Published by headcoach May 31st, 2007
in Thoughts on news.
CBS has now purchased Last.fm, a UK-based internet radio and music community website, for an impressive $280 million (141 million pounds) in cold hard cash yesterday. This makes Last.fm the largest UK Web 2.0 purchase to date. The move adds some few fresh new internet millionaires, and underscores the premiums that social media sites can earn for attracting young demographics.
The Last.fm user-base now exceeds 15 million, according to estimates supplied by the London-based startup. Last.fm first arrived online in 2002 and successfully blended social networking with music; two powerful concepts. “Last.fm adds a terrific interactive extension to all of our properties and also is a huge step in CBS’ overall strategy of expanding our reach online to transition from a content company into an audience company,” said Les Moonves, president and chief executive of CBS. According to Moonves, the purchase was driven by a demographic that “plays perfectly to CBS’ goal to attract younger viewers and listeners across our businesses”.
Continue reading ‘CBS buys Last.fm for $280 Million in Cash’
Published by headcoach May 31st, 2007
in Randomness and Make the Connection.
Whether you like him as an artist or not, most R&B listeners have at least heard the name Bobby Valentino. Also nicknamed Bobby V, the billboard topping artist, turn garmentor (Bobby V Jeans) officially released his second studio album “Special Occasion” this month. This comes two years after his self-titled debut album.
As a member of Ludacris’ Disturbing the Peace label, Bobby V has received great exposure and an impressive fan base helping him earn near platinum status on his first album. But did you know that Bobby Valentino has been under our noses for years?
Continue reading ‘Making the Connection: Bobby Valentino’
Published by headcoach May 30th, 2007
in Reviews and Randomness.
Yesterday, the pied piper of R&B released his eighth studio album as a soloist, Double Up. The first single, “I’m a Flirt (Remix)” featuring T.I. , and T-Pain has been gaining momentum on the Billboard Top 40 charts and continues to top radio and video countdown shows including BET’s 106 & Park. Prior to the album’s release, three songs have been leaked onto the Internet: second single “Same Girl”, featuring Usher, is receiving airplay and has debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts; “Rise Up”, a tribute to the victims of the Virginia Tech killings in April, 2007; also making an early appearance was a song titled “Blow It Up”, originally to be featured on the album but nonetheless absent from the final track listing.
Continue reading ‘Will the Real R. Kelly Please Stand Up’
Published by headcoach May 29th, 2007
in Thoughts on news.
Microsoft portable music device, Microsoft Zune Player has now sold one million units. Although this does not seem overly impressive, this benchmark has actually been reached one month ahead of schedule. “It’s a good start. It’s not an overwhelming start,” said Robbie Bach, president of Entertainment and Devices at Microsoft in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle. “I’m not going to pretend it’s some gigantic move.” Microsoft is said to be investing more capital and brainpower into the development of the player.
Comparisons to the iPod are not only unavoidable, but incredibly lopsided. Since launching in 2001, Apple has sold more than 100 million iPods, and has gone a step beyond branding to actually having its own culture. Microsoft seems to be betting on an expanding marketing which is about all they can do. After all, Steve Jobs has 51% of teenagers in this country draping white earphones from their heads.
Oh yes . . . and let’s not forget about the highly anticipated iPhone; a new device sure to be music to our ears (pun intended). Whether this mobile phone/music player reaches the sales success of the iPod or not, all companies in the mobile device industry can’t be happy about another Apple product in the marketplace. Microsoft has not disclosed plans to unveil a zune-like phone, though it does distribute mobile-based operating systems.
Published by headcoach May 29th, 2007
in Thoughts on news.
As the month is nearing its end, many people (especially our 8trk™ Team) are becoming anxious to see how the DRM-free initiative involving EMI and Apple will play out. The May timetable, originally outlined during a joint announcement in April, leaves a narrow launch window (two days to be exact) to meet. As usual, Apple is being quiet. This is a strategy to fend off competition.
Continue reading ‘Hello . . . Apple . . . are you there?’
