This Week’s Music News You Can Use

by bhoughton on March 2nd, 2008

Mobile music is on track to reach $17.5 billion in sales despite a decline in ringtones.
Top indie artists and labels are embracing AimeStreet’s fan sets the price model. Check it out for greta prices on some hot indie bands.
iTunes has made a questionable claim to being the #2 music retailer in the US. Wal-Mart is #1 and I think Amazon is till #2.
Last.fm posted strong growth spurred by addition of free on demand music and launched a showcase for its outside applications and widgets you can use on your own blogs called Built.Last.fm. If you want to discover new music and share it with friends, this is the place. (Try iLike and imeem too.)
Facebook has added easy to set up Music and Film launch pages.
Can music really be free supported only by ads? Last week guest commentator Bill Houghton wrote that ad supported music was not sustainable. Marc Cohen who works in ad supported music disagreed in a guest rebuttal. Now Bill Houghton is back with another commentary that a rumored ad supported MySpace Music is doomed before it launches. Join the debate.
Are you a techie into music? Here’s a cool job: the Beggars label group needs a NYC based IT wiz and you get to spend part of the year in London.
Music Business videos : Highlights from the MIDEM Free Music Panel and an interview with Andrew Dubber of New Music Strategies.

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