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Record labels sue Charter over copyright infringement claims
Charter Communications has been sued by a group of major record labels who claim it has failed to address "flagrant and serial" music copyright infringement.
ICYMI: Quick launch UAV box, dog translation collar and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-878392{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-878392, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-878392{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-878392").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A new crowdfunded collar for dogs purports to translate activity levels and temperature into how the animal is feeling, then let you know. The KYON collar is basically the dog from the Pixar movie Up in beta version. A nesting box for storing and charging UAVs between flights aims to get surveillance states a drone on standby. And the Emi by Moodbox wants to be the Amazon Echo-like device you turn to for music selections, since its AI is designed to learn your song preferences and curate according to your mood.
Testing for electromagnetic interference at Samsung's EMC lab (video)
Samsung's EMC Laboratory is right in the middle of its huge "Digital City" compound in Suwon, Korea. This site goes through roughly 4,000 products a year, with different rooms tasked with testing different sections of Samsung Electronics' admittedly broad range. What you see above is a 75 by 59 feet chamber set up for the electromagnetic interference test, with three antennas pointed at a yet-to-be-released TV (not shown in the photo for obvious reasons). All of this is simply to gauge precisely how much interference the product outputs, to ensure it doesn't exceed certain levels. Do read on if you want more detail -- we've also got a video tour waiting for you.
Reports: Apple's internet radio service delayed by slow-going music licensing negotiations
According to folks in the know who've spoken to Bloomberg and The New York Times, Apple's oft-rumored streaming radio service is set for a late arrival. The reason is because of snails-pace negotiations with the publisher Sony/ATV for music licensing deals. As the Times notes, Sony no longer lets outsiders like ASCAP dole out licenses, leaving itself as chief point of contact for such agreements on its content -- this apparently got Pandora locked into a twenty five-percent increase on royalty payments to Sony. Prior to today's reports, Bloomberg stated that Cupertino was aiming for a Q1 release for this year, and the NYT notes Apple hoped that launch would've happened near the Grammy Awards. If you'll recall, Apple's service is said be direct competition to others like Pandora rather than Spotify, as it would be ad-supported for revenue. As usual, take all of this with a grain of salt, and don't get too thirsty for an Apple-curated streaming music service just yet. More info at the source links.
Sony releases Q1 2012 financial results, eats $312 million loss
Sony's first-quarter figures for 2012 show that despite the company's optimism three months ago, it's made a net loss of $312 million. It pulled in a whopping $19.2 billion in sales for the three months ending June 30th, partly credited to bringing Sony Mobile fully into the family. However, the cost of restructuring the Mobile Products and Communications Division (of which Sony Mobile is a part) came to $143 million, wiping out the additional gains to record a loss of $356 million. Gaming-wise, the PlayStation maker suffered a $45 million loss as falling sales of the PSP and PS3 were only partially offset by the sales of the PS Vita. There was better news in its imaging division, while sales of compact cameras fell, DSLRs and "Professional" products took up the slack, resulting in a profit of $160 million. In a trend we've seen across the Home Entertainment industry, sales of LCD televisions continued to fall, forcing the company to eat a loss of $126 million. Movie and TV recorded a loss of $62 million, although that's primarily due to a dip in advertising sales in India and the cost of marketing (but not producing) The Amazing Spider-Man, the profits of which won't be recognized until September. Finally, while it spent big to purchase EMI this quarter, big-ticket albums like Usher's Looking 4 Myself and One Direction's Up All Night helped the division make a profit of $92 million. While Sony's treading water to execute Kaz Hirai's "One" Strategy, it's still got $8.4 billion stashed under the mattress, and in the face of lower sales, is hoping that reduced costs will help it make $1.6 billion in profit by the end of March 2013.
Amazon rumored clinching major labels for cloud music rights, iTunes Match feels the heat
When we last checked in, Amazon was thought to finally be pushing for full music rights in its Cloud Drive and Cloud Player services. It might be a smooth operator at the negotiating table: subsequent tips to CNET maintain that the top four major labels (a currently-independent EMI as well as Sony, Universal and Warner) have all signed deals that will let Amazon offer the same scan-and-match music downloads and streaming as Apple's iTunes Match. The pacts would let Amazon offer access to every song a listener owns without having to directly upload each track that wasn't bought directly from Amazon MP3. Aside from closing a conspicuous gap, the deal could end a whole lot of acrimony from labels who were upset that Amazon preferred a free-but-limited service over having to charge anything. The online shop hasn't said anything official yet (if at all), but any signatures on the dotted line will leave Google Music as the odd man out.
Amazon reportedly adding music rights to Cloud Player, could close gap with iCloud
Amazon's Cloud Player app just made its way to the iPhone and iPod touch, but the company's web-based music service still lacks the license deals that make Apple's iCloud a more seamless experience. While iCloud scans a user's hard drive to match songs and stream them from iTunes, Cloud Player requires listeners to manually upload copies of their music to the cloud. According to CNET's "industry sources," Amazon is looking to close that gap by inking agreements with major labels and has already made deals with EMI and Universal Music Group. This story is still very much in the rumor phase, but obtaining those licenses certainly sounds like a logical step for a service meant to make enjoying files across several devices easier.
What crisis? Sony Music buys EMI's back catalogue for $2.2 billion
While its parent company goes through a dramatic reinvention, Sony Music's scraped together $2.2 billion to lead a consortium that's just bought EMI's music publishing business. While it'll sell off the three Virgin and Famous Music labels to avoid competition concerns, the company will gain access to three million songs from artists like Frank Sinatra, Jay-Z and Adele. It won't affect the day-to-day running of EMI's record label, which is a separate entity, but it will make Sony the biggest music publisher in the world. It's hard not to envisage a future in which the company's influence in the way we buy and listen to music becomes even greater -- especially given that EMI led the charge in abandoning DRM all those years ago.
EMI sues Def Jam Rapstar creators
EMI Music Group has filed a suit against Def Jam Rapstar creators 4mm Games and Terminal Reality, claiming the game contains unlicensed tracks from Kanye West, Lil Wayne, DMX and more, and uses unlicensed compositions from DJ Khaled, MIMS and Daft Punk.According to statements given to The Hollywood Reporter, EMI demanded royalties from the game makers but never received a response. EMI is looking for compensation on 54 songs from Def Jam Rapstar's total tracklist, and with EMI looking for upwards of $150,000 for each "infringement" that total tab is looking mighty steep. In the worst case, that brings us to total of $8.1 million.The karaoke aspect of Def Jam Rapstar, and its online video-sharing capabilities, also make this dispute trickier, since EMI owns the rights to display, publicly perform and distribute these songs. Please excuse us while we try to get Richard a good lawyer in case EMI targets us next.
Google partners with Universal, EMI, Sony Music, 23 independent labels on Google Music, scores exclusive content
A music store isn't much without plenty of music, and Google's new offering launched with some big backing today. The company is partnering with Universal, EMI, Sony Music and no less than 23 independent labels on the service -- according to Google, that covers about 13 million songs in total, 8 million of which are available today. Speaking at the launch event, Universal's Rob Wells said that he expects Google Music to be a "rich new revenue stream for our artists," and further noted that he's excited about the "global rollout" across all Android devices, although we're unfortunately not hearing many specifics about availability outside the US just yet. What's more, Google also announced that Google Music will have a number of exclusive offerings from the labels, including concerts from the likes of The Rolling Stones, Coldplay, Pearl Jam and The Dave Matthews Band, and the exclusive debut of Busta Rhymes' latest album.
Former EMI boss says Limewire users were major iTunes customers
Douglas C. Merrill used to work for record label EMI, one of the biggest members of the RIAA. He was forced out just a year later, but now he's sharing information from inside the company. And some of that information points to an interesting conclusion about music pirates: they often end up being some of the music industry's best customers. Speaking at a conference in Sydney, Merrill said that a profile they'd conducted of users of the LimeWire music sharing service portrayed them as some of the biggest spenders on iTunes. "That's not theft, that's try-before-you-buy marketing and we weren't even paying for it," Merrill said at the show, "so it makes sense to sue them." That last part is sarcasm, we're pretty sure. Of course, most record companies saw illegal downloading as purchases that just didn't happen, and thus lost revenue. But this conclusion hints that "pirates" aren't taking away from music sales -- they're just download music to fill out their already big purchased collections. That's the kind of premise that the upcoming iTunes Match seems to be banking on, where users will be able to pay a subscription fee to verify any music downloaded outside of iTunes as official iTunes purchases. It would certainly end up being ironic if it turned out that the very same customers the RIAA attacked and sued back during those early days of filesharing were some of the same customers ringing in the digital music age that's now keeping record companies afloat. [via Boing Boing]
NYPost: Apple paying major music labels up to $150 million for rights to music on iCloud
The New York Post is reporting that three separate sources have told them Apple is paying the big four music labels between $100-150 million for the rights to distribute their music through the new iCloud service, which is set to debut on Monday. Their sources say that each label will get between $25-50 million depending on the number of tracks iTunes users are storing. On Tuesday, Apple issued a press release stating that Steve Jobs will unveil the iCloud service on June 6. iCloud is widely expected to be a cloud-based digital locker that allows users to stream any music they own to any device they own. Apple has been aggressively working on deals with the major music labels for a while now, first getting Warner, then EMI and Sony to get on board. The last holdout, Universal, is rumored to have signed with Apple late last week. With up to a $50 million signing bonus, any cash-strapped music label would be crazy not to accept Apple's offer.
Apple, publishers reportedly close to completing cloud music deal
Apple's music streaming service is inching closer to launch according to industry sources. Earlier rumors suggest Apple already inked licensing agreements with three of the four major record labels, including EMI Music, Warner Music and Sony Music. The one remaining holdout is Universal Music, which is still working with the Cupertino company. Besides the record labels, Apple also needs to obtain publishing rights from the individual music publishers. Insiders claim only a small amount of cash is keeping Apple from inking these final agreements, but these negotiations can be long and messy. There is supposedly some tension between the music publishers and the record labels that has to be ironed out before Apple can launch its online streaming service. The record labels are not happy that publishers are getting the bulk of the cash Apple has put on the table for its cloud service. Wisely, the Cupertino company is reportedly playing the two music entities against each other and letting them duke it out. Apple hopes this money problem can be resolved and negotiations will wrap up in time for a WWDC announcement.
Sony joins EMI and Warner in Apple cloud music service
Three down, one to go. Just a day after CNET suggested that EMI joined Warner Music Group in allowing Apple to distribute their music over a cloud-based service, now Bloomberg is claiming that Apple has also officially inked a deal with Sony Music. That leaves just one of the big four music labels -- Universal Music Group -- left to sign on with Apple. And as Bloomberg states, Universal is supposedly close to signing with the iPod maker soon. As I mentioned yesterday, getting all four major music labels to sign on to a cloud-based service is seen as a serious win and another vote of confidence for Apple's rumored streaming media services. Both Google and Amazon launched their online music services without any major music label support. Apple's cloud music service, expected to be dubbed iCloud, may be unveiled at WWDC on June 6.
EMI joins Warner Music Group in Apple cloud music service
Sources have told CNET that EMI has signed a deal with Apple to license its music for cloud-based services. EMI joins Warner Music Group, which signed on with Apple for cloud-based music services last month. The remaining two major labels, Sony and Universal, are expected to sign similar deals with Apple as early as next week. Getting all four major music labels to sign on to a cloud-based service is seen as a serious win and another vote of confidence for Apple's rumored cloud-based digital distribution services. Amazon and Google both launched cloud-based digital lockers earlier this month, yet neither of those companies have any agreements with the four major music labels. Cloud-based services are rumored to be a big part of iOS 5, and late last month it was revealed that Apple's digital locker services might be called iCloud after Apple bought the icloud.com domain from a Swedish company.
Apple gets cozy with EMI, Universal, and Sony over cloud music licensing (updated)
Ah, so it's all coming together now. Following a report on Warner Music inking a cloud streaming deal with Apple, CNET is back with fresh information that sees three more major record companies jumping on board. Citing "multiple music industry sources," we're told that EMI is the latest addition to Apple's cloud music portfolio, while Universal and Sony are close to sealing the deal to permit this rumored iCloud service. If true, such endorsement will no doubt add pressure on Google and Amazon over their cheeky, license-free cloud streaming offerings -- not a bad way to fend off competition, though it's not clear how much money's involved. Guess we'll know more at WWDC next month. Update: Bloomberg is citing multiple source who claim that Sony has inked a deal with Apple leaving only Universal to play coy. Two sources claim that Apple's cloud music service won't require users to upload their music.
Music artists, labels create enhanced albums for iPad
Launched with iTunes 9, iTunes LP would let record labels include extra content, such as liner notes, expanded artwork and lyrics, in albums sold on iTunes. The feature never took off, but the concept of adding value to an album using interactive digital content has not died. Record labels such as Universal Music Group and EMI are now looking to the iPad as a way to entice customers to purchase a full album with value-added content instead of individual tracks. EMI recently released an iPad version of Until One, a dance album from Swedish House Mafia. Besides audio tracks, the iPad album includes video footage, a photo gallery and commentary from the band. The content is distributed as an iPad app and costs US$9.99. Universal has also jumped on the interactive album bandwagon and has teamed with a video production company, Eagle Rock Entertainment. The duo are working on an interactive iPad versions of classic albums such as Nirvana's Nevermind. This latter project is currently under development. Only time will tell if this latest focus on enhanced album content will succeed. In the past, consumers eschewed bonus content, but the 9.7-inch display of the iPad provides a richer multimedia experience than the iPhone. Given the choice, would you pay more for an enhanced iPad album or would you stick with the less expensive, music-only option? [Via Macstories]
Sony Music Unlimited now streaming tracks to the US
Let's hope Sony's new streaming music service -- just launched today for the US, Australia, and New Zealand -- isn't as unwieldy to use as its "Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity" moniker suggests. The service features six million tracks from Sony Music Entertainment, Universal, EMI, and Warner and is available on Sony's own devices including the PS3, Blu-ray disc players, Bravia televisions, and VAIO PCs. It'll also be available on Android smartphones soon with an iOS app coming later this year, assuming Apple's new subscription debacle doesn't derail Sony's plans. A basic membership provides an interactive radio experience for $3.99 per month while a premium $9.99 per month service gives subscribers on-demand access to the Music Unlimited library with the ability to manage your music through playlists and the like. Sony also provides a useful service that scans your local library and playlists to "jump start" the organization of your Music Unlimited collection. Wonder how it'll work on the NGP and PlayStation tablet?
Beamz laser instrument gets upgraded to please hardcore laser rockers and gamers alike
The demonstration of four-player Rock Band Mobile at Samsung's CES 2011 press conference was pretty slick, but to the folks at Beamz, that kind of music gaming is still so amateur compared to its laser switch-activated jam sessions. That's because they've redesigned their original product to be more living room-friendly thanks to a black paint job and a slimmer profile. They've also tried to appeal more to the gaming set by expanding the Beamz song library beyond the original 80 developed by independent artists to include "top hit jams" - aka cover versions of top 40 tracks -- and 35 licensed "video songs" from Disney and EMI. So if you'd like to laser thump the bass to Blondie's Heart of Glass music video, you can. Additionally, the Beamz software has been upgraded to support up to three laser instruments on the same track and recording for a real band experience -- though it still only runs on PCs. For $200, we don't expect these to fly off shelves, but for those who've mastered the whammy bar, it's at least another way to get your faux music-making fix. %Gallery-113166%
The ballad of the Beatles and iTunes (and EMI, too)
After decades of bickering that's nearly as infamous as the Beatles' breakup, the actual deal that finally united Apple, Inc., Apple Corps and EMI was hammered out in July, the Wall Street Journal reported today. We touched lightly on this history yesterday, but the WSJ outlined the exact route that EMI and Apple Corps navigated since this summer to reach an agreement, which was then brought to Apple. In Cupertino, Apple began quietly reserving ad space in major publications with only the reassurance that they would deliver the ads to make press time. Meanwhile, Billboard magazine -- as reported via MacRumors -- revealed that much of the issue post-lawsuit wasn't between Apple Corps and Apple, Inc,, but rather Apple Corps and EMI. Apple and Google vied to be the first to host the Beatles, with rumors of Apple paying a "substantial advance" to EMI floating around. Regardless, Apple won the race and the Beatles now dominate the iTunes charts ... though none of the albums have yet to surpass the latest Glee album on the charts. The Beatles remain exclusive to Apple until at least January of 2011, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the digital tracks on Amazon shortly after it runs out.
