyers can copy or use the music. The four biggest record labels forced Apple to employ a proprietary DRM system as a condition of the agreement that allows Apple to sell their music, he said. Ideally, he said, the labels wouldn't require DRM. "This is clearly the best alternative for consumers, and Apple would embrace it in a heartbeat," Jobs wrote. While Waterhouse agrees that the record companies carry some fault for the situation, the iTunes music store and others like it are ultimately responsible. "They're still the company that's selling music to the consumers and are responsible for offering a fair deal according to Norwegian law," he said. Still, with his letter, Jobs' appears to have stirred up some additional pressure on the record labels to change their DRM policies. EMusic.com Inc., which claims to be the second largest music download site, only sells DRM-free music from thousands of independent labels. But the site would like be able to sell music from the four biggest labels. "We are hopeful the remaining four will one day join [the independent labels] by licensing their complete catalogs and reap the benefits of consumer demand," David Pakman, president and CEO of eMusic, wrote in a response to Jobs' letter. Even though Jobs didn't hint that a solution might be impending, Waterhouse appeared to see a glimmer of hope. "If this means that Apple is willing to the kick the lock in technology from the [iTunes/iPod] combination this is really good news -- news that should be put into action as soon as possible to bring us all one important step closer to a well functioning digital society," he wrote.
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Virgin is calling it quits in the digital music business. The company has stopped selling tracks and accepting new customers as of Friday, and will shut down for good on October 19.
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British music company EMI Group Plc   said on Thursday it had ceased discussions over an  offer being made for the company as it did not fully reflect  the prospects and value of the group.
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Radiohead's offer inspires musician, who wants classical music to reach a new audience.
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Major press sources including The New York Times this morning are citing anonymous executives reportedly with direct involvement in negotiations, as saying Universal Music Group has opted not to renew its annual contract with Apple's iTunes. The company will instead opt for a month-by-month arrangement, similar to what it has with smaller MP3 distributors.
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Music sales last year are expected to be down by 10% despite the growing popularity of the digital music market.
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"We're going to give the album away." That's how Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke explains the decision to offer his band's new record as a name-your-price digital download. Is this the future of music? Wired sends David Byrne to Oxford to learn more.
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Radiohead has hit out at the chief of its former label after a news report claimed the rock band rejected a 3 million pound ($5.95 million) advance for its new album and demanded the rights to some of its older albums.
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Universal is reported not to be renewing its long-term deal to sell its music through Apple's iTunes.
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So are live promoters the new pigopolists? As some of the biggest figures in the music business weighed in on the future of music this week, there were very mixed views on its future.â¦
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British rock band Radiohead scored its second No. 1 album on the U.S. pop charts on Wednesday with a release that was initially sold on the Internet under a revolutionary "name-your-own-price" system.