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UK online music retailer, Play.com’s PlayDigital service has reached a deal with all four majors in order to offer music for sale and download in DRM-free MP3 format - and is openly targeting Apple’s iTunes market on price and more (they supplied the image, for example).

The new service is selling tracks at prices from 65p each, as opposed to iTunes’ 79p, while album prices start at £4.99.

Play.com notes that its success in reaching the deal puts it ahead of most other retailer music services in the UK, including those from Amazon, HMV and Tesco. None of these yet offer music DRM-free in the UK - only 7digital matches Play.com’s offer.
 
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iTunes remains the most well-known digital music brand, while pursued by Rhapsody and Amazon, though MySpace and Last.fm seem surprisingly less well-known, and the mindshare of Napster, Wal-Mart and Yahoo continues to decline.

“iTunes dominates this market,” says Karl Joyce, lead author of the Ipsos’ TEMPO Digital Music Brandscape study, “but that by no means suggests that there isn’t room for innovative competitors with differentiated offerings. Read the rest of this entry »

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Google has introduced click-to-buy links directing traffic to iTunes and Amazon MP3 underneath selected videos available on YouTube.

It’s the latest step in the company’s attempt to make some money from the huge traffic YouTube receives, and the company has begun deploying the links below videos relevant to music and videogame partners, but this reach is set to spread. Read the rest of this entry »

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Adobe is likely in hot water this weekend, with news that a security hole in Flash means users can get free access to record and copy video and movies made available using the software.

Amazon.com’s online movie service is apparently affected, meaning users can easily grab a copy of films - even those theoretically protected against such use.

Apparently, the flaw lies in the Flash video servers. “The software doesn’t encrypt online content, but only orders sent to a video player such as start and stop play. To boost download speeds, Adobe dropped a stringent security feature that protects the connection between the Adobe software and its players,” Reuters explains.

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Amazon is reportedly developing an online music store that will work with smartphones using Google’s ‘Android’ system - pitting the firm into competition with iTunes in the mobile space.

VentureBeat reports on Amazon’s move, based on advice from a tipster who claimed to have seen an HTC Android phone running such an application.

One signal difference between Apple and Amazon’s approach to mobile sales is that the latter firm seems set to enable over-the-air downloads of film and video. Read the rest of this entry »

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As expected, the battle of (digital media) in Britain is kicking off this Christmas - and with labels seeking to develop an (ahem) ‘more competitive landscape’ for such music sales, then the sequence of events could benefit music fans.

News now is that the Amazon Music Store will be launching in the UK by next month, offering a catalogue of DRM-free tracks in MP3 format, and (presumably) given a series of attractive price cuts on content in order that the labels can beat up on their one time friend, Apple and its iTunes Store.

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Amazon.com has announced that its Internet Movie Database subsidiary has introduced free streaming of full-length movies and TV shows.

The new feature launches with over 6,000 titles provided by CBS, Hulu, Sony Pictures Television and over 500 independents, including films like “Fever Pitch,” “Hoop Dreams” and “Raising Arizona,” and TV shows such as “24,” “CSI,” “The Simpsons” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

The site will also offer season premiere episodes of “Knight Rider,” “Lipstick Jungle,” “Chuck,” “Life” and “30 Rock” before their broadcast debuts.
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ITV Worldwide has appointed Jason Binks to a new post as head of digital and new media.

The broadcaster intends a major increase in the quantity of content it makes available through digital platforms, Binks has stints at Roo Media and GrooveMobile to his name and will use these experiences to help him sell ITV content internationally through digital platforms.
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Writing on his blog, Ryan Joseph explains, “For the October issue of Esquire, they decided to release 100,000 issues with the world’s first E-Ink magazine cover. The E-Ink display is the same technology used in the Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader…” Here’s his video clip of the tech (which we think is a novelty right now, but this should change), more here..

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BBC Worldwide plans to launch its very own ad-supported online music service, offering music lovers access to the broadcaster’s huge archive of audio and video music content.

The move means TV shows like Top of the Pops, coverage of Glastonbury Festival or the Proms, and all-time music classics such as the Old Grey Whistle Test will be made available for free streaming or for direct sale.
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