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../ Satellite Radio Reports Wider Loss
XM Satellite Radio Holdings and Sirius Satellite Radio both posted big losses during the fourth quarter. Both stocks plummeted close to 10%
revealing that the new format still has a long way to go despite support from Detroit's automakers. Sirius reported a loss of $311 million on
revenue of $80 million up from $252 million a year earlier. XM had a loss of $268 million compared to $188 last year.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Warner Doubles Digital Download Sales
Warner Music Group announced their fiscal first-quarter earnings rose 92% due to exploding digital music sales and aggressive cost
cutting. Digital downloads accounted for $69 million, up from $25 million a year earlier. Revenue from CDs dropped another 2% to $920
million, however net income rose to $69 million, up from $36 million.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Pioneer Announces DJM-800 Digital Mixer
Pioneer has taken their industry standard DJM-600 to the next level with the announcement of the DJM-800. The new DJM-800 mixer incorporates four
channels of digital input, 24 bit/96kHz analog to digital conversion, 61 assignable MIDI controls and a new "Harmonic Mixing" technology that
automatically stays in key when pitch adjustments are made.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Ministry Of Sound Buys Hed Kandi
Ministry Of Sound announced that it has acquired Hed Kandi and Enterprise Records from the Guardian Media Group Radio Holdings for an
undisclosed sum. The move is reminiscent of Astralwerk's purchase of Naked Music a few years ago. Both Naked and Hed Kandi established
themselves in the marketplace with distinctive illustrated branding and smooth house grooves.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Fripp Records New Windows Sounds
New Vista Sounds!
Robert Fripp, formally of King Crimson, has been tapped to record new sounds for Microsoft's next generation operating system
dubbed "Vista." This is the first major update of the Windows operating system (OS) in five years.
>>> FULL STORY with Video Links!
../ TestDrive: Best iPod Accessories
The year 2005 saw hundreds of new iPod accessories come to market, many were innovative and significantly improved the
iPod listening experience, while others were severely lacking in quality and functionality. In this special Futuremusic
report, we are going to celebrate the best products of the year...
>>> FULL STORY
../ Sony CD Protection Fiasco Reveals Social Flaws
Sony BMG announced that it has agreed to settle several suits regarding its controversial attempt to protect their CD releases from
piracy. The settlement proposes a combination of replacement CDs, free downloads and monetary compensation. The public backlash against
Sony was understandable, however the instant pile-on from the legal community was fascinating.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Spitzer Continues To Air Out Radio Stink
Fumigation Hits Warner Music Group
After settling with Sony BMG four months ago for $10 million, Elliot Spitzer, Attorney General for New York, aimed his legal
guns at Warner Music Group. Warner has agreed to a $5 million dollar settlement for providing radio stations and their employees
with financial incentives in exchange for airplay, a practice commonly known as "pay-for-play" or payola.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Record Labels Face New Threat
Relentless Challenges From New Technology
Since the original Napster burst forth, record labels have faced one threat after another from new digital technology that has
significantly eroded their profits over the last six years. The latest thorn is coming from satellite radio stations, XM and
Sirius, who have recently debuted new player/recorders. The new devices have the ability to record broadcasts and then let the
listener tune it at their convenience, similar in functionality to the popular TiVo Digital Video Recorder (DVR).
>>> FULL STORY
../ Radio Stations Unite For Digital
In order to successfully promote new digital radio technology, lobby automakers and compete against satellite radio, eight large
celestial radio companies have formed a group to tackle these important issues as a unified force.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Head2Head: Shure VS. Etymotic
The Shure E5C and the Etymotic ER-4P are some of the very best earphones money can buy. Both contain high-quality components and have
expansive signal to noise ratios that reveal details in music that most never knew existed. These earphones, sometimes called "earbuds"
by the industry, are reserved strictly for audiophiles who demand the very best in listening, and at $499 for the Shure E5C, and $330
for the Etymotic ER-4P, you can see why...
>>> FULL STORY
../ Sprint Launches Cellular Music Service
Sprint Nextel, has very quietly launched the first legal music download service for cell phones in the United States. The new Sprint
Music Store allows customers to download a complete song directly to their cell phone for $2.50 without having to connect their phone
to a computer. Usually a service of this nature is hyped with a tremendous marketing campaign. However, Sprint hasn't promoted the service
at all, and it isn't even touted on their website's homepage.
>>> FULL STORY
../ i2hub P2P Network Shuts Down
i2hub, a small, but very potent Peer-To-Peer (P2P) file sharing network specially for college students, has suddenly shut down citing
legal ramifications from the entertainment industry. The service, which ran on an advanced, super high-speed network that linked 240
universities and colleges, was created by Wayne Chang when he was a sophomore at the Amherst campus of the University of Massachusetts.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Sony BMG Suspends CD Antipiracy Spyware
Sony BMG Music Entertainment, will temporarily cease production of their controversial copy-protected CDs in an abrupt about face.
The "rootkit" CDs were designed to limit the number of copies that could be burned, prevent the consumer from creating MP3s and
inhibit the songs to be imported into Apple's iTunes music software.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Native Instruments Readies Guitar Rig 2
Native Instruments, is preparing to release Guitar Rig 2, the follow up to their successful guitar processing software/hardware combination,
on November 30, 2005. When Guitar Rig debuted, it caused an instant sensation inside and outside the guitar community. Finally there was a
comprehensive solution for the guitarist who wanted to delve deeply into processing beyond the four knobs on a stomp pedal. Native Instrument's
(NI) inclusion of a hardware pedal rig cemented the deal by offering an all-in-one product that other software manufacturers neglected.
Outside the guitar community, electronic musicians were ecstatic that there was finally software which could emulate all those gritty effects
which took hours of tweaking to obtain. However, beyond this exciting new release, Guitar Rig 2 reveals the company's strategy for the future...
>>> FULL STORY
../ MySpace Launches Record Label
MySpace.com, developed by Tom Anderson as a social networking site to compete with Friendster, is launching its own record label with
Interscope Records. The site has 35 million registered users and has become vastly populated with musicians, bands and other music aficionados...
>>> FULL STORY
../ Grokster Ceases P2P Service
Grokster Ltd. has discontinued its infamous Peer-To-Peer (P2P) service and stopped distributing their file-sharing software in a sudden settlement
with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). This announcement comes after losing its case before the U.S. Supreme Court in June. The
embattled company also states that it "hopes to have a safe and legal service available soon."
>>> FULL STORY
../ DVD-Jon Imported For Secret Oboe Project
Jon Lech Johansen , AKA "DVD-Jon", the brilliant 21 year old programmer is now working for San Diego based MP3Tunes, a private company
captained by Michael Robertson who founded MP3.com. The hiring of Johansen has raised the eyebrows of many content companies who have come
to fear his reverse engineering genius. Both Johansen and Robertson have the propensity to thumb their nose at the establishment, which
could make the pairing a double threat.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Billboard Debuts New Euro Chart
One of the biggest problems facing music lovers today is the staggering amount of new music available. New artists and the online music stores
that sell their songs are popping up on the Internet like dandelions after the first spring rain.
>>> FULL STORY
../ TestDrive: Alienware Premium Backpack
The Alienware Premium Backpack is a high-quality, stylish transport for your laptop and mobile music accessories. This great-looking,
black bag comes with a cushioned interior pocket for shielding your computer from knocks and bumps, and has plenty of storage for your
peripherals.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Allen & Heath's Revolutionary Xone:3D
Allen & Heath showcased its innovative Xone:3D DJ Mixer/Controller workstation at the AES convention in New York City. The 3D, one of
six working prototypes, brings the two very different worlds of the vinyl and digital DJ seamlessly together in a well-thought out and
brilliantly executed design.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Native Instruments Announces Traktor 3
Native Instruments announced the third incarnation of Traktor, their DJ mixing software, would be available in November for $279. Traktor, which
owes its popularity more to Native's marketing muscle than it its features, aims to meet its critics head-on by addressing many of the problems
that have plagued the software from the start.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Mix Contest To Aid Katrina Victims
Experiments In Sound, Futuremusic's ultimate DJ and VJ mix competition, will donate a portion of the proceeds to the
victims of Hurricane Katrina, and to rebuild the vital, musical heritage that is New Orleans. In order to accomplish
their goal, Futuremusic is extending the deadline for DJ and VJ mix entrees to October 31, 2005.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Download Price Hike Imminent
Rumors of a rise in individual download prices on the leading online music services surfaced again when Steve Jobs, Apple Computer's CEO, did some major whining to the press that he was being pressured by several major labels to increase prices.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Access Shipping Virus TI Synths
Access announced a shipping date of October 3, 2005 for their new line of TI hardware synths. The synths were originally announced 18 months
ago and were demonstrated almost a year ago at Winter NAMM, but never materialized at retailers.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Volkswagen USB Music Connection
Volkswagen AG announced a USB music option on the Golf, Golf Plus and Touran models beginning in December of 2005. The 195
Euro/$240 US Dollar option will allow drivers to plug in a USB storage device directly into the car's sound system for immediate
playback.
>>> FULL STORY
../ TestDrive: Native Instruments Absynth 3
When Native Instruments announced a new version of Absynth, their popular software synthesizer, many of us at Futuremusic began
to noticeably drool. When Native Instruments (NI) nails a product from the get-go, like they did with Absynth, each version just
gets significantly better by taking the solid foundation to the next level. Absynth 3 is a must have for any musician with an
interest in creating provocative ambient soundscapes, film scoring and the exploration of dynamic synthesis...
>>> FULL STORY
../ Denon Announces New CD/MP3 Turntable
Denon DJ announced the debut of a new top-of-the-line CD turntable with a powerful 12-pole Direct Drive brushless motor
that delivers 2.5 kg/cm of start up torque to better emulate the power vinyl turntables on the market. The new DN-S3500
also provides full support for MP3 playback including a new MP3 Memo system that saves cue points and loops to internal
memory, as well as the first ID3 BPM tag system, which automatically recalls the BPM metadata of a given MP3 file.
>>> FULL STORY
../ Amazon To Launch Digital Music Service
Amazon.com will launch a digital music service in the near future featuring individual songs for download, as well as a subscription service.
Amazon has had licensing discussions with all the major labels and is currently evaluating several digital distributors including MusicNet.
>>> FULL STORY
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As the name correctly implies, Experiments In Sound, is Futuremusic's latest endeavor for pushing electronic music technology to the very edge of what's possible.
Experiments In Sound grew out of Futuremusic's avant-garde events in
New York City that featured DJ's taking mixing and live sound reinforcement to a whole new level with the very latest gear and software.
Now Experiments In Sound has become The Ultimate Mix Contest...
After the tremendous success of our groundbreaking The Next Big Thing DJ Contest, Futuremusic has decided to once again create a new paradigm...
Learn more about Experiments In Sound!
TestDrive will feature the lab results of our DJ Experiments so that everyone can get in on the action. Take the latest electronic music releases, mix vigorously
with bleeding-edge DJ production technology in a large beeker, and then cook the hell out of it!
Check out our latest TestDrive of the Alesis XGuitar
Futuremusic wants to thank everyone who participated in The Next Big Thing 2004. John Digweed, Beatport, Alienware, M-Audio, Native Instruments, IK Multimedia,
PVDJ, PK Graphics, Ableton, The DubHouse, Propellerheads, Technics, FreeFloat, The Church, PCDJ and every DJ who entered this year's event thank you. From the sheer number of
quality mixes, we can tell you that dance music is thriving in the United States. The amount of outstanding talent and creativity really blew us away, and every DJ who's putting
their heart, mind and soul behind the music is a winner. John Digweed has
made his decision and the winner is...
Think you got skills?? Then start practicing!
News Archives
Digihear? Stories: January 2006
Digihear? Stories: December 2005
Digihear? Stories: November 2005
Digihear? Stories: October 2005
Digihear? Stories: September 2005
Digihear? Stories: August 2005
Digihear? Stories: July 2005
Digihear? Stories: June 2005
Digihear? Stories: May 2005
Digihear? Stories: April 2005
Digihear? Stories: March 2005
Digihear? Stories: February 2005
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