New Music Business Briefing: More EMI Action, Apple's DRM Deadline, Zune Hits 1 Million & Much More

>>> Bloomberg analysts provide the latest roundup in the derby to purchase EMI.  In sort, the company is still very much in play with former CEO Jim Fifield developing a plan involving money from the Royal family of Qatar and selling the publishing division off to Charles Koppelman. WMG is also reportedly itching to the make a better offer.

>>> Is this the week or even the day that iTunes will finally add EMI's DRM free offering?  Steve promised May and he's only got three days to keep his promise.  Our sources tell us that last week was the intended launch, but coding is always harder than issuing press releases.

>>> Coolfer Joins The Man - I don't always agree with him, but Glenn is (was) one of the few (other) music industry bloggers who (usually) has enough insight to make him worthy reading. But now he's taken a summer job at Warner Music Group in NYC and admits that it's going to limit what he can write. Too bad.  The new music business needs more insightful and unbiased commentary (not less).

>>> Microsoft had a goal of selling 1 million Zunes by June and it has apparently just hit the benchmark. This is in comparison to just over 100 million iPods sold.  A photo taken by a blogger at Microsoft's Zune headquarters last week shows a less than successful iPod Amnesty program and is a reminder of just how far Microsoft has to go. (Click on the photo to enlarge.)

>>> A look at the importance of presidential campaign theme songs and how they are being chosen.
(Reuters)

>>> Wired.cm interviews the creator of the popular Hype Machine mp3 blog.