The Online Music Revolution

"Today, traveling around with a song selection of 10,000 on a digital music player can be as light as five ounces. Thirty years ago, an equivalent scenario would require the average music junkie to haul around roughly 1,500 pounds of records, a bulky turntable and a reliable power source. The rise of online music is changing the way music is produced, sold and experienced, both by fans and those who make their living in the music business."
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Source: CNN

Do You Hear What Starbucks Hears?
"The nation's leading coffee chain's step into music retail is a strategic extension of the Starbucks brand. In a candid Q&A, Howard Schultz expands on the company's attraction to Hear Music, the importance of the customer experience, and how the partnership could remake the music industry."
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Source: Fast Company

Thinking Outside The Cup
"Surprise! Starbucks barista-in-chief Howard Schultz is making a big, bold push into the music business. He aims to transform the record industry -- and turn Starbucks into the world's biggest brand, period."
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Source: Fast Company

Music to Your Ears?
"WHEN IT COMES TO legal online music download sites, today's choices might be called Steve Jobs and the five dwarves. Since Jobs, Apple Computer's charismatic CEO, launched the iTunes Music Store in 2003, it has sold over 85 million songs and claims about 70 percent of the legal online download market. One key advantage Apple has had is that songs bought on the iTunes store can be played on the company's hot iPod portable music players, while songs bought on the sites of its major download competitors are in a format the iPod — deliberately — can't handle. This gives the iTunes store a powerful boost.

But the sound of giant footsteps can be heard in the distance. Microsoft is coming. The software colossus is preparing its own download store for launch in the fall. Details aren't yet known, but I expect Microsoft to try and best Apple with a bigger selection, more features and other twists. It's also teaming with hardware maker Creative Labs to build a portable player supposedly cooler than the iPod."
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Source: Wall Street Journal

Microsoft Challenges Apple—Again
"With iTunes, its highly successful online music store, Apple Computer has taken a surprising lead in the digital music business. But as Bill Gates points out, it's still early in the race."
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Source: AlwaysOn

Apple v. Real v. Microsoft
"The online music store marketplace is seeing intense competition between companies such as Apple, Real Networks, and Microsoft. Real has tried to make music downloaded from its store playable on the iPod, actions which Apple has called the 'tactics and ethics of a hacker.' What are the legal issues with what Real had done? What is this competition all about?"
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Source: IT Conversations

Hip and hopeful
"Big mobile phone companies are lining up to offer digital music downloads. But is there a mass market for it?"
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Source: Guardian

Paying for Music in the Internet Age
"The technologies that record companies blame for a downturn in retail sales -- computers, CD burners and the Internet -- are also allowing musicians to do more of the things that record labels used to do. In a three-part series, NPR's Rick Karr profiles artists and Internet sites embracing emerging business models."
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Source: NPR

Stelios enters online music fray
"The founder of Easyjet has confirmed he is entering the online music market in a partnership with UK-based Wippit."
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Source: BBC News

Virgin seeks slice of net music
"British entrepreneur Richard Branson has joined the rush into the internet music arena."
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Source: BBC News

See also:
Online music store - Wikipedia
Peer-to-peer - Wikipedia
Special report: Online Music - IHT
Big portals compete in music space - Susan Mernit's Blog
HDTV, DVD, Hard Drives and the future - Marc Cuban
Music - Slashdot
Online music - Google News
Online Music News - Topix.net
Digital Music - About.com
MP3 news - Moreover
Music business news - Moreover
Stelios Haji-Ioannou - Google Search
Stelios Haji-Ioannou - Google News
Richard Branson - Google Search
Richard Branson - Google News