04/13, 6:45pm
Spotify may limit free listening time again
Spotify may shrink back the amount of free listening it gives once again, insiders said Wednesday. Having already limited new members on the free plan to 20 hours of listening per month, it's now reportedly considering locking down the number of listens per song and might also throttle back existing listeners. The company could make the changes public as soon as this week, CNET heard, although they wouldn't take effect until May.
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07/07, 6:00pm
MySpace may have unlimited music after poor sales
Industry contacts said on Wednesday that MySpace Music could turn to a subscription model. Backing an earlier story, the rumor asserts that the social network's executives have talked to labels about an unlimited service. Progress isn't known by CNET or others, but the new approach could be ready by the end of the year.
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03/16, 3:45pm
Murdoch said desperate to unload MySpace
(Update: statement received) News Corp. is frantically trying to sell MySpace, a short but potentially major rumor maintained this afternoon. Company head Rupert Murdoch is said by SAI to be "desperately" looking for a buyer and has been talking to private equity firms as possible candidates. The social network would be tentatively valued at $700 million.
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12/08, 3:00pm
MySpace steps up streaming music wars
MySpace has quietly completed a buyout of music streaming service iMeem. Following a tentative deal two months ago, the large social network has reportedly bought up iMeem's assets for under $1 million. It's understood by TechCrunch that iMeem will be shut down and its users steered towards MySpace Music, which offers both free web streams and pay-per-download MP3s.
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12/04, 4:35pm
Apple Lala rumor hints at iTunes streaming
Apple may be on the verge of buying out streaming music site Lala, a leak indicated on Friday. The iTunes operator is understood to be in "very advanced" negotiations and may have even already agreed to all terms with only a formal signing needed to complete the deal. None of the companies involved have commented on the CNET rumor.
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10/28, 11:15pm
Google Music Search uses iLike, Lala
Google at a Los Angeles event tonight unveiled its widely expected advanced music search feature. The addition (a video of which is available below) automatically parses regular searches for music from all four major labels and automatically filters it by artist, album or track; users can then either sample or buy the tracks through Lala or MySpace's iLike. Those who use recommendation-based Internet streaming service like iMeem, Pandora or Rhapsody can also find related music.
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09/29, 3:30pm
T-Mobile details Moto Cliq launch
T-Mobile this afternoon set out official launch details for the Motorola Cliq, its newest Android phone and Motorola's first touchscreen smartphone. Pre-orders for existing users should start on October 19th while the phone should ultimately arrive in stores on November 2nd; those who order in advance may get the phone early, T-Mobile said. The handset itself is priced at the same $200 on contract as its tougher competition, including the iPhone and BlackBerry Tour, though it's more expensive than the $150 prices of the Palm Pre or T-Mobile's own myTouch 3G.
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07/03, 12:20pm
imeem Music Store in Works
imeem is gradually building its own music store that may afford it independence from Apple's iTunes or Amazon MP3, an investigation has found. Normally, those buying permanent copies of music from the site must go through an Amazon or iTunes link and buy it off-site; quietly, however, the company has been adding direct-download MP3 purchases of its own for certain artists, such as Iron and Wine. The payment system is direct and uses either credit cards or PayPal.
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10/23, 10:35am
Facebook Music Rumor
A previously hinted-at Facebook music service could be true after all, a claim made by VentureBeat suggests. Previously discredited, a now supported rumor asserts that the social network is allegedly planning to team up with a partner such as iLike, imeem, Lala or RealNetworks' Rhapsody to offer a way of at least streaming full songs over artist pages or those friends who bring up songs in the regular Facebook news feed. The service would potentially let users buy downloads, though whether this would involve the partner or simply linking to a third party such as Amazon or iTunes is unknown.
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12/10, 9:20am
imeem Universal Deal
Social network imeem on Monday revealed that it has struck a deal with Universal Music Group that will see the music label's catalog reach the site. The agreement will let users stream both songs and music videos from imeem's pages for free by running ads alongside the content while also permitting users to upload tracks of their own. This marks the availability of all four major labels on the site and promises that users can join a social network based around music while knowing that the majority of content is legal. The solution ensures that artists are "fairly compensated" by tracking the number of plays, according to Universal chief Doug Morris.
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