London - Major record label EMI on Wednesday announced that it has licensed high-quality, DRM-free songs in MP3 format to MixAlbum.com, a site that offers an automated DJ mixing system that lets consumers create their own mixed playlists after making a selection of their preferred tracks. The service also allows for customization of mixes, by altering the tempo and choosing between "smooth" or "mash-up" styles.

Tinton Falls, N.J. - Lightspeed Audio Labs on Tuesday announced the beta release of JamNow, an Internet portal that lets musicians network and collaborate in a virtual studio in real-time. JamNow allows both pro and amateur musicians to rehearse, catalog recordings, promote events, and even perform a live event online. The free beta, which runs through the summer, is available to users within a triangular region roughly outlined by Boston, Charlotte and Milwaukee; the company plans to expand the offering to include Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas later this summer.

Recife, Brazil - Brazil-based D'Accord Music Software on Wednesday launched its iChords application, which it says can recognize and present chords heard on any CD, MP3 or WMA file. Three years in the making, the software purports to eliminate the need to consult tablatures or sheet music when figuring out the chords being played in any given song, and also presents fingering, notation or intervals.

Palm Desert, Calif. [DEMO 07] - eJamming on Tuesday debuted its Internet-based real-time music collaboration software at the DEMO 07 event in Palm Desert, Calif. The eJamming Audio application provides a virtual practice and recording studio for both amateur and professional musicians, enabling them to write, rehearse, record, learn and play with each other over the Internet, in real-time and in sync. The free software is set for release in late March; "connectivity subscriptions" to the online service will cost $14.95 per month or $150 annually.

Modena, Italy - Computer music software developer IK Multimedia on Friday introduced its AmpliTube Jimi Hendrix Edition, which it calls the first authentic software recreation of the guitar legend's complete guitar amp and effects rig. The software, a cooperative effort with official licensor Authentic Hendrix, will allow guitar players to plug into a computer and recreate the authentic tones of Hendrix, who is credited in the development of modern guitar amplification and effects.

Greensboro, N.C. - Notion Music, a developer of music creation and performance software, has opened an office in London. To develop Notion software, the company's founders worked with the London Symphony Orchestra at the famous Abbey Road Studios to record more than 100,000 instrumental sounds.