Distorted-Loop.com

Just take a look at this gem, perhaps the most impressive iTunes LP yet and sure to take space in many collections pretty soon (get it here). This is a collaboration between Danger Mouse (Grey Album) and James Mercer of The Shins, and it is called Broken Bells.

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Look – its Apple’s new TV ad spot, extolling the virtues of its camera-free (like anyone really needs one) iPad. Look in wonder as those hands lovingly caress the digital revolution. Ask yourself how often you’ll see one pulled out for playback on the tube or bus…is this a computer for some of us from the people who made the Mac for the rest of us?

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With European success behind the firm, Spotify is planning to launch in the UK, even while fresh reports confirm (what we’ve been saying for some time) that the cash artists get from streaming services isn’t enough to justify prosecuting file-sharers.

A Billboard analysis shows that even the amount of money earned by top artists from on-demand streams and noninteractive streams (such as Internet radio) is, in plain terms, shockingly low. “Of the more than 100 artists examined to compile the Money Makers list, only 10 made more than $2,000 from noninteractive streams in 2009,” a Billboard report eplains.

Interestingly, the labels seem to do alright out of the streaming music deal. Rob Wells, the senior vice-president Digital for Universal Music Group International says Spotify was Universal’s fourth largest digital partner last year in terms of the amount of revenue it generated for the company.

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Following the Air App introduction yesterday, yet more iPhone action from France – this time hit making DJ and producer, David Guetta, has introduced a new interactive musical iPhone app- the difference here being use of the hot new MXP4 technology.

This is an interesting App for iPhone and iPod touch users. It brings location-aware technology, Twitter feeds, MXP4-powered remixable music and more.

The App can do so much: Read the rest of this entry »

Digital music sales continue to grow, the latest results from giant major label, Universal Music confirm.

Issuing its full year results this week, parent company Vivendi revealed that digital sales in its music division grew 8.4% last year (Results release, PDF link).

Despite this area of growth, revenues at Universal were down 6.2% from 2008 to €4.36bn. Digital, however, grew 8.4% despite the company reporting a “softening demand for mobile products in the United States and Japan”.

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Apple shifted its 10 billionth song through iTunes yesterday. It was “Guess Things Happen That Way” by Johnny Cash – here’s an old clip of the man in black doing his thing.
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The 10 billionth iTunes track has been downloaded following a two-week countdown. Just last month, Apple’s app store surpassed three billion downloads. (OK, we had expected Apple to cross the 10 billion target at the end of 2009, we’re a few weeks off, sorry about that).
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This is interesting – Rob Wells, Senior Vice-President of Digital at the world’s largest major label, Universal Music Group International, tells us what’s what in the future of music.

This is a wide-ranging chat, covering the past, present and several different outcomes for the future of music, including building new commercial models that integrate social and search sites, and of course a little mobile (Apple). Interesting stuff for anyone who cares about the future of media and music. (Video after the break).
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The Royal Opera House is giving away 300 items of film, audio and written material via iTunes.

This is a European first for the Royal Opera House, the first performing arts organisation this side of the Atlantic to open its own iTunes U site and “only the third in the world after the American Theatre Wing and the Washington National Opera,” Brand Republic informs us.
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MySpace Music today completed a deal to acquire certain assets of the popular social media music service imeem. 

MySpace CEO Owen Van Natta says the deal, “will allow us to leverage imeem’s industry leading technology and over time, meaningfully integrate their products into the MySpace Music experience.”
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