Amazon — The online retail giant has tentatively set a mid-September target for the launch of its music service, sources familiar with the situation said.
The store will offer songs in the iPod-friendly MP3 format and give consumers who use the popular music player an alternative source for major label music besides Apple’s iTunes.
Amazon is expected to carry somewhere around 1 million tracks at launch, featuring music from Universal Music Group, EMI and a large number of independent labels.
Unlike Apple, which charges 99 cents for songs with DRM and $1.29 for unprotected tracks, Amazon is expected to have at least two prices for individual songs: 99 cents for new and popular MP3s, and 89 cents for music from emerging artists and back catalog tracks.
Albums are expected to cost between $7.99 and $9.99.
A MySpace Music Tour which will feature Hellogoodbye and Say Anything will kick off October 16th in Seattle.
Is BurnLounge still in business?: BurnLounge is a controversial digital upstart that allows users to open their own digital download store. BurnLounge just laid off a substantial number of their employees. According to insiders, repeated calls to their New York Headquarters have returned no responses, however, you can still go and purchase a retailer package..
Times Online business editor, James Harding on the new managers at EMI…..The new managers at EMI make Eric Nicoli, the former biscuit executive who has run the company for the past eight years, look like an impresario with the musical talent of a Daniel Barenboim and the street credibility of Keith Richards.
 
The illegal hack site myspacemp3.org which allowed users to rip streaming audio off of Myspace sites into MP3’s has been suspended. Unfortunately, the thieves are back in town — New illegal hack sites have popped up that allows music thieves to defile themselves with their guilty pleasure.
http://www.downloadhelper.net/
http://www.eches.net/myspace-music/
http://myspacegrab.com/
If I were an artist, I would remove all my songs on Myspace until they can fix these security issues. I would also sue or jail the creator of these sites. A recent spammer was recently imprisoned for up to seven years. KOAR is asking Myspace to recognize the problem and take immediate action. It would also make sense for Major and indie labels to remove songs on myspace or at least put up 15 seconds of a clip.
Myspace and News Corp. are obligated to tell it’s customers and advertisers that pay thousands of dollars for placements that their music will be free rather than purchased. Myspace also needs to update their security tools and techniques that prevent hackers.
 
EMI Group’s new owners Terra Firma have ousted Eric Nicoli and shaken-up the music company’s board.
Nicoli, the CEO of EMI Group and EMI Music, has agreed to “step down” ahead of the music major’s expected Sept. 18 de-listing from the London Stock Exchange.
The European equity firm’s managing directors Chris Roling and Ashley Unwin have been inserted into EMI’s board.
Terra Firma is also forming a new governance structure, which will see the EMI board reporting into a new supervisory board chaired by the equity house’s CEO Guy Hands. (Billboard)
 
Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards has demanded an apology from Swedish newspapers for their scathing reviews of the group’s performance in the country earlier this month.
Critics gave thumbs down to the Aug. 3 concert at Ullevi stadium in Goteborg, with Expressen suggesting Richards was “superdrunk” on stage.
“This is a first!” the 63-year-old rock star wrote in a letter published by Stockholm daily Dagens Nyheter. “Never before have I risen to the bait of a bad review.
“But this time … I have to stand up … for our fans all over Sweden … to say that you owe them, and us, an apology.”
“There were 56,000 people in Ullevi stadium who bought a ticket to our concert – and experienced a completely different show than the one you ‘reviewed,'” the letter said.
“How dare you cheapen the experience for them – and for the hundreds of thousands of other people across Sweden who weren’t at Ullevi and have only your ‘review’ to go on.
“Write the truth. It was a good show.”
“I am not going to apologize for my subjective opinion,” Larsson told the paper’s Web edition on Wednesday. “It is Keith who should apologize. After all it costs around 1,000 kronor ($145) to see a rock star who can hardly handle the (guitar) riff to ‘Brown Sugar’ any more.”
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