Friday, March 21, 2008

snapshot 3/21/08

Costello skips CD format on next album
Elvis Costello's next solo studio album, curiously dubbed "Momofuku," will arrive April 22, and plans are for the set to be released only on vinyl, with a digital download code included in the package.


Smashing Pumpkins Entering the Studio to Plot Their Next Move
The Smashing Pumpkins will begin recording new material later this spring, according to drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, but fans looking for a proper follow-up album to last year's 'Zeitgeist' may be out of luck. "But I don't think we will make records again," the drummer explains, pointing out that the band's contractual commitment to Reprise Records is finished. "I look at it like the old business model is dead and the music business doesn't know how to move forward. We want to keep things vital and keep things viable and get our music across while remaining relevant. Music has in many ways just become an advertisement for your tour.

"I think what we'll do is start releasing songs," Chamberlin continues. "The record or CD format places too many limitations on your piece of art. People just don't buy records anymore. Anyone under the age of 24 just buys songs. It's just in our best interest to release blocks of songs. And I think what we'll do – not to let the cat out of the bag too much – is to create the framework where we can release a number of songs and maybe create a title. We can gather three or four songs, but it will all flow up to a larger body of work. But to call it record in the traditional sense would be anachronistic."


Got Playlists? Fresh Startup Strikes Yahoo, MySpace Relationships
Now, a fresh face is gaining traction. The startup, Playlist.com, involves former MySpace vice president Shawn Gold, now head of networking consultancy SocialApproach. Jeremy Riney is the founder and chief executive of the company. Initially called Project Playlist, the beta startup is now putting some serious deals together, including tie-ups with MySpace and Yahoo. On Tuesday, Gold shared exclusive details on both the roadmap and partnerships with Digital Music News. "We're scaling this in a big way," Gold promised, hinting at potentially serious investments ahead.

Gold views playlists as a great mechanism for artists and labels to monetize their content. "Playlists are one of the best angles you have at actually driving commerce," the networking executive explained from his home in Los Angeles. "If there is a practical application to your life, you are more likely to buy it. In line with that thinking, the Playlist.com destination is peppered with iTunes buy links. But the playlists themselves pull streaming content from all across the internet. For example, one track within a playlist could be sourced from a music blog, another from a MySpace band profile page, and another from an artist website. "Nothing is being hosted by us," Gold said, though he did point to ongoing label negotiations.


Why is Universal Music cozying up to Apple?
Morris has approached Apple with an idea to offer a device that comes preprogrammed with Universal Music's entire library on it, sources told CNET News.com. A music industry source said Wednesday night that Apple has broached the idea of bundling music with the other three major labels but didn't show much enthusiasm for the plan. "Apple was just inquiring about whether this kind of thing would interest (the other record companies)," said the source.

Insiders say Universal Music, whose artists include U2, DMX, and The Killers, wants to pump life into subscriptions, and is tired of seeing Apple selling songs cheap and making fat margins on the music players. Not surprisingly, he wants a slice of device sales from any gadget maker that licenses his music. Morris also has ambitions of turning Universal Music into a total entertainment company.

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