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Amazon.com and Columbia Records debut exclusive premiere of new Celine Dion song and video

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51grdupq7yl_aa240_.jpgAmazon.com and Columbia Records will release on Monday, Sept. 10, the exclusive premiere of the new Celine Dion song and in-studio video “Taking Chances.” For five days, fans will get their exclusive first look at the new video online at Amazon.com. “Taking Chances,” written by Kara DioGuardi and the Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart and produced by John Shanks – is the first track to be released off of Dion’s upcoming album “Taking Chances.”

“Celine Dion’s music possesses class and style unlike any other artist, and we’re very excited to debut her new song and in-studio video on Amazon.com,” said Peter Faricy, vice president of music and movies at Amazon.com. “This is an extraordinary opportunity for Celine’s fans to get their very first glimpse of her latest work online. Music video premieres and live chat sessions with artists are just a couple of ways we’ve brought new content to our customers. We will continue to deliver innovative offerings that will excite and enrich our customers’ experiences.”

Originally posted on September 8, 2007 @ 2:44 pm

Apple to sell music through Starbucks

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starbucks.jpgFollowing the launch of iPod touch, Apple and Starbucks entered into an exclusive partnership that lets customers wirelessly browse, search for, preview, buy and download music from the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store at Starbucks onto their iPod touch, iPhone or any laptop running iTunes while at a participating location.

Making its debut at more than 600 Starbucks company-operated locations in New York and Seattle this coming October 2, this new service will run on the robust T-Mobile HotSpot Wi-Fi network which is available at participating Starbucks locations across the US.

“Getting free access to the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store and the ‘Now Playing’ service at Starbucks is a great way for customers to discover new music,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Imagine walking into a participating Starbucks, hearing a great song, and being able to instantly download it onto your iPod or iPhone. We think this is very cool.”

Imagine the reach and awareness Apple will gain if they can turn all coffee shops and other establishments into digital downloading centers. Well, we might never need iTunes stores anymore if that will happen, right?

Originally posted on September 6, 2007 @ 6:47 am

GetYourGrooveOn is the new JamJunky

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StreetBee acquires JamJunky, a music site designed for song writers that allows them to share their compositions and get feedbacks from friends and fellow-song writers.

As StreetBee is an online promotional firm that caters to record labels among others, its acquisition of JamJunky included a complete overhaul of the site. Now dubbed as “GetYourGrooveOn“, its new site design, it looks to me, does not carry any trace of JamJunky’s existence anymore — aside from the music collaboration idea to which JamJunky has been known since it was launched early this year, that is.

There was no disclosure on how much the startup was acquired. The domain Jamjunky.com now redirects you to Getyourgrooveon.com.

Originally posted on August 20, 2007 @ 10:07 pm

Best Buy Digital Music Store joins Universal Music Group
to test sales of DRM-free music

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bestbuy.jpgBest Buy announced that Best Buy Digital Music Store will be part of a test by Universal Music Group, offering customers the chance to purchase music without Digital Rights Management (DRM) protection for the same price they would pay for protected music.

“Our customers have shared their frustration around DRM protection and we have listened,” said Jennifer Schaidler, vice president of music for Best Buy. “One of the most appealing aspects of digital music is the freedom it can provide to enjoy music wherever and whenever you want. Taking away DRM protection will help digital music live up to this promise. Best Buy offers a wide variety of digital music players and services to match the various devices.”

The Best Buy Digital Music Store gives music lovers an easy way to enjoy, manage and discover music. Powered by RealNetworks Rhapsody 4.0 music platform, the Best Buy Digital Music Store offers millions of songs that can be accessed in two different ways. Customers can purchase songs for $.99 per song. Customers also have the option to subscribe to the service for $14.99 per month for unlimited music listening. The music can be played on a computer or loaded any compatible MP3 player, and can be listened to without limits as long as the subscription is active. Subscribers can also purchase music at a discounted rate of $.89 per track.

Originally posted on August 10, 2007 @ 3:20 pm

Dell acquires Zing Systems, re-enters mobile entertainment scene

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DellHardware giant Dell enters the portable entertainment scene again with its recent acquisition of technology and software startup Zing Systems.

Known for its “always connected” mobile entertainment, Zing currently provides the streaming audio technology for Sandisk Sana Connect wireless mobile mp3 player, and the Sirius Stiletto.

This acquisition is just one of the steps that Dell has taken to expand its retail catalog. “We’re looking at companies that can expand our capability to provide great product experiences,” said Frink. “We think this is a company that can provide a great technology and entertainment experience.

However, with the disappearance of the Dell DJ Ditty, Dell’s own-branded but now defunct portable media player, many are perplexed about this recent attempt. Then again, when all else fails, Dell could still continue effectively selling third party products anyway.

Originally posted on August 7, 2007 @ 12:08 pm