On Wednesday, November 4, a trade association representing approximately 2000 small European record labels announced that it would appeal the merger approval granted in July by European Union (EU) commissioners. Impala, as the association is known, contends that the merger concentrates too much power and market control in too few hands.
Impala will make its case before the EU's high court. Should its petition succeed, EU regulators would have to reverse an unconditional approval and order the…
We have our own reservations about download services—as audiophiles, we are, of course, concerned about the lossy compression schemes that dominate the mainstream providers. Yet, we reckon that most consumers know they are sacrificing bandwidth…
Kalman Rubinson loved the MSB Link DAC, which he reviewed back in January 1999. He now turns his ears to the Link's most recent incarnation, the MSB Link DAC III D/A converter. Kal lists the Link III's attractions: "user-installable enhancements,…
The study, "Internet 8: Advertising vs Subscription—Which Streaming Model Will Win?" also reveals that 40% of "audio streamies" (the report's term for those who have listened to Internet audio) would be willing to pay a small fee for commercial-free content, high-quality audio, or content they can't find anywhere else.
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One such company, Musicmaker, has just announced the addition of several "New York Punk" bands to their stable of recording acts. Blondie, Chrissie Hynde, and The New York Dolls have been added to…
Over 18 months in development, the new store at 672 North Wells Street in downtown Chicago will offer luxury home-theater systems, custom-installed whole-house electronics, and Red Rose audio products in a lavish environment described by manager Joe Cavanagh as "part art gallery, part upscale home." Among the store's unusual features are a series of paintings commissioned from artist Barry Gross and an Astonia baby grand piano, upon which what Cavanagh called "real live humans"…
"Roger is one of the few executives who really understands the record…
Born in rural Sneedville, TN in 1928, Jimmy Martin showed a talent for singing early in life, and as a child he and his brothers and friends used homemade instruments to imitate the sounds of…
According to Sony, its earnings fell to $1.1 billion (¥121.84 billion) in the fiscal year ended March 31, from $1.6 billion (¥179.00 billion) the previous year. With the devaluation of the dollar figured in, Sony reports that, even though sales of…
In mid-March, the coffee franchise announced that it would begin a new service, letting customers create and purchase CDs culled from songs selected from digital music libraries in each coffee house. Established through a partnership with computer giant Hewlett-Packard, Starbucks' "Hear Music Café" debuts Tuesday, March 16 in Santa Monica. The company plans to expand the service over the next two years to 2500 other Starbucks outlets.
Hear Music Café's music library will contain 250,000 songs,…