Category: Music

UPDATED: Downloaded Music Chart on Radio 1, 1st September

The Official Download Chart premiers on Radio 1 tonight, on the Scott Mills show. The chart is compiled from data provided by stores based on the Loudeye service, plus iTunes and Napster and a number of smaller online music sites.

The Official Chart will be focussing on downloaded, paid music rather than tracks streamed to customers, and further details have emerged regarding the rules of the chart. Tracks must cost a minimum of UK£0.40 (€0.60) and mustn’t be more than ten minutes long. Many tracks that are longer than 8 mins on services like iTunes are labelled “Album Only”, so this may be less of an issue. Tracks which have no physical format are included in the chart, so this will lead to interesting divisions between the traditional chart and online services issuing exclusives.

Rules on incentives (bundling something free with a single to prompt people to buy it) are as tough as with the standard charts, but retailers and labels are allowed to stream one video alongside the down load, and provide images and textual information about artists.

Sorry – just been out in the garden, burying my radio. I’ve discovered that today is “Cure” day on Radio 6, and I didn’t want to take any chances. People have been known to fall over and switch radios on by mistake, you know.

As promised, an update to the Official Download Chart. In the top ten, there was only one track in common between the single chart and download chart, “Dry Your Eyes”.

1 ‘Flying Without Wings’ – Westlife

2 ‘Blazin Day’ – Blazin Squad

3 ‘She Will Be Loved’ – Maroon 5

4 ‘Lola’s Theme’ – Shapeshifters

5 ‘American Idiot’ – Green Day

6 ‘This Love’ – Maroon 5

7 ‘Dry Your Eyes’ – Streets

8 ‘Bedshaped’ – Keane

9 ‘Laura’ – Scissor Sisters

10 ‘Apocalypse Please’ – Muse

The Official Chart

French Consumer Group Takes Action Against Copy-protected CDs

Consumers in France have taken legal action against EMI and retailer Fnac, accusing them of deception, because of copy-protection techniques used on CDs. They are unhappy because the copy protection scheme employed by EMI prevents the discs being played on some car stereos, home CD players and PCs – and also stops owners from making personal copies. This contravenes legislation passed in France 1985, stating that consumers can make copies of CDs for personal use.

UFC-Que Choisir is seeking damages for consumers through the legal action, and consequently Fnac and EMI face a fine of up to €188,000 (UK£126,350), if the group is successful. They may also have to remove all copy-protected CDs from sale.

Fnac say that they are confident that they will not be fined, as they claim to have taken adequate steps to inform customers of the potential problems with copy-protected CDs.

UFC-Que Choisir have another copy-protection case going through the courts at the moment, this time concerned with consumers prevented from transferring tracks from CD to portable players.

Que Choisir

Microsoft Launch “Plays For Sure” Campaign

Microsoft are keen to emphasise the range of support for Windows Media is in the market, from music stores to hardware players, though the freedom of choice can paradoxically confuse consumers.

Consequently, they’re planning a campaign to bring its forthcoming music store, Windows Media and the wide selection of compatible music players out there together. The “Plays For Sure” campaign is intended to inform consumers about Windows Media compatibility, so they know what tunes will play where and on what.

The campaign will also include a certification programme for hardware manufacturers and, once passed, their devices will be able to carry a “Plays For Sure” logo. Music stores selling tracks in Windows Media format will also be eligible to carry the logo.

Microsoft will be sure to play up the contrast between the amount of software and hardware support for its own technologies, contrasted with limited support for Apple’s iPod and Sony’s own Network Walkman offerings. Indeed, the move will contrast sharply with Apple’s own attempts to limit the iPod’s compatibility with other platforms.

A Plays For Sure website is coming soon, and the timing for the campaign is set to coincide with the range of new players will be appearing later this year that have enhanced Windows Media 10 compatibility through Microsoft’s Janus technology.

Microsoft’s Windows Media

Dualdisc – Yet Another Disc Format

The big four record labels have decided that the way to sell more is to launch a new format – and here it comes, DualDisc. EMI, Song BMG, Universal Music and Warner Music have been quietly scheming away to produce the new format, which, as its name suggests, is a CD – DVD hybrid.

Playable on just about any drive that can play either CDs or DVDs, the DVD partition of the disk can contain extras like videos, interviews and photo galleries. How does it work? It’s really not that sophisticated – it’s just a double-sided disc with a CD substrate on one side and a DVD substrate on the other. As the format has been approved by the DVD forum, it will be allowed to carry the DVD logo.

DVD-Audio and SACD have not been very successful, and this is an attempt to recapture a lost market.

CDs are about 1.2mm thick – the new format can be about 1.5mm thick, which may cause it to jam in some players, though it is still within the upper limit for the CD standard.

The key advantage for audiophiles is that music quality is preserved. Extras on CDs tend to eat into the amount of space available for storing music, so bit rates can suffer on longer discs. Better still, listeners can enjoy DVD-A quality encoding on the DVD side at home whilst using the CD side in their cars and personal stereos. Perhaps it’s not so evil after all.

The first titles will include albums from Five for Fighting, Audioslave and Dave Brubeck. Sorry, who are these things aimed at again?

“We are delighted to be offering the first in a series of DualDisc titles,” stated Doug Morris, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group. “By combining music, video, interactivity and portability in a single disc, DualDisc will add an exciting new dimension to the consumer’s musical experience.”

“Dual Disc opens a new, exciting creative dimension for artists to express themselves and connect with fans. It’s an entertainment-packed product and is a big step in our effort to give fans music whenever, however and wherever they want it,” said David Munns, Chairman and CEO EMI Music North America.

DVD Plus International, a German company, is claiming ownership of a patent relating to a dual-format DVD, called, predictably, DVD Plus. Since Dualdisc is set for an October launch, they had better sort that one out pretty sharpish.

DualDisc – coming soon

Microsoft Music Store and Window Media 10 This Week?

The new MSN Online Music Store is rumoured to appear this week, along with a new version of Windows Media Player.

Since Windows Media Player’s 100 million or so users will need to update their player shortly, what better opportunity to introduce them to a new music service?

The Microsoft online store is expected to carry the industry standard one million tracks when it launches, having signed deals with the big four labels. Early screen grabs of the service, now out of date, pay homage to iTunes in look and feel. Pricing is also expected to be similar to iTunes and Napster. So expect the European and UK stores to cost more.

Microsoft claim that the service will be compatible with about 60 music players, with even better functionality promised for Janus-compatible players when they start to appear.

Needless to say, we’ll be signed up and testing as soon at the store hits the web.

It’ll be linked off MSN when it launches

Sharing iTunes With ourTunes

Apple disabled iTunes sharing some time ago, but David Blackman has produced a Java application that puts that functionality back, whilst respecting Apple’s FairPlay copy protection.

Blackman’s ourTunes program allows authorised users to browse iTunes libraries on remote computers and download unprotected songs. DRM-protected tracks bought from the iTunes music store cannot be copied, and the program is not a P2P client. Additionally, MyTunes only works with iTunes clients on the same network, so there’ll be no naughty browsing and copying over the internet.

“ourTunes isn’t that type of program. It’s designed to only function within your local network. This is partially a design constraint of Apple’s iTunes program, and partially a decision on our part. ourTunes is not meant to be Kazaa. It’s only useful for exchanging music with people close by, who you more than likely know.” Blackman explains.

Blackman describes ourTunes as a continuation of several existing open source projects with additional features like a search function a user-friendly interface.

The Java application works on Window, Linux and Macintosh computers with a Java Runtime Environment installed.

OurTunes

Napster Jumps on Chart Bandwagon

Napster will be launching its own downloaded music chart on Virgin Radio at 7pm on August 29th. The chart will be compiled from the top 20 most popular tracks bought each week from Napster UK service. The chart will also include tracks that have been streamed as well as downloaded.

Napster has come a long way from illegal music download service to radio chart music store, but the Official Chart Company may take some of the heat out of this new move when they launch the official download chart on BBC Radio 1 on 1st September. However, the Official Chart will not include streamed music, just downloaded tracks and will be compiled from Napster’s data, but will include sales from MyCokeMusic, iTunes and others.

Comparing the differences between the Official Chart and Napster’s will certainly be interesting, as some tracks are simply not available on both services, but will probably be as insightful as comparing bananas with roof tiles. No doubt the Pixies will feature in there somehow. There will also interesting contrasts between what listeners are buying in shops and what they are buying off internet services.

About Napster

Real Gunning for iTunes

Another week, another RealNetworks/Apple story: this time streaming leader and iPod “hacker” is offering cut price tunes whilst promoting freedom of choice for music consumers.

In order to entice some of iTune’s customers to the RealOne service, Real are embarking on a huge marketing campaign that will concentrate on their new iPod compatibility, sneakily coupled with a sale.

Tracks from the Real music store will cost US$0.49 (€0.40) for a limited period, with albums half price at US$4.99 (€4). This double whammy might just tempt users away from iTunes – until Apple break Harmony’s iPod compatibility in the next update, that is.

Enticing users away from their favourite online music stores is difficult as it’s not as simple as getting punters to cross the road from Virgin to HMV – software has to be changed, tracks are incompatible and players won’t play all formats. You have to get your customers early before and make them build a library that they’ll be reluctant to abandon.

Whilst a sale will generate new interest in RealNetworks’ products, many users will try a wait and see approach as Apple have made it clear that they’re not happy about Harmony’s approach and intend to scupper it at the earliest opportunity.

We’re not quite sure if it’s a spoof or not, but RealNetworks have also launched a blog-style site featuring the “Rock on Rob!” weekly Q&A with Rob Glaser (I’m embarrassed just typing this in). The site features several anti-Apple postings from around the net, and even a petition. The site is not conspiciously branded by RealNetworks, but we see what they’re trying to achieve.

Freedom of Music Choice

Paul Oakenfold and EA Games sign exclusive deal

EA Games have signed Paul Oakenfold, the hyper DJ/remixer/producer/music untouchable, to an exclusive deal to provide games for some of their forthcoming titles.

Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music and Audio at Electronic Arts is very excited about it, “We see this as a landmark agreement that will set the standard for partnerships between artists and games developers”

The initial fruits of this first-of-its-kind deal have already emerged. Oakenfold will act as music supervisor for GoldenEye: Rogue Agent, composing an original score for it; has written the EA SPORTS Football theme, due to debut in FIFA Football 2005; and will contribute towards Total Club Manager. Beyond these details, the terms of the deal are not yet known.

Paul Oakenfold

EA Games

DVD Jon Cracks AirPort

More bad news for Apple keeping its grip on iTunes and its related technologies – DVD Jon has cracked the encryption behind AirPort.

Jon Lech Johansen came to fame five years ago when he co-authored DeCSS, an application for decrypting DVD video content. He wrote the software so he could watch his legally acquired DVDs on his Linux PC. I would like to point out that he was just 15 when he managed that. Now the Norwegian programmer has managed to discover the key that AirPort Express uses when sending data between iTunes and Apple’s wireless base station.

Apple is currently in cat fight with Real Networks over Harmony, a technology that allows Real content to be played on the iPod. DVD Jon has just made it possible for third party software and hardware producers to stream music to AirPort express from other music programs. An example picked from random, I suppose, would be Real Player – music lovers will now be able to stream music from Real Player or Windows Media to their AirPort receivers.

Johansen has released the source code to JustePort, a command-line tool that demonstrates how music can be streamed to AirPort.

SoSueMe – Jon Lech Johansen’s blog