The Official Charts Company (OCC) today announced the launch of its first charts dedicated to world music, the Official UK World Music Album Chart and the Official UK World Music Compilation Album Chart.
The charts have been designed to showcase the increasingly popular genre of world music, specifically those albums which have been released in the last two years.
They will give consumers a practical guide to this specialist genre and provide retailers, labels and distributors with promotional tools dedicated to their market.
In a book trade first, Iain Banks’s latest novel, ‘Transition’, is to become the first newly published book to be serialised internationally on iTunes.
Publisher Little, Brown Book Group has reached a deal to make an abridged audio version of the novel available as a free podcast. The first podcast will go live on September 3 when the novel is published. A further 22 episodes, each 15 minutes long, will be released on iTunes in the UK and US every Thursday and Saturday for 12 weeks.
Sarah Shrubb, editorial director of Little, Brown UK’s digital imprint Hachette Digital said: “This is the first time an audio has been serialised in this way, and we’re very excited to be doing something so groundbreaking. Iain Banks is one of Little, Brown’s biggest authors, and we’re absolutely delighted to be promoting him through this cutting-edge digital campaign.”
Hmm – this is somewhat unexpected – EMI’s digital chief, Second Life co-founder, Cory Ondrejka, is to leave the label, scant weeks since being promoted to the company’s top position as top digital exec at EMI, EVP of digital marketing.
“Thanks EMI for great year and a half, time to return to entrepreneurial roots, last day 21 Aug.,” Ondrejka tweeted.
It’s strange timing, particularly as only a few weeks ago he and EMI announced eight hires and promotions in digital marketing. Ondrejka held high responsibility over EMI’s growing digital strategy, with big initiatives widely expected to emerge from the label.
If you’re based in New York and want a good hard glimpse at Apple, digital music and the evolution of the music industry, then you’d best not miss a special event featuring WSJ tech journalist, Walt Mossberg and hit-maker musician and intellectual talent, Moby.
They’ll discuss the ways technology has changed how music is created and how fans acquire and discover music.
Plugging the show on WNYC public radio today the two agreed: “We’re going to have a conversation about technology and music from both the point of view of creators and consumers.”
Two recently published studies show slight change in attitudes to paying for content online.
In the first study, the European Commission found that around two-thirds of consumers aged 16-24-year-olds are willing to pay for content online. 10 per cent of this demographic have already begun paying for such content, making this the most active online group and the group most likely to pay for what they want.
Sony BMG, Universal Music, Warner Music, EMI and Merlin (the body which represents Europe’s independent labels all own shares in Spotify, shares the company offered the labels for an aggregate €8.8 million – presumably as part of the negotiation to secure permission to stream their music online.
Together, the labels own 18 per cent of Spotify. Sony BMG took the lion’s share, now owning 5.8 per cent of the service.
Much respected musician, Banco De Gaia, (Toby Marks) will release new album, ‘Memories, Dreams, Reflections’, internationally on September 18 (Sept. 22 in North America), and will be offering streaming previews of all the tracks from the artist’s web site.
One of the UK’s leading electronic musicians, he formed Banco De Gaia with Andy Guthrie, who left for other things. His adventures in electronic music began in 1989, when he bought a sampler and recorded “Maxwell House”. He is now recognised as one of the world’s leading exponents of globally inspired electronica with a distinctive style.
In 1994 he released his first studio album, the Mercury Music Prize-nominated Maya, on Planet Dog records. This was followed in 1995 by the critically-acclaimed Last Train to Lhasa
. Both albums reached number one on the UK’s independent charts.
“For example, iTunes was launched in Mexico earlier this week – the first new territory addition to the iTunes footprint in nearly three years,” Bronfman said, adding, “This launch is indicative of the opportunity Apple and its content partners have to follow the expansion of the iPhone into additional mobile-oriented countries.”
The Official Charts Company (OCC) today announced the launch of its first charts dedicated to world music, the Official UK World Music Album Chart and the Official UK World Music Compilation Album Chart.
In a book trade first, Iain Banks’s latest novel, ‘Transition’, is to become the first newly published book to be 
Hmm – this is somewhat unexpected – EMI’s digital chief, Second Life co-founder, Cory Ondrejka, is to leave the label, scant weeks since being promoted to the company’s top position as top digital exec at EMI, EVP of digital marketing.
If you’re based in New York and want a good hard glimpse at Apple, digital music and the evolution of the music industry, then you’d best not miss a special event featuring WSJ tech journalist, Walt Mossberg and hit-maker musician and intellectual talent, Moby.
will create the world’s first ever “Human Synthesiser” next week.
album by creating the first ever-human augmented reality music and visuals mixer. 
Spotify
Much respected musician, 
, on Planet Dog records. This was followed in 1995 by the critically-acclaimed 
Warner Music boss, Edgar Bronfman, says
