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Net radio bill blasted by royalty collectors

A congressional push to overturn controversial increases in fees for Internet radio operators came under attack on Friday by SoundExchange, the organization that collects royalty payments on behalf of musicians.

SoundExchange has been among the chief forces that successfully persuaded the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board to elevate the fees required of Webcasters over the next few years by anywhere from 300 to 1200 percent, according to the rules' opponents. The CRB this month has already declined to reconsider most of its March 2 decision after reviewing petitions submitted by National Public Radio, Clear Channel Communications, groups representing smaller commercial … Read more

News roundup: MySpace, Yahoo, Amazon

MySpace and Photobucket make amends. The block on videos from Photobucket for MySpace users was lifted yesterday. According to a post on the Photobucket blog, "open lines of communication and procedures with MySpace" were made to make sure it doesn't happen again. The blockage affected nearly a quarter of Photobucket's 40 million registered users. Related: MySpace launched a version of its site today for Latino Americans.

Yahoo, Gracenote launch lyrics service. Yahoo Music users will now be able to pick up the lyrics to their songs after a deal was made with digital media company Gracenote. … Read more

Amazon store to compete with iTunes?

Amazon.com looks like it will become the latest company to try to take on Apple in the digital music marketplace.

A report in the Times Online says Amazon plans to open an online music store next month and has been negotiating with the major record labels.

Given the lack of success other ventures have had against the iTunes juggernaut, this may not seem like a big deal. But the Amazon store may offer a new twist: no digital rights management software. The report in the U.K.-based Times says that Amazon wants to sell unprotected MP3s online.

Apple … Read more

Former SpiralFrog executives join Qtrax

Robin Kent, the former CEO of struggling free music site SpiralFrog, has signed on to do consulting for Qtrax, a former competitor in the free-music category.

Kent and SpiralFrog's Chief Marketing Officer Lance Ford, recently founded Rebel Digital, an advertising consulting firm. The duo will help Qtrax sell advertising in preparation for the September launch of the ad-supported music service.

"We're going to help monetize themselves through advertising," Kent said of Qtrax. "Everybody has been talking about the advertising model, but there's actually very few people that know how to make that happen. We … Read more

Weekend wrap

The Nokia N95 is here! Check out Bonnie Cha's First Look video on CNET TV. I took the phone home for a few days last weekend and played around with the video camera, taking shots of my dog and shooting a short description of my friends impression of the new Tarantino/Rodriguez double feature, Grindhouse. Great-looking camera and a cool phone with cool features, but as my CNET TV colleagues will tell you I am a Treo addict, so no QWERTY keyboard is a real drag for me.

Another favorite video from this week is the music show featuring … Read more

Sound system bridges music, phone

As the evolutionary convergence of the mobile phone and media player forges ahead, so too do accessories that play to both camps. The "B-Tube" from Linx, for example, is a portable stereo that can be used as a sound system or a speakerphone.

Using Bluetooth 2.0 connections, the aluminum cylinder can transfer MP3 music wirelessly from a phone or computer or allow hands-free conversations with its built-in microphone. TechShout says it's also small enough to be stored "just about anywhere." Just be careful not to mistake it for a cigar tube.

HD radio gets more affordable

We've been touting the virtues of digital radio for some time now, but a prohibitive factor (to cheapskates like us, anyway) has always been price--usually somewhere around $300. An outfit called Radiosophy, however, is aiming to change that in a hurry by offering its "HD100" for $120.

The high-definition radio is intentionally stripped-down but still includes such information as song and traffic data, as well as an alarm clock and connections for MP3 players, according to Electronista. And as if the price weren't low enough already, Radiosophy is running a promotional $100 tag for customers that … Read more

Download Music's picks of the week

Another week has passed and it's time for more new music. Download.com Music and CNET TV combined forces to bring you a brand-new video report highlighting the best new songs and albums posted recently on Download Music. This week's featured artists include Dinosaur Jr., getting a head start on their upcoming reunion album (Beyond) with a fuzzy-loud new song "Almost Ready"; New York group Battles, showcasing their metal-meets-electronic beatcore style; and rising hip-hop star MIMS, who mixes g-funk and hyphy to show just exactly why he's hot. Watch, listen, and see if you don'… Read more

SanDisk partners with Yahoo to offer a true on-the-go music service

Yep, that's right: Yahoo Music Unlimited To Go is available completely sans wires for Sansa Connect owners. That means you never have to connect your player to refresh your music selection, and that is pretty freakin' sweet. And unlike with the Zune, the music you receive wirelessly does not have to come from another (scarce) Zune user, nor does it expire after three plays. Of course, the Sansa isn't exactly alone in this regard: the recently announced Slacker Portable Player and accompanying Web service will offer a similar experience--and at half the price (YMU To Go is $14.… Read more