Subscriber Content

NewNet Q4: Platform mania and social commerce shakeout

Jan. 19, 2012 - 12:39 PM PDT Jan. 19, 2012 - 12:39 PM PDT

The fourth quarter may have lacked a dominating big-event product announcement like Q3’s Facebook platform extension or Q2’s unveiling of Google+, but the NewNet world continued to buzz along. In the battle for mind share, everyone wanted to be a platform. Meanwhile, consumer and social technologies continued to gain momentum, and new vehicles for content and service discovery presented both challenges and opportunities for NewNet companies. And it is hard to ignore the overcrowded but growing world of daily deals. This quarterly report analyzes these trends and others, and it also provides a near-term outlook of trends, technologies and companies to watch in 2012. Companies mentioned in the report include Amazon, Facebook and Socialcast. For a full list of companies, and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial. Read more at GigaOM Pro »

China Round-Up: E-book Wars, Digital Music Opportunity And Games Go Large

By Robert Andrews

Jan. 10, 2012 - 11:04 AM PDT Jan. 10, 2012 - 11:04 AM PDT

photo: Robert S. Donovan

It is a busy week for digital media news in the Far East, ahead of the Chinese New Year on January 23. Notably, more new e-book services are… Read more at paidContent »

Coldplay Will Warm To Streaming After Unit Sales Ebb

By Robert Andrews

Jan. 10, 2012 - 10:34 AM PDT Jan. 10, 2012 - 10:34 AM PDT

In October, Coldplay withheld its new album from streaming services like Spotify, Rdio , We7 and Mog.

But that absence is not indefinite. Read more at paidContent »

HMV Sees Physical Content Crash Slowing Down, Despite Christmas Crunch

By Robert Andrews

Jan. 9, 2012 - 9:02 AM PDT Jan. 9, 2012 - 9:02 AM PDT

HMV’s CEO says the slowdown in plastic music and movie sales is itself slowing down – even though its Christmas was nearly a tenth worse tha… Read more at paidContent »

Charts: What's Happening To UK Music Sales

By Robert Andrews

Jan. 3, 2012 - 11:49 AM PDT Jan. 3, 2012 - 11:49 AM PDT

2011 UK music sales volume figures are in, showing a continuation of the same patterns, according to Official Charts Company data (via BPI). Read more at paidContent »

What's Coming In 2012: The Age Of Ubiquity (For Some)

By Staci D. Kramer

Dec. 31, 2011 - 2:30 PM PDT Dec. 31, 2011 - 2:30 PM PDT

The HTML5 "responsive design" reflexively re-sizes the site depending on the device and screen.

photo: Boston Globe

This is the last in a series of posts that highlighted key people, companies and trends to watch in 2012 in the sectors we cover most, from… Read more at paidContent »

EU To Focus On Digital Content Policy In 2012

By Robert Andrews

Dec. 28, 2011 - 11:22 AM PDT Dec. 28, 2011 - 11:22 AM PDT

The European Commission says 2011 progress against its digital agenda ambitions has been “mixed”. Read more at paidContent »

Wanna Download A Free Movie With No Legal Worries? Go Dutch.

By Ingrid Lunden

Dec. 26, 2011 - 6:35 PM PDT Dec. 26, 2011 - 6:35 PM PDT

Some countries in Europe, like France, are looking at ways of extending their copyright protection laws to streamed media, in addition to ex… Read more at paidContent »

Updated: Facebook Timeline And Ads: Real Estate For The Highest Bidder?

By Ingrid Lunden

Dec. 23, 2011 - 5:25 PM PDT Dec. 23, 2011 - 5:25 PM PDT

A report out today, taking its cue from the new Timeline feature that is now getting rolled out to Facebook’s 800-million-plus users, allege… Read more at paidContent »

Will There Ever Be A Universal, MP3-Like Standard For E-Books?

By Bill Rosenblatt, GiantSteps Media Technology Strategies

Dec. 22, 2011 - 4:10 PM PDT Dec. 22, 2011 - 4:10 PM PDT

Digital music is now mainstream, thanks in part to the MP3. Will the e-book market be next to produce a one-size-fits-all format-a format th… Read more at paidContent »

Rhapsody Now Has One Million Music Subs In The U.S. Next Stop: Europe

By Ingrid Lunden

Dec. 22, 2011 - 1:00 PM PDT Dec. 22, 2011 - 1:00 PM PDT

It’s taken ten years, and a last leg up by way of an acquisition of a competitor, but Rhapsody says that it has finally reached one million… Read more at paidContent »

Nielsen: Android And Apple Dominate The App Space But Mobile Browser Rules

By Ingrid Lunden

Dec. 15, 2011 - 1:00 PM PDT Dec. 15, 2011 - 1:00 PM PDT

Apple’s and Android’s stronghold on the U.S. smartphone market has been the case for many quarters already, and figures out today from Niels… Read more at paidContent »

ITunes Match international rollout premature; refunds being issued

By Darrell Etherington

Dec. 15, 2011 - 5:54 AM PDT Dec. 15, 2011 - 5:54 AM PDT

If it seemed on late Wednesday like Apple’s rollout of iTunes Match to basically every international iTunes market was too good to be true, that’s because it was. Apple is telling customers on Thursday that beyond Brazil and the U.S., Match “will not function.” Read more »

iTunes Match rolling out internationally (and maybe accidentally)

By Darrell Etherington

Dec. 14, 2011 - 4:11 PM PDT Dec. 14, 2011 - 4:11 PM PDT

Apple is apparently in the process of setting up iTunes Match for international customers. According to reports, users can now access the iTunes Match sign-up page from this direct link. As of this writing, it was working here in Canada, where Match costs $27.99 annually. Read more »

Last.fm serenades users with new discovery tool

By Bobbie Johnson

Dec. 14, 2011 - 1:51 AM PDT Dec. 14, 2011 - 1:51 AM PDT

Last.fm is returning to its roots as a music data and discovery service, launching a new product that lets users tap into a database of independent artists and musicians with a click. Read more »

Apple Finally Brings iTunes Music And Movies To Latin America

By Robert Andrews

Dec. 13, 2011 - 9:40 AM PDT Dec. 13, 2011 - 9:40 AM PDT

Nearly 12 years after it first launched, iTunes Store has gone live in Brazil and 15 other Latin American countries, as the region’s consume… Read more at paidContent »

Get Ready For Another Streaming Music Service: The Ad-Free Rara.com

By Ingrid Lunden

Dec. 13, 2011 - 9:22 AM PDT Dec. 13, 2011 - 9:22 AM PDT

Spotify and Pandora (NYSE: P) may be the music brands people think of today when it comes to streaming services. But with only five million… Read more at paidContent »

Games Take Largest Share Of Android's First 10 Billion Downloads

By Stuart Dredge., MediaGuardian

Dec. 9, 2011 - 6:52 PM PDT Dec. 9, 2011 - 6:52 PM PDT

Android games have notched up more than 2.5 billion downloads since the launch of Google’s Android Market store, taking a 25.6 percent share… Read more at paidContent »

Deezer Goes Boldly Global, Thumbing Its Nose At U.S.

By Robert Andrews

Dec. 7, 2011 - 2:29 PM PDT Dec. 7, 2011 - 2:29 PM PDT

The Deezer music subscription service has put a June 2012 deadline on its already-announced plan to roll out in over 200 countries – a globa… Read more at paidContent »

Topforty.it turns Twitter into a DJ

By Janko Roettgers

Dec. 7, 2011 - 10:00 AM PDT Dec. 7, 2011 - 10:00 AM PDT

Hey Mister DJ, turn the tweet hits up: Topforty.it is using Twitter’s collective music favorites to come up with daily music charts. Each and every song is playable through YouTube embeds, and the site is already working on plans to launch genre-specific Twitter radio stations. Read more »

7digital Music Adds Microsoft To Its App List, Still Awaits Apple Approval

By Ingrid Lunden

Dec. 6, 2011 - 9:35 PM PDT Dec. 6, 2011 - 9:35 PM PDT

Music downloads may have taken a backseat to streaming services like Spotify in the buzz stakes, but with iTunes still driving more music sa… Read more at paidContent »

Report: Apple To Give 4G A Shot In Arm With Next-Generation iPad, iPhone

By Ingrid Lunden

Dec. 1, 2011 - 2:49 PM PDT Dec. 1, 2011 - 2:49 PM PDT

We’ve seen some significant strides for LTE in the past year — with some big names like Verizon and AT&T (NYSE: T) getting behind the fast… Read more at paidContent »

Industry Moves: Vuguru; BBC; Vevo; Jun Group; MWW

By Amanda Natividad

Nov. 30, 2011 - 9:22 PM PDT Nov. 30, 2011 - 9:22 PM PDT

Businesspeople Walking, Leaving or Arriving - Executives walking

– Vuguru: The independent studio founded by Michael Eisner’s Tornante Company has hired entertainment veteran Scott Nocas as head of distri… Read more at paidContent »

Spotify Launching Integrated Apps Within Its Platform

By David Kaplan

Nov. 30, 2011 - 4:31 PM PDT Nov. 30, 2011 - 4:31 PM PDT

Spotify, At The Steven Weiss Gallery, New York

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek took the stage at Spotify’s first-ever press conference to expand the music streaming service’s Facebook integration t… Read more at paidContent »

Video: Noel Gallagher On How Technology Is Devaluing The Music Experience

By Robert Andrews

Nov. 30, 2011 - 10:04 AM PDT Nov. 30, 2011 - 10:04 AM PDT

iTunes, Shazam and crowdfunding get a pasting from the former Oasis musician as he promotes his solo album (language not safe for some workp… Read more at paidContent »

What’s next for Spotify: The ultimate rumor guide

By Janko Roettgers

Nov. 29, 2011 - 3:56 PM PDT Nov. 29, 2011 - 3:56 PM PDT

What’s next for Spotify: An MP3 download store, a commercial API that could empower developers to bring the service’s music everywhere, music playback without the need to download any software – or maybe just an iPad app? Read all about the rumors ahead of Wednesday’s press conference. Read more »

Shazam Is Buying Back Its Own Core Patents To Go Multi-Media

By Robert Andrews

Nov. 29, 2011 - 1:15 PM PDT Nov. 29, 2011 - 1:15 PM PDT

in a move illustrating the growing role of technology patents, mobile music service Shazam is buying back some of its intellectual property… Read more at paidContent »

First Look: Spotify's TiVo App On Virgin Media UK

By Robert Andrews

Nov. 29, 2011 - 9:16 AM PDT Nov. 29, 2011 - 9:16 AM PDT

Virgin Media has finally made live Spotify’s first UK TV app. Virgin Media customers who are Spotify Premium subscribers can access the musi… Read more at paidContent »

Chart: Spotify's Growth Story; Next Stop: 100 Million Users?

By Robert Andrews

Nov. 29, 2011 - 8:58 AM PDT Nov. 29, 2011 - 8:58 AM PDT

Spotify's Daniel Ek And Martin Lorentzon

photo: Spotify

Spotify is getting its systems in order to support a planned 100 million users in the future, job openings suggest.

But, as it prepares to… Read more at paidContent »

Rolling Stone Releasing Beatles' Guide For iPad; Mag Apps Coming In '12

By David Kaplan

Nov. 28, 2011 - 7:30 PM PDT Nov. 28, 2011 - 7:30 PM PDT

Rolling Stone magazine will release an iPad app companion this week for its The Beatles: The Ultimate Album-by-Album Guide book this week, a… Read more at paidContent »

Now With 2.5 Million Customers, Spotify Tries Patenting Itself

By Robert Andrews

Nov. 23, 2011 - 3:48 PM PDT Nov. 23, 2011 - 3:48 PM PDT

photo: Spotify

Spotify’s paying customer base has grown by 25 percent (500,000) since Facebook started letting users spurt out their listening habits on Se… Read more at paidContent »

Prometheus Execs Make Their Exodus, As Billboard Searches For Direction

By David Kaplan

Nov. 22, 2011 - 7:07 PM PDT Nov. 22, 2011 - 7:07 PM PDT

Over the past few weeks, as Prometheus Global Media, the owner of b-to-b trade magazines Adweek, The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard and Back… Read more at paidContent »

Spotify Announcing 'A New Direction' Next Week; What Is It?

By Robert Andrews

Nov. 21, 2011 - 5:52 PM PDT Nov. 21, 2011 - 5:52 PM PDT

photo: Robert Andrews

Spotify has invited press to an intriguing “global press conference” in New York next Wednesday, November 30, to answer the question “What’s… Read more at paidContent »

France Wants To Tax ISPs To Fund Music, Add Streaming To Three-Strikes Law

By Ingrid Lunden

Nov. 21, 2011 - 3:01 PM PDT Nov. 21, 2011 - 3:01 PM PDT

Away from the Eurozone crisis, France’s president Nicolas Sarkozy has come up with one way to raise more funds in his country for one strugg… Read more at paidContent »

Why Facebook Is The Real Winner With Google's Mediocre Music Strategy

By Mark Mulligan, Music Industry Blog

Nov. 17, 2011 - 1:18 PM PDT Nov. 17, 2011 - 1:18 PM PDT

The digital music market is not in a great place right now and is in need of some major change: CD sales are still shrinking more quickly th… Read more at paidContent »

TuneUp could improve your iTunes Match experience

By Darrell Etherington

Nov. 17, 2011 - 12:43 PM PDT Nov. 17, 2011 - 12:43 PM PDT

An app that just arrived on the Mac App Store on Thursday could help improve your initial iTunes Match experience, thanks to a host of features it includes for cleaning up your iTunes library. It’s called TuneUp, and it’ll scrub your messy collection clean. Read more »

Big In Sweden: Spotify-Crazy Youngsters Are Bellwether For Music Biz

By Robert Andrews

Nov. 17, 2011 - 11:05 AM PDT Nov. 17, 2011 - 11:05 AM PDT

photo: Spotify

Spotify’s early traction in its native Sweden gives the world a glimpse at what a market looks like when strong music subscription services… Read more at paidContent »

How The Stop Online Piracy Act Will Kill Innovation

By Dan Gillmor, The Guardian

Nov. 17, 2011 - 1:33 AM PDT Nov. 17, 2011 - 1:33 AM PDT

America is fond of chiding other nations about freedom of speech in the internet age. Leaders including President Obama and Secretary of Sta… Read more at paidContent »

Updated: Google Music Launches, Songs For Sale And Free Cloud Storage

By Tom Krazit

Nov. 16, 2011 - 9:18 PM PDT Nov. 16, 2011 - 9:18 PM PDT

Google’s take on online music services evolved Tuesday with the launch of Google Music, a free service that will let users upload 20,000 son… Read more at paidContent »

A few of our favorite things: Headphones and headsets

By Darrell Etherington

Nov. 16, 2011 - 1:32 PM PDT Nov. 16, 2011 - 1:32 PM PDT

For our inaugural edition of our weekly holiday gift ideas, we’ll be looking at an essential for iPhone, iPad and Mac owners alike: headphones. Mostly, we’ll be talking about stereo headsets that also feature mics and remote controls, which work with recent Macs and iOS devices. Read more »

newer1 234 5…10page 3 of 10older

Coming up at GigaOM

Follow us

China Round-Up: E-book Wars, Digital Music Opportunity And Games Go Large

Coldplay Will Warm To Streaming After Unit Sales Ebb

HMV Sees Physical Content Crash Slowing Down, Despite Christmas Crunch

Charts: What's Happening To UK Music Sales

What's Coming In 2012: The Age Of Ubiquity (For Some)

EU To Focus On Digital Content Policy In 2012

Wanna Download A Free Movie With No Legal Worries? Go Dutch.

Updated: Facebook Timeline And Ads: Real Estate For The Highest Bidder?

Will There Ever Be A Universal, MP3-Like Standard For E-Books?

Rhapsody Now Has One Million Music Subs In The U.S. Next Stop: Europe

Nielsen: Android And Apple Dominate The App Space But Mobile Browser Rules

Last.fm serenades users with new discovery tool

Apple Finally Brings iTunes Music And Movies To Latin America

Get Ready For Another Streaming Music Service: The Ad-Free Rara.com

Games Take Largest Share Of Android's First 10 Billion Downloads

Deezer Goes Boldly Global, Thumbing Its Nose At U.S.

Topforty.it turns Twitter into a DJ

7digital Music Adds Microsoft To Its App List, Still Awaits Apple Approval

Industry Moves: Vuguru; BBC; Vevo; Jun Group; MWW

Spotify Launching Integrated Apps Within Its Platform

Video: Noel Gallagher On How Technology Is Devaluing The Music Experience

What’s next for Spotify: The ultimate rumor guide

Shazam Is Buying Back Its Own Core Patents To Go Multi-Media

First Look: Spotify's TiVo App On Virgin Media UK

Chart: Spotify's Growth Story; Next Stop: 100 Million Users?

Rolling Stone Releasing Beatles' Guide For iPad; Mag Apps Coming In '12

Now With 2.5 Million Customers, Spotify Tries Patenting Itself

Prometheus Execs Make Their Exodus, As Billboard Searches For Direction

Spotify Announcing 'A New Direction' Next Week; What Is It?

France Wants To Tax ISPs To Fund Music, Add Streaming To Three-Strikes Law

Why Facebook Is The Real Winner With Google's Mediocre Music Strategy

TuneUp could improve your iTunes Match experience

Big In Sweden: Spotify-Crazy Youngsters Are Bellwether For Music Biz

How The Stop Online Piracy Act Will Kill Innovation

Updated: Google Music Launches, Songs For Sale And Free Cloud Storage

A few of our favorite things: Headphones and headsets

Comment as guest:

Comment with your social network:

Comment as guest: