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Survey: Two-Thirds of Artists See No Major Threat From File-Sharing

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2004 - 4:03am.
New York -- Two-thirds of artists questioned in a recent survey said that peer-to-peer file-sharing poses a minor threat or no threat at all to them, in stark contrast to the recording industry's claims that file-sharing hurts artists. The Pew Internet & American Life Project survey found that 47% of all artists surveyed agree that file-sharing services are bad, because they don't ask permission to copy or compensate artists, but 43% also said that file-sharing services aren't really bad because of the promotional value and distribution opportunities presented by peer-to-peer networks. Only about half of all artists said they believe it should be illegal for Internet users to swap songs on file-sharing networks, and only 28% said they consider file-sharing a major threat to creative industries. Thirty-seven percent of artists surveyed said they thought file-sharing should be legal. "Some in the policy community and in media companies have feared that the internet would bring financial Armageddon to musicians and other artists," said the Pew Internet Project's Mary Madden. "What we hear from a wide spectrum of artists is that, despite the real challenges of protecting work online, the internet has opened new ways for them to exercise their imaginations and sell their creations."
tags: File-Sharing | Survey | No Major Threat |

Report: Yahoo Web Radio Leads Market With 1.9 Million Weekly Listeners

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2004 - 4:01am.
New York -- The first data from a new Internet radio ratings service indicates that an estimated 4.1 million people tuned into Web radio stations operated by Yahoo, AOL and Microsoft's MSN during an average week in October. The comScore Arbitron Online Radio Ratings showed Yahoo's LAUNCHcast attracted 1.9 million listeners, or 46% of the overall market, while the AOL Radio Network garnered 1.8 million listeners (44%) and Microsoft's MSN Radio and WindowsMedia.com stations counted 424,700 listeners (4%). The ratings service's first data set includes only the audience for the three large webcasters who are the initial subscribers for the service, which was launched with the goal of providing advertisers with metrics like "average quarter hour" and "cume" that they consult for traditional radio stations to determine where and when to purchase ads.
tags: Internet | Music | Reports | Yahoo | Web Radio | Leader |

Report: Consumer Online Spending in November Up 19% to $7.4 Billion

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2004 - 4:00am.
Rochester, N.Y. -- Consumers spent $8.8 billion online in November, up 19% from the $7.4 billion spent online during November 2003, according to a report from Goldman Sachs, Harris Interactive and Nielsen/NetRatings. The survey, which did not include online travel spending, found that consumers spent the most ($1.5 billion) on clothing and apparel, while the second most-popular online purchases were toys and video games ($1 billion), followed videos and DVDs ($882 million) and books and music ($481 million). The toys and video games sector grew 43% over 2003 spending totals -- the highest growth level recorded among sectors -- while video and DVD online spending grew 39% and online music spending grew 32%. Among those who have purchased items online, 36% said they did so because prices were lower on the Web, while 34% cited the wider selection of products and 33% said they bought online because they preferred to avoid the crowds in stores.
tags: Internet | Reports | Consumer Online Spending |

Mobile Content Distribution Developer m-Qube Raises $17.5 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2004 - 3:59am.
Boston -- m-Qube, a provider of e-commerce technologies for mobile communications, has raised $17.5 million in a round of venture capital led by Globespan Capital Partners. Other investors in the deal include Liberty Associated Partners, and previous investors General Catalyst Partners, Bain Capital Ventures and Sigma Partners. Boston-based m-Qube provides a single interface for connectivity, content management, application development, monitoring, billing and cross carrier transport. The company's technology offers consumers a variety of mobile products including music, images, messaging, games and other mobile applications. m-Qube has the ability to distribute interactive content to more than 160 million wireless subscribers. Its strategic wireless partners include Verizon Wireless, Cingular Wireless, Sprint PCS and T-Mobile USA.
tags: Mobile | VC | m-Qube |

U.K. Interactive TV Developer YooMedia Acquires DITG for $54 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 6, 2004 - 3:57am.
London -- YooMedia, a U.K.-based developer of interactive TV content, announced that it has acquired the Digital Interactive Television Group (DITG), a provider of interactive TV infrastructure software, and its Gaming Channel subsidiary, for about $54 million. YooMedia also plans to raise $48.4 million through a secondary stock offering, the proceeds of which will partly go to pay for its acquisition of DITG, with the rest allocated for ongoing working capital requirements. The acquisition is YooMedia latest in a recent string of purchases that includes MMTV, Whoosh, Fancy a Flutter and GoPlayTV. YooMedia and DITG said they believe the merged company will be profitable by next March.
tags: Deal | YooMedia | DITG; VC |