ArtistDirect

ArtistDirect to Launch Lyrics Section; Licenses EMI, Universal

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 18, 2008 - 7:05am.

*A correction has been made to this story.

Santa Monica, Calif.
- ArtistDirect, an online network focused on music and film, announced on Monday that it has signed lyrics licensing agreements with Universal Music Publishing and EMI Music Publishing, and plans to launch a new song lyrics section on its site in the fall.

Sprint to Sponsor Major Label Track on File-Sharing Networks

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 10, 2007 - 2:49pm.

Santa Monica, Calif. - In an advertising first, Sprint will sponsor a major label song distributed on file-sharing networks.

Suretone Records to Use ArtistDirect's MediaDefender on P2P Networks

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 21, 2007 - 5:24pm.

Santa Monica, Calif. - ArtistDirect, an independent music destination and provider of anti-piracy technologies, said on Wednesday that Universal's Suretone Records has signed on to use its MediaDefender platform that encourages users on illicit peer-to-peer networks to download legitimate files. The technology directs users seeking files from Suretone artists like Weezer and The Cure to Suretone-branded exclusive files. The deal will also establish a Suretone video channel on ArtistDirect.com, which claims 15 million monthly U.S. visitors and 40 million worldwide.

Career Moves: January 18, 2007

Authored by dmw on January 18, 2007 - 1:42pm.
Career Moves is made possible by @HIRE.
Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen’s Dualstar Entertainment Group has hired online executive Lee Barth as Vice President of Digital Media to manage Dualstar’s online division which includes mary-kateandashley.com, sprousebros.com and the recently launched e-commerce site, shopmary-kateandashley.com. Barth will report to EVP Jill Zimmerman. Previously Barth worked at Loyalty Systems, a provider of consumer loyalty programs for professional sports leagues.

ArtistDirect Buys Anti-Piracy Firm MediaDefender for $42.5 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 1, 2005 - 7:03am.
Los Angeles -- ArtistDirect, an independent online music site that claims 13 million visitors per month, announced on Monday that it has acquired Internet anti-piracy software developer MediaDefender, for $42.5 million. Marina del Rey, Calif.-based MediaDefender seeds popular peer-to-peer file-sharing networks with "spoofed" versions of copyrighted songs and other media files, frustrating prospective downloaders with bogus files, on behalf of the major record labels and movie studios. "We believe that MediaDefender holds enormous potential to become the ubiquitous gold standard for the customized protection on the Internet of all forms of digital content," said ArtistDirect CEO Jon Diamond. Los Angeles-based ArtistDirect foresees expanding the use of MediaDefender's technology to protect straight-to-DVD movies, video games, software and e-books.