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RIM taps 7Digital to power official BB10 music store
RIM is already well acquainted with 7Digital thanks to joint efforts on smartphones and tablets, and now its chosen the firm to power the official music store of BlackBerry 10. Not only does 7Digital bring its tech and catalog of downloads to the table, but the duo are promising to integrate the service with BB10 to provide features including recommendations and social integration. When RIM's fresh slate of devices launch next year, folks in the Americas, Australia, Europe, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa will be able to purchase tunes from the new storefront.
The Humble Bundle tries something different, lets you name your price for albums from They Might Be Giants, Jonathan Coulton, and more
The Humble Bundle may have gone mobile on Android earlier this year, but that's proven to be a relatively small jump compared to the organization's latest expansion. It's now rolled out its first Humble Music Bundle, a collection of six albums that, as always, you can name your price for. Those include an album of rarities from They Might Be Giants, Jonathan Coulton's Greatest Hit (Plus 13 Other Songs), an exclusive MC Frontalot collection, Christopher Tin's Calling All Dawns, and game composer Hitoshi Sakimoto's Best of the Valkyria Chronicles -- plus OK Go's Twelve Remixes of Four Songs if you pay above the current average price. Naturally, all of the albums are DRM-free and available in both MP3 and FLAC formats, and you're able to choose what percentage of your payment goes to the artists, charities (Child's Play and the Electronic Frontier Foundation) and the Humble Bundle organization itself. You can get a taste of what's in store in the video after the break, or get previews of each album before you buy at the link below.
Google Music now lets you download your entire library
Computer meltdown? No backup? Well, at least your tunes are safe. Google Music just gained a new feature that lets you to download your entire library including purchased songs. A simple click in the Music Manager is all it takes to restore your entire collection -- or just your purchased music -- from the cloud. In addition, the web interface now allows you to select and copy multiple tracks to your device of choice. While there are no limitations when using the Music Manager, purchased items are restricted to two downloads each via the web interface. So next time your system crashes go right ahead -- rev up that broadband and fill up those hard drives.
Music downloads coming to PSN, PSP?
Ready for some more PSP rumors? CNET's got it on good word that Sony's been talking to some of the big recording labels about putting their music on the PlayStation Network for download, specifically with the PSP in mind. It really isn't much of a stretch, especially when you think about the service's ever-growing library of movies and TV shows. And of course, Sony itself is one of the four largest music companies in the world, so if it really had to go on its own for a bit, it should be able to muster a few good artists. It's just a rumor for now, but this definitely feels like the natural progression for PSN and the company's do-everything device. You know what would go great with a PSP music download service? A slide-out gamepad and a Memory Stick HG-Micro slot to replace UMDs... Just sayin'.
Wendy's and Rhapsody giving away 100 million songs, plus a few players
It looks like Rhapsody could soon be seeing a pretty big increase in traffic, as the company has just teamed up with Wendy's to give away up to 100 million free song downloads. To get in on that action, you'll have to purchase a medium or large-sized combo meal between now and December, with which you'll receive a code that'll entitle you to a free song download of your choice. What's more, you'll also be able to enter the "Combo Up to Download" sweepstakes, which'll give you a shot at a 50-song download bundle from Rhapsody, or one of one hundred SanDisk Sansa e280R Rhapsody players. Those that frequent Wendy's on a daily basis apparently won't be able to take full advantage of their fast food ways, however, as the promotion is limited to just 25 downloads per user.
Universal fixing to start a music subscription service?
Universal has made its problems with iTunes well known in the past, and it now looks like it might be set to take things to the next level, with BusinessWeek reporting that the company is trying to enlist the support of other record labels in order to launch their own music subscription service. Apparently, Sony BMG Music has already expressed interest in being a "potential partner," and Universal is now trying to convince Warner Music Group to come on board as well. What's more, it seems that this potential service, currently dubbed "Total Music," would be quite a bit different than your usual subscription model, with the groups' current thinking apparently focused on a $5-per-month subscription fee that hardware makers or cell carriers would absorb, making the music itself "essentially free" for consumers. That, of course, would still add up in one form or another, with some "industry insiders" speculating that it could add as much as $90 to each player -- based on the assumption that users hang on to their players for 18 months on average. [Via Yahoo News/IDGNS]
Nokia to launch iTunes-like download service?
A standalone music download service which Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo hinted at in June is looking to be making its way out into the world sometime this August, according to a recent Fortune article. The mobile phone kingpin appears to be positioning itself as a direct competitor for Apple and iTunes before the iPhone makes its way into European markets sometime later this year. Sources rumor that the "worldwide" service will allow users to download and transfer songs to non-Nokia hardware, but will employ some form of DRM, and Nokia will be offering over a million songs at the outset -- a pittance when compared to Apple's five million and counting. Supposedly, news of the launch will be delivered on August 29th in London during a live music event at the Ministry of Sound. The company has sent out invitations to a mysterious "Go Play" event, which asks invitees to "Come and witness the next stage of the evolution of the internet and mobility," which we're pretty sure is code for "the president is announcing the biggest uphill battle ever."Read -- Can Nokia beat iPhone at its own tunes?Read -- Nokia "Go Play" invite hints heavily towards music download service
Major record labels pondering DRM-free downloads?
Details are admittedly scant on this one, and we must remember that these disclosures are coming out of France, but nevertheless, word on the street is that "at least one of the four major record companies could move toward the sale of unrestricted digital files in the MP3 format within the coming months." Reportedly, executives of several anonymous technology companies that are meeting at Midem are pondering the move to unrestricted digital music downloads, which just years ago wasn't even a remote possibility. As expected, industry pressures are likely at the forefront here, as digital music sales, although 80-percent stronger than the year before, grew slower than they did in 2005 and failed to compensate for the decline in physical disc sales. Of course, we already knew that EMI Music gave (somewhat) of a green light to the idea, and VirginMega already has the groundwork laid for DRM-free MP3s to be loosed in France, but unrestricted, impartial major label music files flying around on US shores would certainly be a shift from days past. Granted, a few insiders are quite skeptical that these whispers will lead to actual results, and advise to not count on seeing DMR-free tunes for sale here anytime soon. Welcome to the "wait and see" game, folks.
UBC brings downloads to DAB radio
First announced way back in April of last year, UBC Media is set to finally bring music downloads to a DAB radios in the U.K., starting with a trial run next month by Chrysalis Radio station Heart. The service will let listeners download the track they're currently listening to at the push of a button -- at a cost, naturally; a fairly hefty £1.25 ( or about $2.27 US). In addition to saving the track to a DAB-compatible player, that price will also buy you a copy of the track in a web-accessible music library, from which you can download it to your PC and transfer it to a portable music player (providing it supports the necessary DRM). The service itself works by broadcasting music files along with the audio stream, storing them in the device just long enough to give listeners a chance to grab it or let it disappear -- until it's played again, and again, and again. This first trial is really limited, however -- just 100 users in Birmingham get to check it out.
