en-ushttp://www.bizheat.com/BizHeat Wed, 21 May 2008 08:19:06 MDThttp://www.bizheat.com/Media/Napster_Launches_DRM_Free_Music_Store_Over_6_Million_MP3sLook out, Amazon. Napster just launched the largest music store free of digital rights management in the world, with six million songs that can be loaded onto just about any digital audio player - a healthy advantage over Amazon's five-million-track MP3 store. Apple also has cause for concern. Two of its most widely-known competitors now offer DRM-free music the majors won't let Apple sell without DRM. http://www.bizheat.com/Media/Napster_Launches_DRM_Free_Music_Store_Over_6_Million_MP3sMon, 25 Feb 2008 11:11:39 MSThttp://www.bizheat.com/Media/Oscars_by_the_NumbersThe Oscars are over. It will keep people busy for a while with who won what, and who wore what. But for people who are not interested in those, here is Oscars by the numbers: $1 - the price of a used Oscar. (the recipients can not sell the statue without first offering it to the Academy for a buck ) $1.7 Million - the cost of a 30-second advertising spot during the 2008 Oscars broadcast.http://www.bizheat.com/Media/Oscars_by_the_NumbersSun, 24 Feb 2008 16:47:33 MSThttp://www.bizheat.com/Media/The_New_Masters_of_HollywoodHollywood productions are tending toward one of two distinct directions—either huge blockbusters with international appeal, or smaller films designed to have maximum domestic appeal. Portfolio.com talked to those film executives who are helping shape both ends of this spectrum, from the visionary producer of Juno, who’s breaking all the indie rules, to the audacious new head of Marvel Studios, who’s determined to own the summer season.http://www.bizheat.com/Media/The_New_Masters_of_HollywoodWed, 13 Feb 2008 20:09:20 MSThttp://www.bizheat.com/Media/Writers_vote_to_end_3_month_strikeStriking Hollywood writers are going back to work. The Writers Guild of America said its members voted Tuesday to end their devastating, three-month strike that brought the entertainment industry to a standstill.http://www.bizheat.com/Media/Writers_vote_to_end_3_month_strikeMon, 04 Feb 2008 22:06:23 MSThttp://www.bizheat.com/Media/How_Much_a_Super_Bowl_Commercial_CostThe ads during this year's game had a different feel from last year, but the expectations—and cost—were plenty high. The Super Bowl ads cost $2.7 million for every 30 seconds. Fox, meanwhile, is expected to take in $170 million in ad revenue, and some $225 million if pre-game ads are counted. http://www.bizheat.com/Media/How_Much_a_Super_Bowl_Commercial_CostWed, 30 Jan 2008 15:16:19 MSThttp://www.bizheat.com/Media/Music_labels_say_no_deal_with_QtraxThe world's biggest music companies, including Warner Music Group Corp and Sony BMG, denied that they have agreed to license songs for a free download service that was launched by Qtrax on Monday. Qtrax told Reuters and other media outlets last week that it had deals with the major labels representing about 75 percent of all music sales, to let users download songs for free in a new service to be supported by advertising revenue.http://www.bizheat.com/Media/Music_labels_say_no_deal_with_QtraxTue, 29 Jan 2008 12:16:21 MSThttp://www.bizheat.com/Media/Free_and_Legal_Music_DownloadsThe era of paid music downloads is coming to an end (despite the fact that online sales are growing). Qtrax which has signed all four major labels (EMI, SonyBMG, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group), launched yesterday with 25 million songs. How? Ads are displayed during playback, even on music devices.http://www.bizheat.com/Media/Free_and_Legal_Music_DownloadsSun, 27 Jan 2008 21:56:03 MSThttp://www.bizheat.com/Media/More_Than_Gossip_Britney_Brings_in_BucksEver get the feeling somebody is making a whole lot of money off Britney Spears besides Britney Spears? Portfolio magazine estimates the annual value of Britney Spears to the U.S. economy is 110- to 120-million dollars -- and that's when she isn't even touring.http://www.bizheat.com/Media/More_Than_Gossip_Britney_Brings_in_BucksThu, 24 Jan 2008 07:47:14 MSThttp://www.bizheat.com/Media/15_billion_lost_due_to_the_writers_strike“The writers’ strike is having a much larger economic impact on L.A. than its direct impact on writers and studios,” said former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich. “The L.A. economy revolves around entertainment, and entertainment depends to a large extent on entertaining scripts. Without the latter, the entire economy becomes more fragile.”http://www.bizheat.com/Media/15_billion_lost_due_to_the_writers_strikeTue, 22 Jan 2008 09:25:30 MSThttp://www.bizheat.com/Media/Getty_Images_could_fetch_more_than_15_billionGetty Images Inc, the world's biggest supplier of pictures and video to media and advertising companies, has put itself on the auction block and could fetch more than $1.5 billion, The New York Times reported on Monday.http://www.bizheat.com/Media/Getty_Images_could_fetch_more_than_15_billionFri, 18 Jan 2008 10:08:22 MSThttp://www.bizheat.com/Media/Directors_reach_deal_with_HollywoodHollywood directors reached a tentative contract deal Thursday with studios, a development that could turn up the pressure on striking writers to settle their 2-month-old walkout that has crippled the entertainment industry.http://www.bizheat.com/Media/Directors_reach_deal_with_HollywoodFri, 11 Jan 2008 11:15:36 MSThttp://www.bizheat.com/Media/Sony_Joins_Other_Labels_on_Amazon_MP3_StoreSony BMG, the music company, announced Thursday that it would become the fourth and final major label to begin selling digital music on Amazon.com, offering its entire catalog in the MP3 format by the end of the month. This move further positions Amazon’s digital music store as a significant rival to the market leader, the iTunes store from Apple.http://www.bizheat.com/Media/Sony_Joins_Other_Labels_on_Amazon_MP3_StoreFri, 11 Jan 2008 10:37:35 MSThttp://www.bizheat.com/Media/Writers_Strike_Boosts_Online_VideoAccording to new figures from Nielsen Online some online video sites have doubled their audience since the strike began. According to Nielsen’s figures, YouTube’s audience was up 18% in the two months after the strike started and Crackle doubled its audience from 1.2 million users to 2.4 million usershttp://www.bizheat.com/Media/Writers_Strike_Boosts_Online_VideoWed, 09 Jan 2008 14:57:59 MSThttp://www.bizheat.com/Media/Times_Squares_Naked_Cowboy_Makes_More_Money_Than_YouCheck out some interviews with New York City street musicians to find out how much money they make each day, including a chat with the world’s most famous busker, Times Square’s “Naked Cowboy.”http://www.bizheat.com/Media/Times_Squares_Naked_Cowboy_Makes_More_Money_Than_YouWed, 09 Jan 2008 07:45:10 MSThttp://www.bizheat.com/Media/Apple_to_cut_UK_prices_for_iTunesBritish music fans will pay less for downloads from Apple's online iTunes store after Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs reached a deal with the European Commission.http://www.bizheat.com/Media/Apple_to_cut_UK_prices_for_iTunesFri, 04 Jan 2008 07:29:34 MSThttp://www.bizheat.com/Media/Apple_accused_of_bullying_MicrosoftIn a case rich in irony, an antitrust suit has been filed against Apple (AAPL) accusing the company of illegally maintaining a monopoly in the digital music market by failing to support Microsoft’s (MSFT) Windows Media Audio format. The suit was filed Dec. 31 and brought to light Thursday afternoon by InformationWeek.http://www.bizheat.com/Media/Apple_accused_of_bullying_MicrosoftThu, 03 Jan 2008 19:50:36 MSThttp://www.bizheat.com/Media/Ten_Things_That_Wont_Happen_in_2008Pundits are eager to provide their predictions for the new year. Here's something a little different. For those who aren't already punch-drunk with prediction lists, here's a list of the Top 10 Things That Won't Happen in 2008: http://www.bizheat.com/Media/Ten_Things_That_Wont_Happen_in_2008Wed, 02 Jan 2008 23:11:03 MSThttp://www.bizheat.com/Media/Amazon_Challenges_Apples_Music_EmpireAmazon.com on Thursday added Warner Music Group to the growing number of labels that sell music free of copy protections in its digital music store. The news is a challenge to Apple (nasdaq: AAPL - news - people ), which has built a digital distribution empire for copyrighted music around its iPod digital music player and iTunes music store. http://www.bizheat.com/Media/Amazon_Challenges_Apples_Music_EmpireTue, 01 Jan 2008 11:58:44 MSThttp://www.bizheat.com/Media/The_switch_to_digital_is_418_days_awayOn February 17, 2009, most TV stations will stop broadcasting analog signals and begin broadcasting digital signals only. Despite considerable confusion about who's going to lose their signal on February 17, 2009, the experts tell us only those with rabbit ears or a TV antenna on their house will be affected.http://www.bizheat.com/Media/The_switch_to_digital_is_418_days_awayTue, 01 Jan 2008 09:56:05 MSThttp://www.bizheat.com/Media/Disney_Joining_Apples_Movie_Rental_ServiceAs was expected when the news of News Corp. and its studio Twentieth Century Fox signing a movie rental deal came out earlier this week, Disney has also joined in the movie rental offering, which is supposed to be announced at the annual MacWorld conference on Jan. 14, reports Variety. Rentals are expected to cost between $2 and $5 for a 24-hour period, it says. http://www.bizheat.com/Media/Disney_Joining_Apples_Movie_Rental_ServiceMon, 31 Dec 2007 18:18:23 MSThttp://www.bizheat.com/Media/Apple_and_Fox_join_hands_in_iTunes_Movie_Rental_DealAs had been speculated earlier in the month, News Corp. and its studio Twentieth Century Fox have signed a deal with Apple to allow users to rent the latest Fox DVD releases by downloading a digital copy from Apple’s iTunes platform for a limited time, reports FT, citing sources. No pricing info in the story, though an earlier report in June pegged it at around $2.99 per rental. http://www.bizheat.com/Media/Apple_and_Fox_join_hands_in_iTunes_Movie_Rental_DealMon, 31 Dec 2007 17:52:38 MSThttp://www.bizheat.com/Media/Best_and_Worst_of_Ads_in_2007In Pitching Products This Past Year, Gorilla Worked, but Guerrilla Didn't. Some campaigns were big hits and others were big flops. The WSJ choices for the best and worst in 2007http://www.bizheat.com/Media/Best_and_Worst_of_Ads_in_2007Mon, 31 Dec 2007 17:33:53 MSThttp://www.bizheat.com/Media/Wal_Mart_Abandons_Online_Movie_DownloadsWal-Mart Stores Inc. has closed an online movie download service it launched less than a year ago. In a statement, Wal-Mart spokeswoman Amy Collella said the company closed the store after Hewlett-Packard Co., which provided the software running the site, "made a business decision to discontinue its video download-only merchant store service."http://www.bizheat.com/Media/Wal_Mart_Abandons_Online_Movie_Downloads