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.
Apple’s forthcoming iTunes 9 upgrade’s already being touted as the best thing since sliced bread, with r
Spotify
In the final Macworld Expo keynote Apple today introduced new computing and software products, and also confirmed long-standing claims that songs sold through iTunes from all four major labels are now to be made available DRM-free.
Given the extent of repeated rumours in the run-up to Christmas, it’s no great surprise that fresh reports this morning claim Apple could announce a fully DRM-free iTunes Store as soon as today.
