How Hard Is It To Find Legal Music?
Consumer Focus, a UK statutory organization that acts as a consumer advocate, wants the record industry to do a better job promoting legal alternatives. Research by the group found that four in ten Great Britons are unable to name a single online music service and 85 percent have heard of only iTunes and Amazon. By Billboard
Apple’s iTunes LP, Six Months Later
Like an enhanced CD or a DVD packaged with a physical album, iTunes LP’s bonus materials may interest super-fans, but they aren’t generating much buzz among mainstream consumers. One industry source tells GigaOm that iTunes LP wasn’t Apple’s idea in the first place. Rather, it arose from the same renegotiations between Apple and the major record labels that yielded DRM-free songs and flexible pricing early last year, a concession by Cupertino to make a gesture in favor of album sales as consumers increasingly show a preference for digital singles. By GigaOm
Billboard Analysis: Streaming’s Impact On Music Downloads
Streaming’s impact on consumer behavior has been discussed — and doubted by some — since NPD Group’s Russ Crupnick gave a presentation at last weeks’ Digital Music Forum in New York. As has been reported, Crupnick said free, on-demand music services result in 13% fewer digital download purchases, while non-interactive webcasts and other services result in 41% more digital download purchases. By Billboard
Research: Music Is Most Popular YouTube Content
Music is the most popular category on YouTube, accounting for 30.7% of all views on the video service, according to research company Sysomos. The data comes after Vevo – the premium music video channel from YouTube/Google, Universal and Sony – announced that it was delivering 30 million streams a day on average in the U.S. Of that, Universal stated that 25% were Lady GaGa videos. By MusicWeek
Report: iTunes Lobbies Labels Against Amazon’s ‘Daily Deals’
In exchange for a “Daily Deal” promotion on a new album, Amazon has been asking labels to provide it with a one-day exclusive before street date and such digital marketing support as a banner ad on an artist’s MySpace page and messages on label and artist Web sites and social network feeds. In response, iTunes has been withdrawing marketing support for certain releases featured as Daily Deals. By Billboard
Research Firm Forrester On Apple And Paid Content’s ‘Demographic Fault Line’
“Apple’s music and app stores straddle paid content’s demographic fault line,” writes Forrester Research’s Mark Mulligan on paidContent March 1. “Apps, a fundamentally interactive experience, are tailor-made for the digital natives, whereas the static 99-cent music download remains wedded to a bygone era. Of course, the kids still like music, but the current digital-music product doesn’t compel them to part with their cash in the way an app does.” Via paidContent
NPD On The Digital Music Dilemma
“In the short term, the numbers are outright scary,” NPD Group music analyst Russ Crupnick said at an industry conference this week. “The good news is that there are a lot of dedicated digital music buyers out there. We just need more of them.” By the Los Angeles Times
Sony Music’s Digital Exec Bullish On Spotify, Other Models
Spotify is crawling through licensing negotiations in the U.S., though one influential executive likes its chances of actually launching stateside. When asked whether he would bet $10 for or against the arrival of Spotify in the U.S., Sony Music Entertainment president of Global Digital Business and US Sales & Corporate Strategy Thomas Hesse put his money down. “I would bet $10 for Spotify launching in the U.S.,” Hesse said during a keynote interview at the Digital Music Forum in New York Feb. 23. “They have a lot going for them.” By Digital Music News
Google’s Music Strategy: Past, Present And Future
The door is wide open for Google to poach iTunes users with a cloud-based music service, argues Wired’s Eliot Van Buskirk. Among the ways that Google can rise to unseat the digital music incumbent: align itself with consumer electronics manufacturers to bring the service into living rooms, and continue leveraging its music search functionality. By Wired
Digital Is Sole Bright Spot For Ad-Supported Radio
The radio industry’s total 2009 revenue, including on-air, off-air and digital, plummeted 18 percent to just over $16 billion, according to figures released Feb. 19 by the Radio Advertising Bureau. The only good news was the continued growth of digital, which increased 13 percent to $480 million. By Mediaweek
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