Musicland Looks to the Internet
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Musicland is trying to embrace the Internet and emulate the atmosphere of retail chains like Starbucks.
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The arrival of software that lets you search for and record digital music off the airwaves could raise legal issues that will make the P2P skirmishes look quaint by comparison.
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By Steve Lawson's  HERE'S an interesting one... Webaroo.  It's a free download service that allows you to take large portions of the internet with you on your travels.
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A Pew Internet &amp; American Life Project survey found that musicians are &quot;embracing the Web as a tool to improve how they make, market, and sell their creative works.
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Radio broadcasters are considering  technology and business models that may soon allow listeners to  click, listen and buy the tunes they hear on their favorite  radio stations.
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The streaming site offers free tunes from major and indie labels.
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Revisiting the best online music store for indie fans.
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NEW YORK - If you've tried to buy digital music online lately, you may have noticed your options have blossomed, seemingly overnight.
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By Lee Randall  REGULAR readers know I'm a great fan of the internet. I'm continually astounded by the wealth of data stored there and especially love the way one thing leads to another. It's a Mecca for anyone who enjoys meandering.
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At least one online music service without digital rights management restrictions is launching.
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Scads of music services are making a power play for your digital dollars. We shine a light into the murk and pick out the gems. By Mathew Honan from Wired Test.
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People have been listening to music on their computers for a long time now - but not quite like this. Microsoft is test-marketing a new Web-based radio service that sounds almost like a local radio station - except without all the interruptions.
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Unsigned bands will be invited to compete online as part of a web-based contest to find new music talent.
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(InfoWorld) - Ever wanted to hang out with The Beastie Boys or Korn? Members of teen-friendly virtual world There.com will soon be able to virtually get up close and personal with those musicians and others through a deal the world's creator Makena Technologies has struck with Capitol Music Group. The companies announced the first phase of what they expect to be a significant, long-term partnership between Makena and the EMI Group business unit on Thursday. They didn't reveal any financial details about the deal. As record companies search for new ways to make money while protecting their intellectual property, they're becoming more interested in the possibilities of virtual worlds, according to Ben Richardson, vice president of business development at There.com. Over the next few months, specially created avatars of Capitol Music Group artists including The Beastie Boys, Korn, Lily Allen, MIMS, and Yellowcard will come into There.com to meet and be quizzed by their fans. All of the musicians have new albums coming out and have also been chosen to appeal to the virtual world's inhabitants. There.com has aroundÂ 1 million members, 70 percent of whom are aged between 13 and 26 years old, according to Richardson. About 46 percent of the user base is female, he added. Rap artist MIMS will be the first to make a There.com appearance on July 10. Members of the virtual world will receive an invitation to the meet-and-greets, which will take place at a particular time. Makena is buildingÂ 10 virtual nightclubs in There.com, each able to hold a maximum of 50 fans, Richardson said. The bands' avatars will teleport between the nightclubs over the course of an hour to an hour and half so that fans can ask them questions and view their videos. Makena is also creating interactive kiosks throughout There.com where fans can buy both real world CDs and DVDs by the musicians as well as virtual band merchandise, including T-shirts and posters. Any object created for There.com has to be approved by a product submission review board, according to Richardson. The board checks that the object is appropriate for a PG-13 audience, that it doesn't infringe on any copyright, and that it works correctly. In the case of a virtual T-shirt, the clothing would contain no objectionable words or imagesÂ or pirated logos, and itÂ would fit avatars properly. Initially, the meetings between fans and bands will be conducted through text messaging, Richardson said. In future, There.com might use the world's voice chat feature and the bands may perform live music as well, he added. Being a PG-13 world, There.com has already some measures in place that it can call upon to avoid any band and fan interchanges getting out of hand. For instance, there are controls on extreme language so that if you try to type an obscenity into the world's text chat, it shows up as asterisks. There.com also doesn't allow nudity or porn and is able to eject any member who's causing trouble. Makena has the ability to block the hardware ID on a troublesome member's computer so that, once ejected from the virtual world, they can't re-enter under a different identity. Through an earlier partnership with MTV Networks, which resulted in the creation of the Virtual Hills and Virtual Laguna Beach worlds, Makena has already been involved in hosting meet-and-greets with some actors and musicians. Members of the band Korn were able to take time out from rehearsing and log onto four laptops to meet fans virtually recently in one of the MTV worlds, Richardson said. Looking ahead, as well as bringing in more musicians, There.com may well host actors and other celebrities for virtual meet-and-greets, even U.S presidential hopefuls eager to garner the youth vote, he added.
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Whether Lala.com makes it or not, it brings possibilities for the music industry.
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Take your Virtual Wallet music shopping
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By MAY WONG SAN JOSE, Calif. - Music lovers can sample songs over the Internet without turning on a personal computer in a first-of-a-kind offering that could help popularize the concept of streaming music.