Zune changes its tune.

Well, more accurately, they are changing how you buy your tunes. Zune, Microsoft Corp.’s digital music and entertainment service, announced today that agreements were made with major and independent music labels, which will add value to their subscription music download model. The agreements will allow subscribers to retain 10 files per month, regardless of their subscription status afterwards. Full Press release available here.

Whether this change in service will add significant value to the program, garnering more revenue for Microsoft, is uncertain at this time. However, this development does demonstrate that the company is focusing more on function than form when it comes to their players.

Since the Zune’s release back in 2006, numerous changes were made to the software and firmware of the players, but very few modifications to the size and shape. It seems the focus is more on presenting the user with the ability to find music they enjoy, than to present the world at large with a trendy fashion accessory that happens to play music.
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Portishead and last.fm Pull 'a Radiohead'

The heads have it. Radiohead, back in October, shocked the digital media distribution world by offering "In Rainbows" online, before its hard copy release, with no set price. Instead asking fans to pay what they felt the albums was worth.

They pulled the files after December 10th, but understandably, the trick work like a charm; the blogosphere was ablaze with the news of a free album direct from the artist and the recording, once released on CD, enter the charts at #1.

Portishead, another English based band that saw major fame starting in the mid nineties and have also had quite the long hiatus, are set to release their latest effort "Third" on last.fm, later this month.

The release won't be a free download. However, fans can listen to the entire album before they buy; not just clips of songs...ehm, Steve you hearing this, bro.

Last.fm has always let music fans hear their catalog of tracks in their entirety; however, this is the first time they have had an exclusive release.

Portishead has a special place in last.fm's heart. They spearheaded last.fm by being the first artist the founder, Martin Stiksel, uploaded, and his affinity for Beth Gibbons, Adrian Utley and Geoff Barrow of Portishead is shared by millions. Mainly, because they rock in a slow and oh so melancholy way. Happy listening.

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Amazon MP3 Dumps DRM

[Image courtesy of Amazon]

posted by Andrew Harris

Competing directly with the iTunes' market share, everyone chasing those guys, Amazon today announced the public beta release of "Amazon MP3". Offering up 2 million downloadable songs, half are being priced lower than itunes at $0.89 each, the rest at $0.99, full albums will be offered at between $5.99-$9.99. Amazon's most competitive feature of the new offering, besides higher bitrates, is the lack of copyright restrictions. So you can play Amazon MP3 music purchases on any machine, player, or device that can read MP3. ("Oh and apple takes a hard right hook to the jaw")...some indie labels will be breaking the ties that bind and going DRM free for the first time with Amazon.

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