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TheTuckShop.com is the Newsfeed from the Edge! The MP3/ Streaming Media newsfeed is pumped from the UK. You can sign up for regular newsletters at tuck.listbot.com.

Active Sky Release Palm Media Player
ActiveSky Inc. have announced the release of its media player for the Palm OS. The player has the capability to display both video and animation on Palm devices. ActiveSky are currently in talks with several digital media companies to provide the player with content especially designed for the Palm OS.

ActiveSky see the potential behind the product as enormous, as it will have a number of corporate and home uses. Some of the uses the company cites are: 'a technician can consult a technical animation when repairing a part in a plane; teachers can access demonstrations on how to perform CPR' It would appear that there is a great potential for the development of the product.

IFPI Rebukes 'Cyber Shoplifting'
The music industry is growing ever more militant as it recruits the Corrs as the new spokespeople for the IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry?), urging the world to stop 'cyber-shoplifting.'

The IFPI, a watchdog for the record industry has warned that the use of illegal music files will have an adverse effect on the music industry. With some 600,000 people employed over Europe in the record industry, the IFPI warn people could start loosing their jobs.

The IFPI has gained the verbal support of artists such a Jean Michel Jarre and more recently The Corrs.

Jim Corr (of The Corrs) told a Brussels news conference yesterday that 'most people would not dream of stealing a CD from their local record store - we don't think its cool to go cyber shoplifting.' With a more militant approach Sharon Corr stated 'we've been slow to get off the ground, but we need now to be pro-active.'

However, there is another side to the view, as Gene Kan pointed out at the US Senate Hearing on Digital Media this week, 'I have searched for two years for John Denver and Johnny Cash albums - however previous to this hearing I tried on Napster and Gnutella, and I found several hundred John Denver and Johnny cash tracks. I have been unable to listen to them through conventional outlets.'

Jean Michel Jarre has collected a petition signed by 1,400 musicians across Europe, who are calling for greater copy protection laws. Mr. Jarre also feels that unless something is done musicians will 'loose their cultural identity.'

This will significantly add weight to the IFPI's calls on the European Union Governments to adjust the recent draft copyright directive to afford musicians more protection. The IFPI backs up its calls, claiming that the EUR 11.6 Billion music industry suffered losses of EUR 1.4 Million, meaning governments lost some EUR 85 Million in taxes. It will be however hard to prove that this is directly linked to the use of MP3's and other such copyright infringing formats.

Gigabeat/Liquid Audio Alliance
Online music search service Gigabeat announced its plan to add downloadable music from Liquid Audio's catalogue of 142,000 promotional and for-sale tracks.

Users who use the site to search for downloadable MP3 files and audio streams will be able to use the Liquid Player to stream, download, purchase and play back digital tracks. Liquid Audio software and retail distribution services enable musicians to securely promote and sell their content online, as well.

Yahoo License CDDB
Yahoo!'s recent deal with CDDB, a leading online CD data base service provider, could help position the company as data aggregator.

Yahoo! has licensed CDDB's technology for its new multimedia software player, which gives users access to streamed and downloaded MP3 files, and plays CDs. Media player developers can give users access to information about more than 627,000 albums by integrating CDDB's software.

CDDB has licensed its back-end technology to several hundred software developers. Above all, the Yahoo deal is significant as the company has access to approximately 145 million monthly users.

Yahoo / My Play Deal Breaksdown
The USD 200 million deal between Yahoo and Myplay; the music storage service announced in early June, has broken down.

Yahoo! launched a media player on 29 June, based on Microsoft Corp.'s technology, but the company does not have a music storage service. Yahoo was keen on myplay's product, particularly as a basis of a subscription music service.

However there have been 'differences in vision' between the two companies.

Myplay, in the meantime, will maintain its relationship with America Online Inc., which has offered users the option of starting a myplay "locker" when they download the Winamp audio player.

Myplay is pressing on with a plan to make virtual storage lockers a central part of consumers' collections of entertainment media; a new version of the myplay software and a site redesign is expected soon.

Experts said Yahoo! would not comment on its future plans for a storage service.

MP3.com reach 500,000 track milestone
Ubiquitous MP3.com announced today that it had uploaded its 500,000th track onto its servers.

CEO Michael Robertson, fresh from his meeting at the library of congress two days ago,was delighted, stating that the amouint of music they are hosting has doubled in eight months.

MP3.com are still in dispute with the RIAA over its my-mp3.com service allowing users to 'upload' copyrighted cds they have bought to listen to at their leisure.

AOL to Deploy RealNetworks Streaming Technology
America Online will use back-end streaming technology developed by RealNetworks to deliver audio and video across its online network. The agreement extends a relationship between the companies, but is not exclusive meaning RealNetworks rival Microsoft could also provide streaming technology to the online access giant. AOL's online service counts more than 23 million members; the company operates several Internet properties, including AOL.com, Netscape Netcenter, Winamp and Spinner.com. Informed speculation suggests that AOL paid RealNetworks between $20 million and $29 million for the usage of their technology, although AOL would not be drawn to comment on financial arrangements between the two companies. As part of the new agreement, AOL plans to use Real's streaming technology to develop a new software media player to stream audio and video sources. AOL will distribute the RealPlayer with the Netscape web browser and through Netcenter. In turn, RealNetworks will distribute the Spinner Internet radio player (which also uses RealPlayer technology), and bundle software with the RealPlayer that lets users sign up for AOL's service.

BMI and ASCAP Pursue Separate Payment System
A recently formed venture in the global tracking of music distribution and collection under the Broadcast Music Inc.'s (BMI) initiative appears to compete with a similar initiative by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).

BMI's Fast Track links existing databases of performance rights societies from several nations, whilst ASCAP's International Music Joint Venture (IMJV) will create a new global database from the ground up. ASCAP claims the two projects are not mutually exclusive.

Capital Radio Launch Capital Interactive
The UK's Capital Radio PLC has announced the launch of a new media division, Capital Interactive, which has been created to provide an online music entertainment strategy for the company.

Capital are expected to produce three narrow-band stations targeted at niche audiences. A new brand entitled Kikido will be created as a standalone entity, as well as appearing on the major radio station's sites.

To provide the new webstation with online rights, deals have been struck with record companies BMG, Universal, EMI, Virgin, Jive and AIM. Combined, these record companies grosses account for two third of UK album sales.

Technology deals for the site have been struck with Microsoft, RCS, eHNC, IBM and Open Market. Partnership deals have been struck with Handbag.com, Psorts.com and Microsoft, with possible further partnerships still under discussion.

TheTuckShop.com is the Newsfeed from the Edge! The MP3/ Streaming Media newsfeed is pumped from the UK. You can sign up for regular newsletters at tuck.listbot.com.

 

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