“This document is packed with ideas and possibilities; how many of these have been brewing in the corporation for some time? Was it always the intention that the iPlayer be opened up across the industry?

Some tasters from the report:

The suggestion of a web-based digital production system with archive tools: “The digital production platform would bring together the UK’s creative industry and technology vendors, offering ’software as a service’ which adheres to agreed industry standards…

The iPlayer could be opened out not just to broadcasters but to “other public services bodies” including the Tate, British Film Institute and the British Library: “An open attitude to content syndication both to and from the service would also spread benefits more broadly across the industry.”

So what would you like to see the BBC do with the iPlayer? Do you think it should white-label the technology to other firms? Make the CMS and content available through an API for external developers? Open the iPlayer site to content from other content producers? Or all of those things?

Newly appointed Chair of the UK Podcasters Association Neil Fairbrother said, “The iPlayer opening up to the British BBC TV license-paying audio and video podcast community would be a most excellent move - the iPlayer would be a good competitor to Apples iTunes site.”

Full proposal from the BBC

This is being strongly rejected by the creator of Podcaster as “there are numerous apps that duplicate the functionality of other apps. For example, any calculator app is duplicating the functionality of Apples calculator app. Any app that tells you the weather is duplicating the Yahoo weather app. Any app that let’s you listen to music is duplicating the iPod portion of the iPhone.”

It seems that without public support, or some persuasive negotiations with Apple this neat little application will be left without a distributor, if you want to find out more information on this story, follow iphonepodcaster on Twitter and read more about this unfolding saga at almerica.blogspot.com  and maybe even lend your support.

The laws of California, within which the Association was created, required special review against our mission, proposed organization and charter. We also reviewed similar organizations such as the IAB and integrated language that would best serve our industry specifically. We incorporated the best approach that we think will keep ADM strong, productive and able to weather the process of growth with little to no bylaws amendment for the foreseeable future.

Bylaws can be tedious and dry. When you get a chance grab a strong pot of coffee and give it a go.

The full bylaws are available here: http://tinyurl.com/5zzm47

Born in Coventry in 1937, Delia Derbyshire became one of the 20th Century’s most influential electronic composers and musicians. She worked for many years at the BBC Radiophonic workshop, creating new sounds and themes. She is also famous for arranging the score for the unmistakable Dr Who theme and is still name-checked and covered by modern electronic artists such as Aphex Twin and The Chemical Brothers.

This is from an article on the BBC website about an archive of newly found recordings.

“A hidden hoard of recordings made by the electronic music pioneer behind the Doctor Who theme has been revealed - including a dance track 20 years ahead of its time.

Delia Derbyshire was working in the BBC’s Radiophonic Workshop in 1963 when she was given the score for a theme tune to a new science fiction series.
She turned those dots on a page into the swirling, shimmering Doctor Who title music - although it is the score’s author, Ron Grainer, who is credited as the composer.

Now David Butler, of Manchester University’s School of Arts, Histories and Cultures has revealed for the first time the existence of 267 tapes found in Ms Derbyshire’s attic when she died in 2001.

They were, until last March, in the safekeeping of Mark Ayres, archivist for the Radiophonic Workshop - and have lain unheard for more than 30 years.

Amongst the recordings is some ethereal whooshing from a 1969 production of Hamlet at the Roundhouse in London; an extraordinary kit of parts for one of her most-admired pieces; and the theme for a documentary set in the Sahara which shows how she used her voice as an instrument.”

As mainstream media promotes itself to new heights (depths?) over the upcoming summer Olympic Games in Beijing, and with the International Olympic Committee raising hackles with its severe restrictions on blogging, podcasting and new media, it seemed like a good time to look at citizen media efforts coming from China itself. This week’s edition of the Beijing Review, an english-language publication about China, has an article about the growth in the use and popularity of podcasts in China.

The article talks about the proliferation of blogs and bloggers in the country. They cite statistics from November 2007 that “one of every 30 Chinese citizens or [one in] four netizens was writing his or her own Web log.”

Indeed, a flurry of blog, video and podcast activity by citizen-journalists in China cropped up in the aftermath of the devastating May 2008 earthquake in Sichuan province. Blog, video, and podcast entries have progressed over the past six weeks from posting information about the disaster, to using these new media for inspiring and coordinating disaster relief efforts.

The article continues,

“Podcasting, which emerged at the end of 2004 in China with the launch of the first site in this regard, is also gaining popularity at a speed faster than that of any other Web service. According to official statistics, there were more than 200 podcasting sites in China in 2006, registering more than 10 million podcasters and having a viewership of 76 million. A lot of emergencies, news and gossips [sic] have been recorded live and made known to the public by home videos posted on the Internet. Prominent examples in recent years include those about the infidelity of a famous TV sport anchorman, which was brought to light by his wife at a public gathering, and a pet cat being tortured by a cruel man.

“Due to the large number of users and wide coverage, blogs and podcasts have also become major outlets of public opinion. Many bloggers and podcasters use their posts to discuss public affairs, raise suggestions and air complaints. At the same time, a growing number of officials have opened blogs to do real-time communication with the public, which is widely hailed as a new way of government transparency.”

The Beijing Review article says that most blogs and podcasts created and consumed in China, however, tend more toward entertainment than public opinion, government transparency, or citizen reporting of local news as in the Sichuan earthquake.

The companies studied podcast advertising from February 2006 to March 2008 across multiple product categories and ad types. Unaided awareness for podcast ads was 68%, compared with 21% for streaming video and 10% for television.

“The studies showed a 73% increase in likelihood to use or buy an advertised product,” said Velvet Beard, vice president at Podtrac. “The studies showed that 69% of audience members have a more favorable view of in-show advertisers.”

“Podcasting delivers a level of end-user engagement that is rare in today’s multi-format world,” said Paul Verna, senior analyst at eMarketer.

There are many reasons why podcasts could be more effective than television. People are sick of the barrage of ads on television, so they routinely tune them out. Podcast advertising is typically much less intrusive than television advertising. It also has the potential to be much more targeted and relevant.

Because these stats come from Podtrac, a company with a vested interest in podcast advertising, marketers are likely to want to see these numbers independently reproduced.

Article taken from Podcasting News

PodShow, the San Francisco-based online-video network best known for launching the career of CNET’s Natali Del Conte, is laying off about 20 employees, or as much as 30 percent of its staff.

“There are no secrets, only information you don’t yet have,” is the slogan for former MTV VJ Adam Curry’s podcast. Curry, a PodShow cofounder, didn’t show up to deliver the bad news about the layoffs; we’re told he left that to middle managers.

None of the heavily hyped podcasting startups in the U.S have delivered on their promises, despite a one-year jump on the mainstream competition and inexorable trends driving people to podcasts and other Internet media.

It will be interesting to see how companies based in the UK will take on the wealth of new media opportunities.

“I very much hope that this new medium will make my Christmas message more personal and direct,” she said from her Sandringham estate in Norfolk.

“That it is possible for some of you to see me today is just another example of the speed at which things are changing all around us.”

Clips from garden parties, state visits, prime ministers, investitures and a day in the life of the Prince of Wales will all be available to watch on the channel. (BBC)

“Almost nine out of 10 UK net users are connecting via broadband services, official figures reveal.

Information gathered by National Statistics (ONS) for September show that 88.4% of Britons are choosing to use broadband rather than dial-up.

The statistics show that 49.2% of those connections are for services advertised at two megabits per second or faster.

The figure for September is only slightly up on the June total of 86.2%, but indicates a 26% rise over the last 12 months.

The statistics show that broadband has enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity among net users since services started to be available and affordable.

As recently as April 2003, ONS reports, 81% of people went online via dial-up modems and only 17% had broadband.

The statistics also offer a breakdown of the speeds that people have signed up to, and show that the proportion of people on higher speeds - between two and eight megabits per second (Mbps) - has grown. Only 4% of those questioned were using services faster than eight Mbps.”- BBC.

Around 10m households, or 40% of UK homes do not have internet access.

Head of audio Matt Wells said:

“We are now a significant force in quality speech programming, with hundreds of thousands of downloads a week. For the first time, the BBC has a serious rival in this area. It makes sense to have a seat at the top table at the leading radio industry organisation, and also to be a major player in the only body that represents podcast producers in the UK.”

The Guardian’s audio department produces Football Weekly, one of the popular football podcasts in the UK; a daily news show, Newsdesk; Media Talk and other specialist weekly shows, and the award-winning Muslim podcast Islamophonic.

Dean Whitbread, Chair of UKPA, said:

“UKPA is pleased that Guardian Unlimited has joined our organisation, the first major publisher to do so.

With a strong tradition of liberality and independence, Guardian Unlimited considerably adds to our presence and gravitas in the online media rights space. We now represent a truly diverse grouping of professional individuals, companies and media corporations, as well as passionate, unpaid enthusiasts, and our strength is our ability to speak up for all those involved in online media.

Our key roles remain to promote and protect the UK community’s interests across
the fascinating and dynamic emerging online media landscape.”

From Saturday, November 17, the portfolio expands to offer podcasts including Folk & Acoustic with Mike Harding from Radio 2, Stuart Maconie’s Freak Zone from 6 Music and the Asian Network Chart. 1Xtra has podcasts from a range of music genres including hip hop, dancehall and garage.

The BBC has done as much as Apple to establish podcasts within mainstream media in the UK, by promoting audio and video podcasts as part of a two year long “trial” which ended in July. Many podcast producers, including news publishers such The Guardian and the independent radio sector have voiced concerns that the state-sponsored media giant has distorted the podcasting world as it does radio and television.

It is not yet known what clearances are being used for music usage or what regimes will be applied in this still confused area of online rights and revenues. MCPS-PRS who collect royalties on behalf of writers and publishers issue a podcast licence, as do PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited) the UK broadcast royalties collection society representing many music labels; this year PPL introduced the use of 30 second clips for registered broadcasters. The BBC traditionally strikes its own deals with Performing Rights Organisations, often at rates well below those paid by smaller commercial corporations.

Podcast Nation Editor-in-Chief Mark Crook said, “Podcast Nation is a great way for both finding and promoting podcasts, and by developing our community at Ning, which has proved itself as a flexible and reliable system for building social networks, we can put podcast producers and listeners together. We’ve always been behind building communities - we were one of the principal sponsors of this year’s highly successful PodCamp UK - and this takes us further down that path. I’m really looking forward to seeing what people will do with these powerful tools.”

The UK Podcast Forum is also moving to run on the same network.

Devaughan, 48, helped to make music history when unsigned band Koopa entered the UK charts earlier this year, thanks to exposure in his podcast. He began podcasting in October 2004, and claims to be the UK’s first ever podcaster, making the switch from radio and club DJ and artist management to become one of the UK’s best known podcasters. He was BTPodshow’s first significant signing in 2006.

“I felt the time was right to move on, not only for the show but on a personal level.” he said, “Being asked to join BTPodshow was an honour, but I’m afraid not all I had hoped for was delivered.”

Devaughan is to produce a completely new show for rival TPN - The Podcast Network.

“Some people may see the new show as me jumping ship from Podshow to TPN but this certainly isn’t the case.” Devaughan stated, “TPN has allowed me more freedom in my contract, with no network exclusivity to restrict me working as and where I want.” He has also agreed to take over as host for an already establish TPN podcast, the Monday TPN Rockshow, adding “The rock show is a podcast I’ve been subscribed to since it first started and really enjoyed the format and when the last host left I thought it was the end of the Monday show, but when TPN offered me the slot how could I refuse the chance to bring my voice to such an exciting, much loved show.”

“Adam Curry’s Podshow will formally announce an alliance with TiVo next week that sees PodShow content becoming available to TiVo’s 10-12 million users in the United States.

According to our source, the news is planned to be formally announced the day before the Podcast and New Media Expo to maximize Podshow’s coverage during the event. At this stage there is no word on the deal from Podshow itself, although others have noticed the tie-up prior to today, and a TiVo page for Podshow is already available here.

We’ve also heard rumors that Podshow may announce a new round of funding next week alongside the TiVo announcement. There is no confirmation at this stage and we are waiting on a response from Podshow.”

The move by GCap Media, who produce more podcasts than any other media company in the UK, is recognition of the role podcasts are playing in the modern media landscape.

Speaking about GCap Media joining the UKPA, Chairman Dean Whitbread said:

“This is a major endorsement of the UKPA’s work and status as the leading body to establish podcasters’ rights. The UKPA represents its members’ interests to regulators and would-be legislators. We’ve done a lot of work to establish podcasting as a medium in itself and we are really pleased to welcome GCap as a prominent member from the radio industry. It shows that they recognise both the value of the Association and the importance of podcasting. This can only be good for all.”

John Hirst, Head of GCap’s podcasting company, Creation, said:

“Over the past three years we have seen millions of consumers subscribing and downloading compelling podcasts from our radio stations and our customers’ websites. We create podcasts for our radio brands, our commercial clients and other third party customers, such as The Sun. It’s now part of our core business and content offering to consumers and commercial customers alike. We are delighted to join the UKPA as it’s a neutral body set-up to support all podcasters.”

“The net, mobile phones and MP3 players are revolutionising how Britons spend their time, says Ofcom’s annual report. It reveals that older media such as TV, radio and even DVDs are being abandoned in favour of more modern technology.

Surprisingly, it also shows that women, in some age groups, are the dominant web users and older web users spend more time online than any group.

Among children it showed that web and mobile phone use is growing at the expense of video games.

The average Briton now spends 50 hours per week on the phone, using the net, watching TV or listening to the radio. However, the mix of how much time is spent on each one has changed radically over the last few years.

Daily mobile phone use is up 58% on 2002 and, over the same period, net use has grown 158%. By contrast Britons spend far less time watching TV, listening to the radio or chatting on a fixed line phone.

The report revealed big differences in the technologies that different sectors of the population prefer.

For instance, among Britons aged 25-34, women account for 55% of the time this group spends online, said the report.

The 16% of the over-65s that use the web spend 42 hours per month online - more than any other age group.

Children are in the vanguard of the move to make more of new media. The report said that 75% of 11 year olds have their own TV, games console and mobile phone.” - BBC News Online.

Rajar the industry analysts say that radio listenership as a whole is up, with 91% of the UK population listening. Mobile usage is also up by 27% since the end of 2006. Commercial radio has its highest listening figures for four years with a regular audience of 32m, and the BBC’s digital-only radio networks, including 6 Music and 1Xtra, now have a combined listenership of 3m people.

The network will focus on the 18-35 male demographic with shows covering technology, video games, indie music, DVD releases, skateboarding and men’s fashion.

Channel Flip shows will be offered via a combination of online (one platform named was Blip.tv) and downloadable formats. The hosts are all British, but Harris says this venture isn’t meant to be UK-specific in any way. After the initial launch, Channel Flip’s plans include launching shows covering fitness, food, and digital photography. - Wired.

“Under current rules, performers can earn royalties for 50 years from the end of the year when a sound recording was made. In comparison, novelists, playwrights and composers enjoy copyright protection for their life and 70 years afterwards. The copyright protection for performers in the United States is 95 years from release and in Australia it is 70 years. The industry had called on the British government to lobby the European Commission to extend the term to at least 70 years.” - Reuters.

“The UK is a world-beating source of great music, so it is frustrating that on the issue of copyright term the government has shown scant respect for British artists and the UK recording industry,” John Kennedy, head of the IFPI body which represents the international recording industry, said in a statement.

“Some of the greatest works of British music will soon be taken away from the artists who performed them and the companies that invested in them.”

The BPI, body representing 70% of the UK record business, will now take the case to Europe.

Read the full text of the decision here, which includes recommendations for new media.

Key players from many sides of the podcasting industry, including Apple Inc., BlogTalkRadio, Kiptronic, Wizzard Media/LibSyn, NPR, Nielsen Online, Personal Life Media, Inc., Podbridge, PodTech, PodShow, Podtrac, Porter Novelli, Rev3 and Vogele & Associates have taken on the task of standardising podcasting, along the lines of “related industry organizations, publishers and agencies such as the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA).”

Five initial committees will be formed immediately to address: advertising standards, measurement, outreach/education, terminology and membership. Membership application is now open on the ADM Web site at www.downloadablemedia.org.

Nominations for the executive seats, advisory board and committee chairs will take place this summer.

The UK Copyright Tribunal has returned its decision in relation to the rate paid to songwriters and composers when their music is used in online music services.

The Tribunal has endorsed a settlement agreement negotiated in September 2006 between the Music Alliance - representing composers and songwriters - and the majority of the online music industry. The Tribunal concluded that this agreement, freely made between these parties, should be the basis for the template for online licensing in the future.

The Tribunal decision confirms that songwriters, composers and their publishers should receive 8% of gross revenues from online music service providers for on-demand services including downloads and subscription streaming services, 6.5% of revenues for interactive webcasting services and 5.75% for non-interactive webcasting. The concept of minimum royalties for all types of online use has been strongly confirmed, which was a key part of the Music Alliance’s case to protect its members’ rights and revenues.

Steve Porter, Chief Executive of the Music Alliance said: ‘This is a great result for music creators. We are happy that the Tribunal has endorsed our approach to the licensing of music used in online services.

‘The uncertainty has finally been removed and we have a template for the future that recognises and affirms the value of the creative process to the online music business.’

This is a major success for the terrestrial UK broadcaster which had staked a lot on winning the bid and moving into radio. Like the BBC, Channel 4 has a core public service remit, although unlike the BBC their revenue is derived from sponsorship and advertising.

Martin Devaughan of Green Dragon Media, the man who first introduced Koopa to podcasting as a way of promoting their material, said:

“I think this is a big achievement, charting not just in iTunes, but in a country’s national chart. It’s directly led to the band supporting INXS this Thursday 21st June at the Hammersmith Apollo in London.”

Koopa said, “That’s a whole ten places higher than our last single ‘Blag, Steal & Borrow’ and meant we achieved our aim of become the second unsigned band to get into the top 40… as well as the first! … So THANKS!”

Costolo said the overlap between FeedBurner and Google is “almost perfect . . . really an identical fit. It’s a natural fit. It’s a great opportunity to combine our vision.”

Feedburner run an estimated 60% of all RSS - RSS traffic currently accounts for 10% of internet.

For the first time UK podcasters have unlimited access to full length music tracks from top artists such as The White Stripes, Paul Weller, Bloc Party, Echo and the Bunnymen, Dizzee Rascal, Mylo, Basement Jaxx, Editors, Stereophonics, Coldcut to use in their podcasts.

This gives UK Podcasters a unique opportunity to re-write the rules for music podcasting, opening the door for podcasters to move legitimately into traditional broadcast territory, which will hasten the shift towards media on demand.

The AIM podcast licence covers over 30,000 tracks licensed by the UK independent music industry and includes labels such as V2, XL Recordings, Studio !K7, Cooking Vinyl and Beggars Group.

Unlike other podcast licences, the AIM podcast licence ensures that the labels and the artists will be paid as a result of podcasters using their music, and allows for the use of the full track. Radio stations typically remove music from their podcasts.

RSS (Really Simple Syndication, the underlying technology used by blogs and podcasts) delivered content now accounts for 10% of all internet traffic.

Alison Wenham from AIM, said:

“AIM’s licence allows full tracks to be used in Podcasts, which is what consumers and Podcasters want. In the UKPA, we have a partner who appreciates that music should be properly licensed. There are opportunities for the independent sector and the pioneers of podcasting to use a library of over 30,000 full length tracks (and growing rapidly) from some of the premier independent companies and artists, to come up with imaginative programming and give the fans what they want.”

“This is a step forward for the whole of music podcasting in the UK,” said UKPA Chairman Dean Whitbread. “It raises the bar for music podcast programme making. Working with the AIM licence is about being responsible with other people’s creative work. UKPA upholds the principle of maintaining the value chain of music, and making sure that the rights of musicians and artists, and the industry which brings their music to us, are respected.

“Podcasting can make a real impact on music sales, but this has to be done in a responsible way. UKPA is committed to working with AIM and other organisations and businesses to develop legal music podcasting in the UK.”

First Word’s primary customers are DJs, an often challenging market for record labels… The records are beautifully packaged, double-weight vinyl discs that come with a unique code. With the code, buyers can download an unprotected, 320Kbps MP3 version of the music, to use however they like.

DJs and audiophiles will always want the top end of quality, so they will buy physical media, but for convenience you can’t beat a digital file.

First Word cofounder Aly Gillani explains the DRM-free approach in terms that echo those of consumer advocate. “Once a customer has paid for the track they should be free to play it in any player,” he says. “Making a legal, paid-for version of the file less useful than a copied or pirated one doesn’t make sense.” - Wired.

The four inaugural podcasts – which are available through iTunes – include: Amazon BookClips, Music You Should Hear, Significant Seven and Amazon Wire.

The company expects to offer several additional channels in the coming months to “meet its customers’ increasing demand for rich content related to the products they shop for every day on Amazon.com,” the company said.

Amazon BookClips will be a weekly podcast offering a look at soon-to-be-released audiobooks, incuding scheduled looks at forthcoming titles from Walter Isaacson and Mary Higgins Clark.

Music You Should Hear will be a free, weekly MP3 podcast in which listeners will also receive an MP3 recording featuring complete songs from developing and indie artists, selected by Amazon’s music editors.

Significant Seven will be a monthly podcast. Book editors from Amazon.com will talk about seven of the most exciting upcoming books before they are released.

Amazon Wire will be a news and entertainment show. Distributed twice a week, this podcast will feature interviews with leading authors, actors, directors and musicians. Amazon Wire will feature Ralph Nader, John Malkovich and Dolores O’Riordan.

Amazon’s news emerges as strong rumours continue to claim the online retailer plans to launch its own competing service to iTunes.” - Macworld

Dean Whitbread from Talking Voices and the UK Podcasters Association said:

What I really like about this compilation is that everyone seems to find something different to say, not only about their own podcast and reasons for doing it, but about the wonderful world of podcasting and potential for the medium.

In my own 2 minutes at the end, I give a strong shout out for PodcampUK and a direct appeal for sponsorship and involvement. Let’s hope this succeeds in boosting this excellent cross-community grassroots project in the UK.

Let’s also hope that the CD, with it’s nod towards user-friendly convenience in a conventional format, succeeds in presenting UK podcasters as the gifted, hardworking and eminently sponsorable bunch we truly are.” - Talking Voices blog.

http://podcastnation.co.uk/tasters/

This represents a major turning point for music in the UK. MCPS-PRS are at the business of administering the rights of recording artists, writers and publishers, and with reciprocal agreements to collect and distribute mechanical (sales of objects, ringtones or downloads) and performance (broadcast time) royalties in most countries worldwide, many individual UK livelihoods and businesses are sustained by their royalty-collecting and payments.

These are audio downloads and not as yet RSS-driven podcasts - there is an RSS icon, but there are no files in the feed - and in an obvious nod towards piracy prevention, they are encoded at very low quality, 56kbps, and at a sample rate of 16khz. Nonetheless they represent a respectable showcase, the listening experience let down only by the lack of audio fidelity. The podcast also repeatedly explains the function of the Music Alliance and promotes the work they do.

More interestingly as far as the music business is concerned, these audio downloads are validated at the outset by both organisations. Presumably these non-DRM files also include permission from the music publishers, who have traditionally been the slowest to agree the release of any music on the internet for free.

The first podcast features music from The Dials, Audiocalm, My Pet Junkie and Mr Fogg, and the second, Chinchwoo, Part Time Heroes, Dumb Instrument and Ripchord.

Awareness of the success of podcasters and podcasting as an enterprise is growing in the old media. Journalists are starting to notice that something highly creative and organised and communicative is going on under their very nose, and reporting on it. We can expect to see more reports like this as the traditional media catch on.

Total Podcastrophe website.

“Consumers tell us they would be prepared to pay a higher price for a piece of music they can play on any player,” said EMI boss Eric Nicoli. “We have to trust our consumers,” he said. “We have always argued that the best way to combat illegal traffic is to make legal content available at decent value and convenient.” Apple supremo Steve Jobs, who on February 6th wrote an “open letter” to the music industry appealing for DRM systems to be discarded, shared the platform with Mr Nicoli and said: “This is the next big step forward in the digital music revolution - the movement to completely interoperable DRM-free music.”

He added: “The right thing to do is to tear down walls that precluded interoperability by going DRM-free and that starts here today.”

The new announced royalty rates would seem to make the Internet radio model unworkable. The rate increases over the coming years but for 2007 they are $0.0011 ($0.0019 in 2010) per track streamed to one user. RaIN (Radio and Internet Newsletter) have worked out that for one month this would cost the AOL radio network $1.65m. This could kill Pandora (based in the U.S.) and make Last FM the only choice for social networking radio.

The recording of the Blake’s 7 podcast serial finished in December 2006 and is expected to be available online in April with a release on CD in June. - Rob Shepherd, Broadcast.

“Almost two-thirds of music industry executives think removing digital locks from downloadable music would make more people buy the tracks, finds a survey. The Jupiter Research study looked at attitudes to Digital Rights Management (DRM) systems in Europe music firms.

Many of those responding said current DRM systems were “not fit for purpose” and got in the way of what consumers wanted to do. 54% of those executives questioned thought that current DRM systems were too restrictive. Also, 62% believed that dropping DRM and releasing music files that can be enjoyed on any MP3 player would boost the take-up of digital music generally.” - BBC

“Podcasters are likely to spontaneously combust when they set eyes on the newest digital voice recorders from Sony Japan. Also known as IC recorders, Sony’s models use proprietary compression technology for impressive quality, while allowing for extremely long recording times.

The newcomers are the ¥25,000 ICD-SX77, with 1GB of memory onboard, and the ¥20,000 ICD-SX67, which has half the storage space. As with previous IC recorders from Sony, these will be available outside Japan in a few months, albeit at around double the price.

Both machines use Sony’s own LPEC codec – an acronym for Long Term Predicted Excitation – allowing the 1GB model to squeeze in up to 375 hours of audio on the lowest setting. Even at top quality, it still manages over 17 hours. And we’ll conveniently ignore the fact that the juice in the rechargeable batteries will stretch only to around 24 hours.

Thankfully, the recorders can play back MP3 files as well as LPEC audio and software is included for editing LPEC recordings that allows data to be exported in the more universal MP3 format.

On the hardware front, the SX67 and 77 use the same three-microphone arrangement we’ve seen before from Sony to lay down full stereo recordings. A stand with a standard camera screw for attaching to a tripod is included to make it simple to position a recorder next to a musical instrument or performer. Perfect for bootleggers then.”

- J Mark Lytle, digitalworldtokyo.com

Acquisition of two companies for £24m creates leading UK digital direct marketing platform

Digital Marketing Group plc (”DMG” or the “Group”) today announces the acquisition of 100% of the share capital of two leading UK companies, Cheeze Limited (”Cheeze”) and Alphanumeric Group (trading as “Jaywing”), for a total initial consideration of £24m, comprising cash and shares. The acquired companies’ management teams will continue to develop the businesses within the Group with further consideration shares and performance options in the group dependent upon future growth. These cornerstone acquisitions follow on from the Group’s listing on AIM and acquisitions of HSM Ltd and Scope Creative Marketing (trading as “Dig for Fire”) in October 2006.

The BBC’s famously “objective” reporting deserted it as their correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones stated, “But the big question is what is there to watch? So far, it is hard to see a compelling reason to switch on to Joost, which will be a free service supported by advertising.”

Citing BTVision, Channel 4’s 4OD service, and Babelgum as likely competitors, there was no mention of the original features or the different take on TV which Joost seems to offer, nor the developers’ previous form, which would seem to indicate that Joost may just have a very good chance of re-inventing online entertainment.

While you may not have heard of Rock River Communications, you will most likely recognize what they do. The agency creates promotional mix CDs for companies like Volkswagen, The Gap, Verizon, Chrysler, and more to hand out at retail stores and dealerships. Rock River, in an attempt to move past CD-only distribution, is now creating promotional podcasts for Chrysler and Ford Motors.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Ford and Chrysler are both paying Sony BMG a flat fee to license music for podcast distribution for one year, no matter how many copies are downloaded. On the customer’s side, the podcast will be free and can be kept forever. Rock River says that they are in talks to license music from more music labels in the future for podcasting.” - Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica.

The Open Rights Group welcomed the Gowers review.

Matt Black from Coldcut said,

“The only people to benefit from term extension would be the giant traditional media groups - artists would actually benefit more from letting music enter the public domain. Extending copyright term for past works amounts to revising the deals made with artists without their consent. Who would sign a deal for a term of ‘50 years or however long we want to make it by lobbying to get the law changed’? The conclusion of the Gowers review that copyright term should not be extended is the correct one; we should not follow the lead of the US who have submitted to corporate demands by Big Media. Here we can recognise that music is a key part of our culture, (and, indeed, a key export), that recycling is a natural part of musical creativity and that not extending the existing copyright term will promote the creation of UK music.”

Peter Jamieson, BPI Chairman said,

“We will continue to make the case to the UK Government for term extension. As Mr Gowers says, the decision on extension is ultimately for the European Commission and we will be putting our case vigorously when it reviews the relevant directive next year. Gowers commissioned Cambridge economic research to argue the case against term extension; but this analysis completely fails to address the central argument of discrimination against sound recording copyright inherent in the current system.”

Radio Clash writes:

“…if “tranformative works” applied to mashups and cutup culture, and the effect across the industry if these suggestions are taken on board by the government? At the moment bodies such as the MCPS-PRS look down on what it calls ‘unlicensed interpolations’; but if sampling is (preferably) allowed in the same US ‘Fair Use’ provision, or at least made less painful, that would be a great step forward…interesting that the Gowers Review recognises the issue that here in the UK the copyright law is way behind the US in this regard.”

A new forum, National Grid, is already in existance, set up by the UK Podcasters Association.

This UK Community Podcast forum is open to podcasters from anywhere in the world.

“We now have a more level playing field,” said UKPA Chairman Dean Whitbread. “Thanks go to Trevor Dann, head of the Radio Academy, who had the far-sightedness to organise a meeting with us on his first day in the job, and who persuaded me to join his organisation. It remains to be seen whether the award will go to one of the usual high-profile media suspects, or whether the judges will look at the great range of independently produced content that’s out there.”

In December 2005, the Chancellor of the Exchequer asked Andrew Gowers to lead an Independent Review to examine the UK’s intellectual property framework. Today, the Telegraph reports the Gowers Review has found little evidence to support record companies claims they will be deprived of profits that otherwise could be used to reinvest in new acts. The review will recommend against an extension of copyright terms but the final decision rests with the government. Music industry insiders are calling it a blow to the record industry that will detrimentally impact the income of artists in their old age. Recordings out of copyright will enter the public domain and be available for anyone to use or exploit for non-commercial and commercial purposes.” - Dave’s Imaginary Sound Space.

BPI
BBC
Open Rights Group: Release The Music

“15 per cent of online men say they have downloaded a podcast compared to just 8 per cent of online women, the report reveals. In addition, those who have used the internet for six or more years are twice as likely as those who have been online three years or less to have downloaded a podcast (13 per cent vs. 6 per cent).”

Sponsored by Cheeze Media, the adventurous and podcaster-friendly digital agency headed by Jamie Riddell (accent on the second syllable, please) the conference promises something for all types of podcaster, with an extensive programme, and live music sets from well-known “podsafe” artists.

Panellists include: US podcaster C.C. Chapman, Nicole Simon from Cruel To Be Kind, Tom Hall from Lonely Planet, Guillaume du Gardier from Edelman, Heather Gorringe from Wiggly Wigglers, Suw Charman from Open Rights Group, Chris Vallance from BBC,
Neil McIntosh from The Guardian, John Buckman from Magnatune, famed UK podcasters Martin Devaughan, Mark Hunter, John Buckley, and MCing the whole event is “Podcast” Paul Nicholls (UK Podcasters Association).

Issue #10 is online today, inlcuding a report from Podcast Expo and a preview of PodcastCon UK.

Brian Ibbott, winner of the 2005 Peoples Choice Best Music Podcast, today joins The Podcast Network with his daily entertainment show, “Today in Music History.”

“Working with The Podcast Network will allow me to give bands and artists more exposure, and that can only be a good thing,” Foulds comments. “Everyone I get in touch with about the podcast immediately realises the potential, and can’t wait to get involved. I’m sure The Podcast Network, Ewan, and myself can provide even more opportunities and exposure for these unknown, unsigned and under-appreciated bands to be heard around the world.”

“Libsyn is on a mission to empower the content creator in this new age of independent media by creating unique opportunities to share advertising revenues with its podcasters,” says Chris Spencer, CEO of Wizzard Software. “By joining forces, we can provide Libsyn with the operating capital it needs to continue its impressive growth, increase capacity and maintain its dominant status in the industry while at the same time expand our revenues by helping podcasters monetize their shows through unique advertising and sponsorship engagements.” - PITTSBURGH–(BUSINESS WIRE)

Roy Wood was unavailable for comment, but his spokesperson said, “Roy will be letting the bells ring out for Christmas this year as usual.”

Two thirds of households surveyed don’t have a PC, and alternatives aren’t considered very attractive. Only 14 per cent of non-access households rated a TV or mobile phone as a good alternative to PC-based net access. Email-capable phones, games consoles, and PDAs rated even lower.

“The code that prevents music downloaded from Apple’s iTunes store being played on any portable player other than an iPod has been “cracked”. Apple has not commented on claims that Jon Lech Johansen has “reverse engineered” the FairPlay system. Prominent hacker Mr Johansen has made a name circumventing software used to restrict the use of digital media. His company, DoubleTwist, said that it planned to license the code to other digital music player manufacturers.

At the moment iTunes controls 88% of the legal music download market, while 60% of those possessing a portable music player own an iPod. - BBC