Music Unlimited Adds Another Tier
Sony’s Music Unlimited has added a more affordable tier to their music streaming service today.
The “Access” plan costs $4.99/month and was created for individuals who only use the service at home, via their MAC, PC or Playstation 3.
Click here for the August 29th, 2012 press release.
Spotify To Expand Into Canada
The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that Spotify may expand their music streaming services into Canada soon.
A Canadian subsidiary had been established last year for this expansion.
Universal EMI Merger Approved In Canada
The Competition Bureau approved the Universal and EMI merger proposal last Friday, with no objections.
The merger proposal has cleared regulators in Japan and New Zealand but is still under review in Europe and the United States, where decisions are expected in September.
Did Video Truly Kill The Radio Star ?
In the 80’s there was this popular belief that music videos would eventually result in the demise of radio.
Experts had believed that the popularity of music television would cause radio to fade away. And this prediction was so popular that it resulted in two incredibly successful singles based on radio nostalgia ; One from Queen (“Radio Ga Ga“) and one from The Buggles (“Video Killed the Radio Star“).
But it appears that this prediction was premature.
According to Nielson’s “Music 360” study, 48% of the individuals they polled claimed they “discover music most often through the radio”.
Youtube has become a major source for music in teens, 64% of the respondents having stated they listen to music on the service. But 56% of the teens polled also listen to radio.
It appears that radio is adapting and remains one of the main sources for music in teens, over two decades after the predictions were made.
Also noteworthy are the findings that compact discs still remain popular in some circles, 55% of the music fans polled having “identified physical CDs as a very or fairly good value”.
Half of the teens polled also claim to listen to compact discs. And 36% have purchased at least one compact disc within the year.
Three thousand Americans responded this online survey.
Google Refines Searches
Google has announced that they will be updating their search algorithms, prioritizing legitimate sources for film and music over sites that have received remove notices.
This will enable people to find sources and avoid some of the less secure sites, some of which have viruses and malware.
A counter-notification process will also be offered to individuals whose sites have been wrongfully flagged.