hypebot

The Great LimeWire Pizza Robbery

An Indie Label's Run In With LimeWire

The staff of New Your City indie label Dovecote usually spends Wednasday's evenings hanging out at The Music Box, a usually quiet joint where the often often gives away free pizza to help bring in a crowd. On a recent Wednesday they walked in to find the place far busier than usual. When a friend told them the free pizza had arrived, Pal and Kosuke from the label went to grab a slice and....

Woman: “Who the FUCK are you?  And why are you eating our pizza?”

<Long pause>  Kosuke and Paul look confused.

Kosuke: "Are you joking?  Is this a joke?"

Woman:  "No this is definitely NOT a joke.  I want to know who you are and why you’re eating our pizza."

Kosuke: "Well our friend came in and told us there was free pizza at the bar.  We are.  So.  Sorry. It was a misunderstanding."

Woman: (with unbridled entitlement) "This is a company party our CEO is here and you STOLE our pizza.  Are you from out of town?  Because let me tell you, NOTHING is free in New York City.  Nothing is free… well maybe except for the condoms in Times Square."

REWIND: New Music Industry Week In Review

It was a holiday week in the US, but we kept coverage going all week long.  It was a good thing too, because some interesting things happened:

• Pandora is forcing $29.95 payments from indie bands. Founder Tim Westergren responded to the controversy and others are sharing their opinions in a poll.
• Pirate Bay was sold to Global Gaming Factory and is launching The Video Bay
• The Michael Jackson Effect: an unprecedented spike in sales, concert promoter AEG discusses the cancellation and a commentary "The Music Industry, Michael Jackson & The Zombieconomy"
  
• Sony invested in digital distributor IODA
• The Hype Machine blog outed artists for chart manipulation
• Music analytics firm Band Metrics expanded its private beta
• ReverbNation Survey: How is the Economic Downturn Affecting Artists?
• Join Hypebot's online networking party
• Can what's cool and uncool be rated?
• Essay: The Bullet That Works Best Hasn't Changed. It's Just Changed Hands

Hypebot's Online Networking Party Continues

The online networking party that we started yesterday has been a huge success so far with more than 50 very diverse Hypebot readers stopping by to introduce themselves to the community and share a bit about what there working on or just interested in from music to marketing to new music tech.

It appears that a few great connections have already been made.  So, please join in, add your voice and spread the word with a tweet, digg, stumble, post or email to a friend.  The more that get involved, the better.

Join the Hypebot networking party here.

Band Metrics Expands Private Beta

Exclusive: Hypebot Has Private Beta Invites

Music data analytics leader Band Metrics took a major step forward this morning when it let several thousand artists, labels and music marketers on to test its expanding system in private beta.

I had an exclusive look under the hood just a few days ago and can report that because of the sophistication of the analytics and because they are focused exclusively on music from the artist's perspective (a handful of competitors are  attempting to focus on songs or on a much broader media landscape), Band Metric's work has the potential to revolutionize the way that music is marketed.

Just a few of the new features:

All Amanda Palmer All The Time

You may be sick of hearing about Amanda Palmer, but I'm not...at least not yet.  Her $19,000 in 10 hours Twitter stunt may be more about social networking than music; but let's face it, it's time that we all paid attention to both.

Hypebot has a few really interesting Palmer related tidbits up our sleeve for the coming days, but in the meantime here's a video interview with Palmer via Out.com.

What If There Were A Coolness Rating?

Is Michael Jackson cool?  Who is cooler - Dolly Parton or Ricky Martin?  Is Katy Perry cool or a fool? We all know the answer when it comes to Britney; or do we?

Paul Lamere asked these tough questions and more. "Imagine if there was an objective measure for coolness  – a number that could be attached to each artist that indicated how ‘cool’ the artist was," he postulated. "We’d be able to do all sorts of interesting things with such a ‘coolness index’.  We could make a ‘music makeover’ playlist that would take you from Miley to Miles in 12 songs  (consider it a 12-step  taste recovery program) or we could create a music rehab playlist that takes you  from Amy Winehouse to Kate Nash. 

But of course, the concept of cool is too hard to nail down." Or is it?

Last.fm has published a list of  tracks that were most frequently deleted users scrobbles (public playlists). Tn other words, these are tracks that Last.fm listeners didn’t want other people to know they had listened to.  

But Lamere did not stop there in his coolness quest.

Video: Michael Jackson Comeback Promoter AEG Discusses Cancellation

Friday's Music Brief: Band Metrics, More Networking, UK Independents Day, Dada Free & More

It's a holiday here in the US, but that doesn't keep the news from happening or me from writing about it.  Also grinding it out today (and all last night) are Duncan Freeman and his Band Metrics crew.  Congrats to them on a their new features and private beta expansion.  And don't forget to stop in and say hello as our Hypebot online networking party continues.  You'll find a wonderfully diverse crew there already.

HYPEBOT FEATURES:

• Music analytics firm Band Metrics expands private beta
• Video: All Amanda Palmer All The Time
• What If There Were A Coolness Rating?
• Drake Redefines D.I.Y. Success With 300K iTunes Downloads In 2 Weeks
• Video: Michael Jackson Comeback Promoter AEG Discusses Cancellation
• GET INVOLVED: Hypebot's Online Networking Party Continues

MORE MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS:

• July 4th marks the start of the second annual UK Independents Day indie music celebration.
• More on the Sony IODA hookup: Sony Buys Part of the Long Tail (Epicenter)
• Mobile Firm Dada Cuts Staff  (Billboard)
• How the net saved live music. (Sydney Morning Herald)
• If you're in the UK or is some how lucky enough to have a Spotify account, Chris Anderson's new offering "Free: The Future of a Radical Price" is up an audiobook a week prior to release.  I've been reading an advance copy and it really broadens the discussion on the power of free (goods, services, music, etc.) and how to make it work.
• Andrew Dubber inspired a short but (I think) important post "Music As Lone Works Of Genius vs. Music As Culture" on the MIDEM(Net) blog.

Drake Redefines D.I.Y. Success With 300K iTunes Downloads In Just Two Weeks

This just in from digital distributor TuneCore:

According to the iTunes Store's trending data, Hip hop artist Drake has logged the two highest selling weeks ever for a DIY artist, totaling almost 300,000 song downloads in only two weeks fueled by the single "Best I Ever Had".

Hype Machine Outs Artists For Chart Manipulation

Music blog aggregator Hype Machine (no relation) has blacklisted more than 40 artists after discovering that they or their representatives had tried to manipulate it's "Popular" song ranking page.

"We found several artists and blogs creating fake accounts on the site and favoriting their tracks to get higher visibility in the charts," Hype Machine editors wrote on their blog. "Because we’ve only recently switched to a chart based on the number of favorites, their efforts were not fruitful, however.  We’ve locked the accounts we detected as fraudulent and suspended tracking blogs we’ve detected contributing to this."

Hype Machine has taken steps to make chart manipulation and named the offenders.

A full list of artists named by Hype Machine for abuse:

Introduce Yourself To The Hypebot Community

It's the day before a long holiday weekend here in the US which means it's also a day when many of us are tied to our desks but have no desire to do any work.  As a constructive solution to the workday blahs, I'm throwing a little networking party here on Hypebot.

In the comments section below, tell us a little about yourself, what you're working on and what excites you (PG-13 only).  Include links that you think might be of interest to others and I suggest adding your name and email or some way that other Hypebot readers interested in collaborating can find you. Shameless plugs are allowed.

Don't be shy. Tell us about yourself...

It's Official: Sony Invests In IODA

This time the rumor mill proved correct. Sony Music Entertainment has entered into a global partnership with IODA which includes an investment in the digital distributor.  IODA will now provide digital services for Sony's RED indie label arm, as well as, offer expanded overseas opportunities. In return, IODA can now offer its labels physical distribution and the stability of a corporate partner with deep pockets.

How Will Independent Labels React?

The exact details of how the two companies will work together are still being worked out. But if as Thomas Hess, Sony Music's President of Global Digital Business, U.S. Sales and Corporate Strategy told Billboard, IODA will be "joined at the hip" with the major, it is unclear how an often firecely independent label community will react.

When The Artist & Fan Relationship Goes Bad

I write a lot about the importance of the artist/fan relationship on Hypebot. But sometimes that realtionship goes sour with violent and strangely amusing results. My personal favorite of Fans vs. Faith No More is above. See 9 more at Revivl via Daily Swarm.

Lime Wire Adds CD Baby's 240K Indie Artists

  

Lime Wire is adding CD Baby's catalog of 240,000 independent artists to its digital the LimeWire Store. The CD Baby catalog includes topsellers from Regina Spektor, Gary Jules, Joe Purdy, Ingrid Michaelson, Melissa Ferrick, Charlotte Martin, Colin Hay and Stan Ridgway, and this deal brings the total number of licensed tracks on Lime Wire to 3.5 million.  

The Bullet That Works Best Hasn't Changed. It's Just Changed Hands.

This guest post from contemporary Christian artist Shaun Groves first appeared on his blog.

The management company that represented icons Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant for ages just folded. Chuck Finney, the guy who almost single-handedly revolutionized the way Christian radio stations operate a few years back, is “no longer with” powerhouse Salem Communications.

CCM Magazine is only a website now, with a shadow of their 1990’s audience and zero pull with today’s publicists. The Gospel Music Association is letting people go. Their Gospel Music Week was a ghost town this April, with major artists no longer taking a break from touring to participate in it. 

Speaking of tours - they’re losing money - big money - which means production companies are going down too.

Some say technology will save the day.  Lots of artists are going on-line to blogs, twitter, facebook, etc because of this optimism. But this new technology is not the magic bullet some claim it to be.  The bullet that works best hasn’t changed - it’s just changed hands.

The music business is about relationships. And now it’s the artist’s turn to have one.

Thursday's Music Brief: Hype Machine Fraud, Hypebot Networking, Usenet Looses, PRS & More

Tomorrow is a holiday in the US, but Hypebot will be watching music industry developments worldwide and publishing on Friday and throughout the weekend.  Be sure to get involved in networking with other Hypebot readers here and encourage others to do the same, For those of us on this side of the pond, have a great long weekend!

HYPEBOT FEATURES:

• Hype Machine Outs Artists For Chart Manipulation
• It's Official: Sony Invests In IODA
• Lime Wire Adds CD Baby's 240K Indie Artists
• When The Artist & Fan Relationship Goes Bad
• The Bullet That Works Best Hasn't Changed. It's Just Changed Hands
• Join the discussion: Pandora 's Westergren Responds To Submission Controversy
• WHO ARE YOU? Introduce Yourself To The Hypebot Community

MORE MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS:

• A federal judge threw the book at Usenet.com in an RIAA lawsuit. The court found newsgroup provider Usenet liable for copyright infringement. "Advertising to file-sharers, putting "warez" in your site's meta tags, and tampering with evidence don't amuse federal judges." (ars)
• An in depth and critical look at the PRS performance rights collection organization. (RouteNote)
• More Amanda Palmer: "Lessons Learned From Twitter Windfalls". (Billboard)
• Facebook Will Give Users More Control Over Who Sees What. (NY Times)
• Suspicions of Insider Trading Surround Pirate Bay Buyers (TorrentFreak)
• Michael Jackson First Artist to Sell Over 1 Million Downloads in a Single Week (Epicenter)

Pandora 's Westergren Responds To Artist Airplay Submission Controversy

Yesterday's story that Pandora was requiring that all music considered for airplay must also be available for sale as a physical CD on Amazon drew some strong comments from Hypebot readers. An online poll showed that for 40%, the practice tainted their view of Pandora and another 14% claimed they would never use the service again.

I asked Pandora for a response and founder Tim Westergren replied:

We appreciate the scrutiny everyone's bringing to this – it’s a very important issue, and one for which we feel a great sense of responsibility.

Here are some general thoughts from Pandora on this.

There are a number of reasons for us to add this requirement. It’s something we’ve been contemplating for a long time.  Just to be clear, it's not about making money from Amazon.  We don't get any portion of the $29.95, and even though we're thrilled at the amount of music we sell through them, the commissions we get are a small part of the overall business (it's all about advertising). So these requirements have nothing at all to do with revenue.

There are really three principal reasons – user experience, improving the meta data, and managing submissions.

Reports: Sony & RED Tapping IODA's Technology

Sony Music Entetrainment and its RED indie ARM are about to announce an alliance with digital distributor IODA, according to one report. There have been rumors and speculation swirling for several days about the tie-up, but I had been waiting for an official announcement to get the details right and comment.

 If all that I'm hearing is true, the deal allows Sony and RED to tap into IODA's Rightsholder Dashboard which the major label views as a superior delivery and tracking system to its own. Hundreds of distributed labels and even managers are demanding up to the minute digital sales data that IODA already delivers.

Will IODA Remain Indie?

The deal mimics the Universal hookup with INgrooves for its digital music technology. But what's not clear is whether or not the relationship goes further.

Gerd Leonhard: Music 2.0 In 60 Seconds

Self-described media futurist Gerd Leonhard shares his overview of Music 2.0 in a world record 60 seconds.  Just in case, like me, you can't read that fast there's a 3 minute version after the jump.

Track Music Stocks Here

Just a reminder that you can track music and music related stocks right here on Hyepbot. The widget above can always be found in a sidebar to the right. It resets to 0.00% every morning before the markets open and then tracks them with a couple of minute delay throughout the day. You can click almost anywhere for more info.

Can you help me improve it? What other music and music related stocks should I add to the widget. Does anyone know a better widget? One that tracks overseas stocks too, for example?

Wednesday's Music Brief: Pandora's Response, Sony + IODA, Lawsuits, MJ, Vibe Shutters & More

First, a big thanks to Tim Westergen of Pandora for writing a thoughtful response to the mini-firestorm caused by yesterday's "Pandora Forces $29.95 Payments From Indie Bands" post and poll. And I made my reservations yesterday to participate in the resurection of the grandaddy of all music conferences The New Music Seminar on July 21st in NYC.  I hope to see some of you there. $99 discount registration ends July 5th.

HYPEBOT FEATURES:

• Pandora 's Westergren Responds To Artist Airplay Submission Controversy
•  Join the Pandora discussion and vote in our apoll here.
• Reports: Sony & RED Taping IODA's Technology
• Gerd Leonhard: Music 2.0 In 60 Seconds
• Track Music Stocks Here
• Join others and share your story of how the economic downturn is effecting your music career alongside a ReverbNation survey: How is the Economic Downturn Affecting Artists?

MORE MUSIC INDSUTRY NEWS:

• Microsoft, Yahoo And Real sued for failing to get all the necessary licenses. (Techdirt) TD's Mike Masnick is right again on his analysis. The real story here is how stupidly complex it is to license music.
• Michael Jackson airplay & album sales skyrocket. (FMQB) I have not seen the full charts yet but @coolfer tweeted from Billboard that "Michael Jackson wreaked havoc on top albums last week. No top 100 new release gained over the previous week. Total album sales down 8%" and "Michael Jackson catalog albums outsold the Black Eyed Peas' new album. 241,000 (58%) of MJ's album sales last week were digital". Amazing. And how down would the sales have been without MJ?
• EMI is refusing to stream music at the new PRS rates. (P2Pnet)
• Sony struggling as Walkman hits 30th anniversary (AP)
• Vibe Magazine is closing down leaving The Source the only major hip hop magazine standing. (NY Times)  Some rumors have Quincy Jones buying back and relaunching.
• Here Comes the Video Shakeout: Joost Scales Down, CEO Mike Volpi Steps Out (Media Memo)
• Dell to make iPod Touch-like gadget. (PC World)

ReverbNation Survey: How is the Economic Downturn Affecting Artists?

ReverbNation conducted a survey of artists in an attempt to learn how the downturn was affecting their everyday lives across a variety of factors.

There was a general perception among respondents that the economic downturn was affecting them in a negative way, overall.  Specifically, artists cited that they were touring less, receiving less money for gigs that have become harder to get, taking fewer lessons and turning to more DIY ways of recording their music:

much more after the jump...

Pirate Bay Sold To Global Gaming Factory

(UPDATED) News began to trickle out in the wee hours this morning that The Pirate Bay has been sold to Global Gaming Factory X AB for $4 US million in cash plus an equal amount in stock. GGF develops gaming software and operates internet cafes and gaming centers in Scandinavia.  Details are vague, but the original team will still stay involved and promise to keep the site much the same.

Ownership of the Pirate Bay had been transferred away from the individuals being sued in 2006 according to an interview (translation via Techdirt) with co-founder Peter Sunde conducted on Twitter. Neither Sunde or his fellow pirates are the beneficiaries of the sale according to a PirateBay blog post, but rather  "into a foundation that is going to help with projects about freedom of speech, freedom of information and the openness of the nets."

Also: Pirate Bay Readies Launch Of The Video Bay

Pandora Forces $29.95 Payments From Indie Bands

(UPDATED) Until recently, Pandora accepted music from indie artists at no cost in almost any form including home burned CD-R's. But now, in part because of a deal to display album cover art via Amazon's servers,  submissions must be available as a physical CD for sale on Amazon and include cover art and a UPC code to even be considered for airplay.

Compliance with the new rules will cost artists in several ways. According to its FAQ page, to get play on Pandora you now need:

• a CD of your music
• a unique UPC code for that CD
• your CD to be available through Amazon (must be a physical CD, not just MP3s for download)
• the legal rights to your music
• MP3 files for two of the songs from your CD
• free Pandora account, based on a valid email address, which can be associated with your music

In addition to art and packaging costs, Pandora explains that to comply with the new "available through Amazon" rule, indie artists should join the Amazon Advantage Program. Membership costs $29.95 each year plus Amazon takes 55% of the list price of every CD sold.

Established artists and labels already comply with Pandora's new rules. But for an indie artist trying to win new fans with a little help from Pandora and to keep his hard earned cash by selling direct, the new threshold may shut off an important avenue for exposure.

More:

• Pandora 's Founder Tim Westergren Responds
• POLL: What Do You Think Of The New Pandora Requirements For Indie Bands?
• Read one Hypebot reader's open letter to Pandora in the Comments section below.

VOTE: What Do You Think Of The New Pandora Requirements For Indie Bands?

Online Surveys & Market Research

More: Pandora Forces $29.95 Payments From Indie Bands

Band Shoots Free Video With Surveillance Cameras

Unsigned Manchester UK band The Get Out Clause performed in front of a number of surveillance cameras on buses and streets and other public places around the country. They then used The Data Protection Act (the UK's version of US' Freedom Of Information Act) to get copies of the tapes and edited them into a video that's become a viral hit.

Garagespin suggests that it's the patriotic thing for US artists to follow suit this 4th of July and have the federal government help produce their next video.

The Music Industry, Michael Jackson & The Zombieconomy

Consultant and big thinker Umair Haque took a look at some of the dollar figures being thrown around in the wake of Michael Jackson's death including reports that sales of his recordings have "generated more than $300 million in royalties...since the early 1980's". Haque did  little math and asked:

"If the world's biggest pop star only made $12 million a year from his recordings, why would anyone make serious music? Where did the rest of the money go? Why, straight into record labels' pockets. Did they make better music with it? Nope — they made Britney and Lady GaGa. And that's how they killed themselves: by underinvesting in quality, to rake in the take....

The world's top hedge fund "managers" regularly pull in hundreds of millions. That's an order of magnitude difference...

That's the big problem behind the zombieconomy. We don't reward people for creating, growing, nurturing, or even remixing assets. We just reward them for allocating the same old assets. That 's not an economy: it's just a game of musical chairs."

Video: How To Fight Zombies -

Pirate Bay Readies Launch Of The Video Bay

Those tiring of the growing restrictions put by rightsholders on video on You Tube and elsewhere may eventually find a home at The Video Bay.  Currently in "beta extreme", the site is the latest brainchild of the folks behind the Pirate Bay; and if their mounting problems in Swedish courts weren't already enough, this is sure to add to their legal bills.

"Both Live And Drunk Coding"

"Don't expect anything to work at all". reads the simple front page, and a test drive shows that almost nothing does. But the plans are ambitious.

Tuesday's Music Brief: Pirate Bay Sold, Pandora Problems, Spotify's Future, Limewire Exec & More

Lot's of great stuff today and a few things already on deck for tomorrow.  So much for a holiday/summer slowdown.  And be sure to vote in the Pandora indie poll.

HYPEBOT FEATURES:

• Pirate Bay Sold To Global Gaming Factory
• Pandora Forces $29.95 Payments From Indie Bands
• VOTE: What Do You Think Of The New Pandora Requirements?
• ReverbNation Survey: How is the Economic Downturn Affecting Artists?
• Band Shoots Free Video With Surveillance Cameras
• The Music Industry, Michael Jackson & The Zombieconomy
• Pirate Bay Readies Launch Of The Video Bay

MORE MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS:

• Spotify founder hints at video, P2P sharing, world domination. (Register)
• Big music label foe LimeWire’s newest executive is Jason Hersowitz, a big label veteran. (MediaMemo)
• Licensing Issues Shut Down Pandora Outside US. (Slashdot)
• The Bandwidth Music | Technology Conference 2009 to be held August 27-28 in San Francisco has added Cory Ondrejka, EVP of Digital Marketing at EMI Music for a keynote conversation. (press release)
• See how the Michael Jackson phenomena continues to dominate the sales charts with this up to these up to the minute iTunes single and album charts.
• Study: Radio Is Still Top Teen Source For Music (FMQB)
• imeem and eMusic: If You're Taking Away Features From Users, Don't Tell Them It's For Their Own Benefit (Techdirt)
• ubroadcast Details Cooperation Agreement With PurePlayMusic.com(press release)

Overloaded With Data? Trendrr Launches Pro

 A First Look & How It Compares

Information and trends spread across the global net with lightening speed. Bloggers and fans love a show, hate a single, publish a photo, share an impression.  Each of these "events", whether they are on the rise or decline and where they are coming from all come together to create buzz.

Digital marketing agency Wiredset, who works with Last.FM, Capital, Sony BMG and Universal, as well as, tv networks, book publishers and brands, created a tool to track this activity and shared a piece of it with a free public service dubbed Trendrr that I've written about previously.

Today the company launched Trendrr Pro, a more sophisticated paid version which tracks and graphs consumption trends and activity across the digital spectrum, including social networks, blogs, torrents, Amazon, Craigslist, Twitter, Google, MySpace, and leading video sites.

I got an advance look under the hood of last week and saw the improvements:

Will The Browser & Mobile Apps Replace The iPod?

Could the growing popularity and sophistication of streaming services from Spotify to Last.fm and mobile apps from Pandora to Sirius unseat the dominance of the iPod? Gerd Leonard thinks so, and he's got some data to back it up. 

Most importantly Leonard warns the music industry to get ready for the shift: sell access not (just) copies, learn to bundle and package. As Kevin Kelly wrote, "When copies are free you need to sell things that can't be copied". More on the MidemNet blog.

Derek Sivers: "Make Your Own Success First"

"You have to make your own success first, before you ask the industry for help.

You have to show that you're going to be successful with-or-without their help. Show that you have momentum, and if they want to accelerate it or amplify it they can, but it will cost them to ride your coat-tails."

The Michael Jackson Effect: An Unprecedented Spike In Sales

Get this widget!

Once again new media trumped old with AOL's TMZ breaking the Michael Jackson story an hour before other news and gossip gatherers. But in addition to the predictable spike in online interest, Friday's death also led to an unprecedented spike in sale.

As of Monday morning,  Michael Jackson held 8 of the top 10 slots on iTunes with 20+ more tracks sprinkled throughout the top 100. At Amazon wait times for most of his CD's and DVD's had jumped to 11-14 days for the usually instant-ship retailer. See real time iTunes singles sales data above and the iTunes album chart after the jump.

Video: A Quick Look At New Zune HD

via Engadget

Monday's Music Brief: Trendrr Pro, MJ Fever, Apple Sued, Tunecore, Canada & More

Friday is a holiday in the US, but I'll be covering the news as it breaks all week and adding the usual commentary.  And on Thursday we'll continue a Hypebot holiday tradition that gives readers a chance to introduce themselves and network. So stay tuned and inward to a great week! Musexpo begins inthe UK...- Bruce Houghton

HYPEBOT FEATURES:

• Overloaded With Data? Trendrr Launches Pro
• Will The Browser & Mobile Apps Replace The iPod?
• The Michael Jackson Effect: An Unprecedented Spike In Sales
• Derek Sivers: "Make Your Own Success First"
• Video: A Quick Look At New Zune HD
• REWIND: New Music Industry's Week In Review

MORE MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS:

• Apple sued over iTunes gift cards (cNet)
• Google mistakes Michael Jackson’s death for an “automated attack”. (Media Memo)
• Napster 10 Years Of Turmoil: "1999 saw the debut of Napster...it started a storm of change in the music industry and here Geoff Taylor, chief executive of the BPI, reflects on what has happened in the last 10 years." (BBC)
• Tunecore has added Limewire to the list of online retailers it supplies. (Tunecore)
• Live Nation has extended its No Service Fee Wednesdays again by dropping the service fee on all 4-Packs and 6-Packs this Wednesday, July 1 0nly at LiveNation.com. (press release)
• Canadian Liberal Party wants to ‘combat’ piracy and ratify the WIPO. (ZeroPaid)
• Pirate parties parade through Prague, Paris (ars)
• VIZIO Unveils Rhapsody Digital Music Service for VIZIO Internet Apps

Video: Michael Jackson, James Brown and Prince on stage together: