Friday, April 30, 2010 10:38AM - By Travis Woods
Hop over to Lala this morning to legally stream/ download your favorite tunes or albums (though, if they’re already your favorites, you probably already own them, and are just going there to secretly listen to the new MGMT you just can’t force yourself to buy) and you’ll run straight into a very interesting message instead of the usual Lala homepage, one that carries with it a possibly very deep significance for the future of online access to music:
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Friday, December 4, 2009 8:30PM - By Seraphina L.
This morning was buzzing with technology gossip in regards to the rumor of Apple buying Lala. Everyone from CNET, Wired, and the New York Times has reported their concern over this monopoly, and now we are reporting that Apple has officially acquired Lala. It’s done.
As if Apple weren’t already dominating all music businesses already, they have now have successfully bought their way into the “cloud” music industry where they can offer full streaming as well. At first the news may write Apple as a greedy company who determines to stay on top. However, you’ll be surprised to learn how it all initially went down. More info after the jump!
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Friday, May 8, 2009 3:00PM - By Morelli
Digital Rights Management software (DRM), when used, attempts to control use of digital music by preventing access, copying or conversion to other formats. Until recently, Apple used the technology on all music they sold.
Now it seems that music service Lala, backed by Warner Music, filed for a patent last year on “a network-based DRM system [that] manages digital media assets stored in the network.” So instead of wrapping individual songs in DRM, Lala uses their servers to control the use of music on the platform.
“The Web restricted nature of the offering,” Lala writes in the filing, “means that the digital assets are at all times controlled by the system and thus result in minimal piracy.”
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Tuesday, March 31, 2009 11:00AM - By Morelli
Music streaming service Spotify will now sell music downloads after striking a deal with online music store 7digital, stepping up the competition with iTunes’ in the music downloads market. Users will be able to click a link associated with a song, be redirected to the 7ditigal site, and purchase the respective track.
Spotify will initially only allow users to download singles and albums, but could eventually give the option to purchase entire user created playlists. Pricing is yet to be confirmed, but digital rights management software (DRM), which impedes music from being transferred to different devices, won’t be attached to the mp3s. For now, the new service will be available in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain.
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Monday, February 2, 2009 9:30AM - By Morelli
Why the Beatles haven’t made their catalogue available online, EMI reports massive losses for the first half of 2008, DJ Hero is confirmed by Guitar Hero publisher Activision and new online music service Lala combines iTunes with social networking features. Check out the round up:
- We’re in 2009, and the Beatles have yet to make their songs available on iTunes, Amazon, Zune, or any of the other major online music stores. MSNBC reports that The Beatles’ business entity, Apple Corps, has to agree to anything done by EMI, which owns the group’s recordings, and the two sides have yet to cut a deal. There is speculation as to whether the music will ever go online, but industry executives say “we have to reach fans wherever they are.” [MSNBC]
- EMI Group Ltd. reported a first-half loss of $221.9 million on Friday as cost cuts failed to outweigh falling CD sales. Terra Firma Capital Partners Ltd., the private-equity firm run by Guy Hands that bought EMI in 2007, is struggling to turn the company around, as reducing marketing spending and paying smaller advances to musicians isn’t enough to make up for piracy. [WSJ]
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