snapshot 5/29/08

EMI May Be For Sale, HQ Shift To LA
According to London's Evening Standard Terra Firma's Guy Hands is said to be open to offers to unload his record division and hold onto the more lucrative publishing arm. He also is considering consolidating US operations in LA rather than the current NYC. Its all part of move to help investors recoup some of the almost $5 billion they paid for EMI rather than ask them to be patient through what Hands sees as a long term turn-around.


Borders Group Reports Q1 2008 Results; Operating Cash Flow Improves by $133 Million
Music declined by 25.8% as negative sales trends continued and the company implemented a planned reduction in inventory and floor space devoted to the category.


Is Apple changing course on variable pricing?
Thus we are left with a question: Is HBO the exception to the rule on iTunes, or is Apple changing the rule? With its usual Kremlinesque approach to public relations, Apple isn't explaining the change. But sources at several major studios who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the sensitive nature of negotiations, say Apple has changed its tune on iTunes.


Finally! Somebody (Vudu) extends movie-rental deadline beyond 24 hours
Vudu, the movie-on-demand service with its own set-top box, has upgraded its software to version 1.5 — ho hum — but this upgrade includes the ability to extend the rental past the 24-hour deadline. Vudu now allows you to extend the rental period for $2 off HD movies and $1 off regular flicks. The option is available for a week after the movie expires; once chosen, you have another 30 days to watch, 24 to 48 hours (depending on the film) after you hit play. The extension is available only once, although we wish it was without an additional cost.


Soundflavor Wants To Be IMDB For Music
Soundflavor has relaunched as a consumer-friendly database of song information that will provide users with a one-stop-shop for song information, videos, and recommendations. The site sports a clean interface and offers a slew of search options that make it easy to find a particular song or artist. Users can browse and filter their searches by genre, decade, or even by the subject of the lyrics. After choosing a song, the user is presented with a mashup of related information, including artist bios from Wikipedia, recent news headlines, store links to purchase the song, and flickr photos. Some independent songs are available for free, while the rest can be purchased on iTunes or Amazon.

Over the last five years Soundflavor has compiled a comprehensive database of metadata on over one million songs, but up until this point the information was primarily used by other companies that license music. The company brought on Dave Pell , who was previously just an investor, as its VP of Product Design to make the site more accessible to the consumer audience. Pell is known for his past work on sites including Rollyo and Addictomatic . Soundflavor has raised a total of $5.8 million since it was founded in 2003.