snapshot 5/13/08

Scarlett Johansson album debuts on Imeem
Although it isn't in full release until next week, social-media site Imeem is streaming the album live in advance. You can't actually download it, but you can listen to the whole thing for free…


Music Sites Choosing Amazon Over iTunes
Yesterday Emmis announced a pact with iTunes for downloads from its radio station web sites. The deal is part of a growing trend as music and social networking sites search for ways to monetize traffic beyond advertising. But iTunes is increasingly a second choice as Amazon appears poised to finalize a variety of partnerships. Universal mp3 compatibility is a factor, but so is the web retail giant's extensive credit card database. Ease of use and trust dominate when purchasing online.

The major labels are also motivating some download store partnerships. If they are going to license a fledgling music discovery service or social network, the majors want to be certain that discovery can lead to purchase. Napster and Rhapsody are barely a factor in these talks. Their slow crawl towards DRM-free appear to have left them out of this race altogether


10-Q Watch: RealNetworks Lays Out Risks Of Rhapsody America
RealNetworks’ 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31 should be required reading for anyone going into a complex JV or the online music business. Line by line, it lays out the risks of the Rhapsody America joint venture with MTV Networks, all the more interesting giving RealNetworks CEO Rob Glaser’s admission last week that Michael Bloom, the MTVN Urge exec who has been running the JV since it was formed, has gone back to MTVN. In his place, at least for now: Glaser.

As the 10-Q details, Real, with its 51 percent of the JV, has the right to appoint the GM but certain activities require unanimous approval—items like a budget, some capex, affiliate transactions—and failure to agree could cause harm. It gets more blunt: ”Neither we nor the current management of Rhapsody America have extensive experience in managing and operating complex joint ventures of this nature, and the integration and operational activities may strain our internal resources, distract us from managing our day-to-day operations, and impact our ability to retain key employees in Rhapsody America.” That’s not the only issue musically speaking: Licensing fees, competition by rights holders, and more, larger subscription churn rates and more, Real is careful to mention them all.


1,000 more jobs to be cut at EMI
EMI'S owner, Guy Hands, is planning to axe up to 1,000 more jobs at the music company. Mr Hands, who runs buyout firm Terra Firma, told senior EMI directors last week that the company's headcount at its recorded music division will need to be reduced to around 2,000 people from 4,500, according to sources.


Emmis, Apple sign iTunes affiliate deal
Emmis Communications has announced a new affiliate deal signed with Apple, under which its Interactive division's Storefront technology will be tied to the iTunes Store, and in turn sold to other companies. Storefront lets radio stations -- mainly those owned by Emmis -- create custom online shops, particularly for the purpose of selling tracks as they are played live on air. The company claims that many alternatives only direct listeners to separate sites, instead of letting them pull music straight into local software.


Sony BMG releases more DRM-free music
Sony BMG, one of the top four recording companies, is releasing more DRM-free songs through a partnership with Dada USA, a mobile-entertainment company based in Italy.

Songs from Sony BMG artists such as the Foo Fighters, Kelly Clarkson, and The Strokes, will be offered through a new music service, Dada Entertainment, where users can pay $9.99 to obtain 15 tokens. Each token can be redeemed for a music download or ringtone or other content such as games or wallpaper. The unprotected MP3 files can be transferred to an iPod, mobile phone, or any other digital music-playing device, the companies said Tuesday. Over-the-air downloads aren't ready yet, but Dada said in a statement that it expects to launch that in coming months.


Imeem Unseats Yahoo as Top US Music Streaming Site
Imeem has taken over Yahoo's throne by becoming the number one streaming music site in the United States. Yahoo, which had acquired large music sites like Broadcast, Launch Media and Musicmatch in order to become the top-ranked music streaming site in the country, has slipped into second place behind imeem in Compete's list of the top 20 US streaming music sites for the month of March.

Imeem's expensive label deals, which allow it to offer on-demand music from all four majors plus indies -- combined with emphases