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U.K. Media Retailer HMV Debuts Online Social Network

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 28, 2008 - 12:31pm.

London - U.K. media retail chain HMV has launched a beta test of a new social networking site, which allow users to import music and film files and create their own libraries, then be matched up with other members with similar tastes, The Telegraph reported. The "Get Closer" site, which will be funded with advertising and also feature links to the HMV online store, is currently in beta testing with 1,000 users and is scheduled to launch on Sept. 1.

tags: Social Networking | Music | Retail | HMV | Get Closer |

iTunes Store Canada Removes Anti-Gay Songs from Catalog

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 8, 2008 - 11:54am.

Los Angeles - Apple's (NASD: AAPL) iTunes Store in Canada has removed several songs by Jamaican dancehall artists from its catalog, after complaints about lyrics that advocate the killing of gay people were raised by LGBT groups Egale Canada and Stop Murder Music, Xtra.ca reported.

tags: Music | Apple | Amazon.com | LGBT | iTunes Store | HMV | Egale | Stop Murder Music |

U.K. Retailer HMV Plans MP3 Store, Social Network

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 29, 2007 - 7:05am.

London - U.K. media retailer HMV said this week it will begin selling DRM-free MP3 downloads in September, including major label EMI's catalog and tracks from independent labels.

tags: Mobile | Social Networking | Music | DRM | Retail | HMV |

MusicNet Serving Average of 6.8 Million Songs Daily

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 4, 2007 - 1:05pm.

New York - MusicNet, the digital music and video service provider that powers services for Yahoo, MTV, HMV, Virgin, iMesh and others, announced that it served an average of 6.8 million streams and subscription downloads per day during January and February, or a total of over 400 million plays.

tags: Music | Metrics | Yahoo | MTV | AOL | Streaming | RealNetworks | MusicNet | Baker Capital | HMV |

HMV and Virgin Megastores Throw Down Gauntlet to Apple in U.K.

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 6, 2005 - 6:19am.
London -- HMV, the largest specialist music seller in the U.K., announced that has launched a new digital music service giving consumers online access to a library of more than 1.3 million songs. The news follows a similar announcement made last week by Virgin Megastores, the second-largest music chain in the U.K. Many analysts say that Virgin Megastores and HMV's inclusion into an already highly competitive market is likely to spark a digital music war. The U.K. music download market, while still relatively small, is expected to grow by leaps and bounds. About 500,000 songs, for example, were downloaded legally from the Internet in all of last year; now, about 500,000 songs are legally downloaded every week. Industry experts predict that online music sales in the U.K. will nearly double from about $63 million this year to more than $120 million in 2006 and approximately $480 million by the year 2010.
tags: Apple | U.K | HMV | Virgin Megastores | Gauntlet |

MusicNet to Power Music Download Store for U.K. Retailer HMV

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 11, 2005 - 10:36am.
New York -- MusicNet, a joint venture between several major record labels and technology firm RealNetworks, announced on Monday that it has signed a long-term agreement with U.K. music retailer HMV. Under the terms, New York-based MusicNet will provide its library of licensed tracks, as well as delivery technology to support HMV's new digital music download store. HMV said it plans to invest about $19 million to launch the service in the second half of 2005. The U.K. retailer, which operates 200 locations, also contracted with Microsoft late last year to develop customized jukebox player software, which users will be required to download in order to access the online store. HMV will offer the player software both online and from its retail stores.
tags: MusicNet | Power | HMV | Music Download Store | U.K. Retailer |

Microsoft to Power Online Music Service for U.K. Retailer HMV

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 3, 2005 - 3:54am.
London -- U.K. music retail store chain HMV announced that it partnered with Microsoft to launch a digital music service in the second half of the year. The company said it will spend about $19 million to develop and market the service. HMV already offers an online subscription service that is powered by Loudeye subsidiary OD2, and is partnered with Amazon.com to operate its online CD and DVD stores outside the U.K. The new HMV digital music service will not support Apple's iPod player, and the company said it will cease selling the iPod in its retail locations once the Microsoft-powered service launches.
tags: Microsoft | Online Music | HMV | U.K. Retailer |