AT&T offers a free Dave Matthews Band song

For fans excited about the upcoming Dave Matthews Band concerts at Fenway Park, AT&T is offering a bonus: A chance to get a free download of a song today from the new album that the band is set to release next week. The Boston Globe reports.

The album - "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King" - is set for a Tuesday release, but starting today and for a limited time, AT&T wireless customers can get a free mobile MP3 download of one of the album's songs, an AT&T spokeswoman said in an e-mail.

AT&T is working with Napster Mobile on the promotion, she added.

Palm Pre’s ringtone

The Palm Pre’s default ringtone by Roger Bourland - composer, professor, publisher, and Chair of the UCLA Department of Music - has leaked. You can listen to it here.

Bourland was commissioned by Palm to provide eight ringtones for its new handheld device, the Pre. Titles include “PRE”, “Flurry”, “Raindance”, “Scamper”, “Discreet”, “Triangle”, “Dulcimer”, and “Anticipation”.

The Palm Pre is scheduled for release, June 6, 2009.

[via CrunchGear]

Cell phone ringtones can pose major distraction, impair recall

A flurry of recent research has documented that talking on a cell phone poses a dangerous distraction for drivers and others whose attention should be focused elsewhere. Now, a new study in the Journal of Environmental Psychology finds that just the ring of a cell phone may be equally distracting, especially when it comes in a classroom setting or includes a familiar song as a ringtone. News & Information from Washington University reports.

In any setting where people are trying to acquire knowledge and trying to retain that information in some way, a distraction that may just seem like a common annoyance to people may have a really disruptive effect on their later retention of that information," said the study's lead author, Jill Shelton, a postdoctoral psychology fellow in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.

... "Many of us consider a cell phone ringing in a public place to be an annoying disruption, but this study confirms that these nuisance noises also have real-life impacts," Shelton said. "These seemingly innocuous events are not only a distraction, but they have a real influence on learning."

Titled "The distracting effects of a ringing cell phone: An investigation of the laboratory and the classroom setting," the study was conducted at Louisiana State University, where Shelton received her doctoral degree. Her co-authors in the LSU psychology department include Emily Elliott, Sharon Eaves and Amanda Exner.

Read full article.

New rate for music digital stream

The music collection society - PRS - have unveiled a new pricing plan it hopes may entice YouTube and Pandora back to the UK market. The BBC reports.

From 1 July 2009, firms will have to pay 0.085p for each track streamed, down from the previous rate of 0.22p.

PRS for Music say the new plan will "enable the digital market to grow".

Earlier this year, YouTube started removing premium music videos to UK users after failing to reach a new licensing agreement with the PRS.

Companies wishing to play or stream music over the internet are legally obliged to pay royalties to the artist, enshrined in the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

However, many companies said the old rate was prohibitive.

Read full article.

iTunes still not available in some EU countries. Here's why

Some EU countries still can't access iTunes—for which consumers can thank a music licensing system that won't allow digital stores to operate across geographic borders. But the European Commission is now pushing record labels and collecting societies into the Internet age and has announced its first successes. ars technica reports.

Last year, European Commissioner for Competition Neelie Kroes raised questions about the strange state of the European music market. "Why is it possible to buy a CD from an online retailer and have it shipped to anywhere in Europe, but it is not possible to buy the same music, by the same artist, as an electronic download with similar ease?" she asked. "Why do pan-European services find it so difficult to get a pan-European license? Why do new, innovative services find licensing to be such a hurdle?"

This year, she intends to do something about the problem, which has resulted in low growth rates for digital content sales.

Sony Ericsson patent generates playlist based on facial expression

Sony Ericsson have patented a system whereby a cellphone could be controlled by facial expressions, shuffling between music tracks according to visual mood analysis. SlashGear reports via Go Get It.

The patent, titled “Generating music playlist based on facial expression”, describes capturing an image of a user and using facial recognition to build a custom playlist depending on the listener’s mood.

In a more complex implementation, Sony Ericsson suggest that brief video could be captured, tracking emotional states of happiness, sadness, surprise, anger, fear, disgust, neutrality, etc. These would be compared to the musical characteristics of the tracks stored on the cellphone or PMP, similar to how Sony Ericsson’s existing SenseMe application works.

Thumbplay Leverages Social Networks To Sell More Ringtones

Thumbplay, a New York-based mobile content provider, has launched a widget platform that allows artists and music labels to leverage social networks, like Twitter or MySpace, to sell ringtones and wallpapers. The platform, called OPEN Pro, can also be used by fans, who may want to link to their artist's favorite song in a blog post they wrote about a concert.

[via The Washington Post and Press release]

Apple, AT&T, Samsung, Verizon, and others sued over Shazam app

Earlier this week, a company called Tune Hunter accused music-finding service Shazam along with Samsung, Apple, Amazon.com, Napster, Motorola, Gracenote, Verizon Wireless, LG Electronics, AT&T Mobility, and Pantech Wireless of infringing on its patent on a music identification system. News.com reports.

The suit accuses Shazam's music discovery and identification service of violating the patent and the other companies of benefiting directly from Shazam's alleged infringement. Tune Hunter is asking for unspecified damages and an injunction from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern Division of Texas that would prevent "further infringement" on Tune Hunter's patent.

Read full article .

U.S. carriers not keen on Nokia's Ovi Store

Nokia has run into yet another potential hurdle in trying to crack the U.S. market, reports News.com.

The company revealed on Wednesday that its Ovi Store will not have the billing support of U.S. carriers when it launches next month, according to Reuters.

Consumers can pay in eight countries -- Australia, Britain, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Russia, Singapore, Spain -- through telecoms operator bills for software or media bought from Nokia's Ovi store, to be opened in May. Executives had hoped to add the U.S. to that list earlier this year.

Read full article.

Pakistani Taliban forbid sale of ringtones

Along with barring women from public places, prohibiting co-education, forbidding barbers from shaving men and shutting down music shops, rebel Talibans of Pakistan have banned the sale of mobile phone ringtones in line with their narrow interpretation of Islam.

[via Monsters and Critics. Taliban posing for photographers in Pakistan from RussiaBlog.]

New Facebook Application by Mobizaar Offers Free Ringtones

Mobizaar, an online service dedicated to helping users easily create, find, and share their personalized ringtones for free, today announced the release of their new application available for use on Facebook.

With the Mobizaar application, all Facebook users can exercise a new level of personal freedom and customize their mobile phones with the most personally compelling ringtones and other mobile content.

Press release

Standford's Mobile Phone Orchestra Shows Us How It's Done

Ge Wang, the founder of Stanford's Mobile Phone Orchestra (or MoPho), shows us how he and his mates make beautiful music in the video above.

[via GeekSugar]

Related: - Stanford Mobile Phone Orchestra Plays Stairway To Heaven

Fatwa Issued Answering Cell Phone during Aayat

A Muslim organization has issued a fatwa over using verses from the Koran as ringtones, saying that answering the call while the aayat (verses from the Koran) is going on is a sin. It argues that people answer calls midway through the aayat, leave the verse incomplete. TechTree reports via Channel 4.

The panel of clerics in Kanpur India, also said that taking a cellphone to the toilet as it rings is a sin because aayat cannot be heard in a toilet. They also condemned the habit that people have of keeping cell phones on vibration mode while attending prayer services.

A fatwa in the Islamic faith is a religious opinion on Islamic law issued by an Islamic scholar.

Other cell phone related Fatwas:

-- A Fatwa Against Ringtones - An imam at a Mosque in Saudi Arabia issued a fatwa against mobile phones after one rang during prayers on Saturday, playing Arabic pop music.

-- Fatwa: No pictures of the bride by SMS - Cheikh Abd Al-Muhsin Al-’Obikan, a member of Saudi Arabia's Shura Council and advisor to the Ministry of Justice, has issued a fatwa forbidding a fiancé to look at pictures of his fiancée uploaded online by SMS, for fear that others could see her before their marriage.

-- Fatwa Council declares SMS contests based on chance «haram» (unlawful) - The National Fatwa Council's declaration today that SMS-based contests containing elements of chance were haram (unlawful for Muslims)

Photo from flickr.

YouTube and Universal to launch premium music site

Google's YouTube and Universal Music Group, the world's largest music company, said on Thursday they will launch a premium music video website as they bid to increase revenue from YouTube's huge usage. Reuters reports.

The new advertiser-supported site, featuring professional videos, will be called Vevo and is expected to launch in coming months, the companies said.

Vevo is an attempt to address this disparity between YouTube's popularity, it has 100 million users in the U.S. alone according to comScore, and its relatively low advertising rate or CPMs (cost per thousand page views) as it is called.

The new site will be a music video hub wholly owned by Universal, a unit of French media group Vivendi.

Like Apple, Amazon, Wal-Mart change music prices

Apple's iTunes Store isn't the only one that has adjusted prices for its digital song downloads recently: Changes are showing up at Amazon's and Wal-Mart's online music stores, too, according to Cellular News.

Apple shifted Tuesday from selling all songs for 99 cents apiece to a tiered pricing model where songs cost 69 cents, 99 cents and $1.29 each. Recording companies are choosing the prices.

Apple also eliminated the copy-protection technology that limited users' abilities to copy and play songs on devices other than Apple's own iPods.

On the same day Apple made its changes, Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s online music store began selling tunes for $1.24, 94 cents and 64 cents apiece. Previously, they cost 74 cents and 94 cents apiece.

In an e-mail, Walmart.com spokesman Ravi Jariwala said the pricing adjustments are "reflective of new costs set by the music industry."

Fox Mobile Signs Ringtone Deal w/ AOL Winamp

Fox Mobile Distribution announced this morning an agreement with AOL Europe and AOL Canada to integrate ringtone purchasing capabilities into the new Winamp version 5.55 desktop media player.

Per terms of the deal, Fox Mobile Distribution will integrate ringtone links and Jamba- or Jamster-branded purchase pages for integration into the Winamp service, enabling Winamp’s 77 million consumers to purchase mobile content without leaving the media player.

Taking that a step further, Fox will ensure all mobile content links are contextually relevant according to the recording artist the user clicks upon.

[via e-mail press release]

Yahoo partners with music services

Yahoo Inc is partnering with other online music providers as the Internet giant tries a fresh approach to getting an edge in the evolving digital music business, reports Reuters.

The new version of Yahoo Music, unveiled on Monday, aggregates paid and free music services available on the Internet, allowing Yahoo users to access and interact with the services directly from the Yahoo site.

Yahoo has struck commercial relationships with digital music retailers like Apple Inc's, collecting a fee for every referral, the company said.

Read full article.

Google launches free (legal) music search in China

Together with the world's four largest music labels, Google has formally launched an ad-based MP3 download service in China to combat easily accessible illegal downloads that have effectively killed the country's music industry online. The Register reports.

The venture, which also has the backing of 14 independent labels, will compete against similar MP3 search services — most significantly the country's leading search engine, Baidu — that "deep link" directly to music files and whose results are heavily skewed in favor of unlicensed music.

iTunes Raising Prices in Face of Competition

Starting April 7, Apple will give up it's unique price policy and raise the prices of a number of its hottest tracks to $1.29 as part of a new "variable pricing" strategy that will allow music publishers to sell tracks at various price points. Publishers can also sell tracks for less than $.99, which may open the door for smaller artists to get a little more traction in a very busy online store.

[via Switched]

Coldplay's "Life In Technicolor" sounds like a ringtone

Coldplay took a very different direction for its fourth album - Viva La Vida - and many said it is the most experimental offering. One of the songs even sounds like a ringtone. Channel News Asia reports.

Chris Martin, Coldplay's vocalist, said: "It was a little flippant but there's some truth in that because we were speaking to our friend yesterday and she said that ringtones are more popular in some places in the world than songs.

"So when we had the song "Life In Technicolor" we kept it because the melody was like a ringtone... so I was being a bit flippant but with a pinch of truth."

Ringtone Shuffler

Now this is a good idea. Ringtone Shuffler enables you to hear a different custom ringtone that you have put on your phone, every time a call comes. A great feature when you have many custom ringtones and you want to enjoy all of them.

Ringtone Shuffler is available for BlackBerry, Windows Mobile SmartPhones, Palm Treos and Centros, Android or T -Mobile G1 and iPhones.

Italian operators fined over ringtone subscriptions

Italy's competition authority has fined various content suppliers and mobile operators a total of EUR 2.2 million for improper commercial practices regarding the sale of ringtones and multimedia content. Trading Markets reports.

According to the regulator, the promotional messages did not clearly state that by requesting the service, users did not only download the single ringtone but also subscribed to a subscription billed weekly from the phone bill. Also, the costs were unclear and it was difficult to dis-activate the service.

Among the operators fined are Telecom Italia (EUR 640,000), Vodafone Italia (EUR 560,000), Wind (EUR 480,000) and 3 Italia (EUR 155,000). The list of content suppliers fined includes Dada (EUR 125,000), Buongiorno (EUR 115,000), Zed (EUR 95,000) and Zeng (EUR 55,000).

Sales Tax Could Apply To Digital Music Under Bill

Cell phone ringtones, digital books and music downloads would be subject to sales tax in Minnesota under new bills introduced Monday in the House and Senate. WCO

Senate Taxes Chairman Tom Bakk had hinted last week that a sales tax on music downloads and other digital products could be part of the Democrats' plan to help the state raise more revenue. Minnesota lawmakers are working to fill a two-year $4.6 billion budget deficit.

Song.ly Lets You Share Music Via Twitter

Song.ly lets your share and discover music on
Twitter.

Song.ly takes the URL of an MP3, shortens it for Twitter so that a user can tweet the url of the song, and then puts it into a compact Flash player for listening.

More in TechCrunch

Why Imeem’s Music Isn’t Free on Cellphones

How’s this for a music business model: What you listen to on your computer is free, but you’ve got to pay for the tracks on your cellphone.

That is the deal behind a new mobile music application from Imeem, the big music-oriented social network. Bits Blog reports.

Imeem’s claim to fame is that it is the first site that lets users stream most any song legally, paying the bills with advertising and the sale of downloadable tracks. But you can’t pick your songs on the company’s latest mobile application, which works for now only on phones using Google’s Android operating system.

Depeche Mode debuts iTunes season-pass model

Apple's introduces the new iTunes Pass model with veteran band Dépêche Mode, which records on the EMI label. [via stuff]

Similar to the Season Pass model iTunes implemented in March 2006 for TV show downloads, the iTunes Pass lets artists sell a range of products for one flat price and deliver them throughout a given period of time.

As the first act to take advantage of the program, Depeche Mode is offering two exclusive singles to fans who sign up for the US$19 bundle, which includes a pre-order for the album.

Sony and mSpot Sign Ringtone Deal

Sony Music Entertainment and mSpot have entered into a ringtone distribution agreement that will add Sony's catalog of artists to mSpot's collection of over 400,000 song titles. AppScout reports.

mSpot's customers can find the new Sony tracks through the Make-UR-Tones mobile application available on AT&T, Sprint and Verizon cell phones. The app lets listeners select full-track songs and edit them to create short, customized ringtones, and will soon work for Sony artists like Leona Lewis, Alicia Keys, Justin Timberlake, and Britney Spears.

mSpot now offers ringtones form all four major labels, including EMI, Warner Music, and Universal, along with indies Ingrooves and IRIS. Companies like mSpot, Myxer, and Jamster offer ringtones separately as well as through various agreements with the major carriers.

Google Agrees To Disclose Hidden Costs Of 'Free' Ringtones

The Florida Attorney General's office has convinced Google to require search marketers to disclose hidden costs associated with supposedly free ringtones. Mediapost reports.

Now, a search for "free ringtones" on Google returns sponsored listings with headlines like "complimentary ringtones," but with copy that includes phrases like "ad-supported or $9.99/month."

The deal was forged after six months of talks between the Florida authorities and Google, said Will Haselden, head of the cyberfraud division of the Florida Attorney General's economic fraud unit. "We figured you could represent $9.99 a month in seven or eight characters," he said. "We convinced Google that advertising wouldn't be markedly affected by putting that in there."

Read full article.

Tax on iTunes Downloads in Wis. Gov's Budget Plan

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle has proposed a five percent sales tax on iTunes and other digital downloads as an option to cut into the state's budget shortfall. Fox9.com reports.

Doyle wants to impose the sales tax on downloads starting October 1st.

The tax would apply to more than music, with movies, ringtones, electronic books and greeting cards all eligible for the download sales tax.

Doyle says it would generate $11 million over two years.

Could a $3 iPhone App Change the Way Music is Delivered?

Apple has approved an iPhone application from the Nineties alternative rock group The Presidents of the United States of America. The PUSA app sells for $2.99, and lets you stream the band's entire catalog of music, which includes hits like "Peaches" and "Lump," over a Wi-Fi or cellular connection. PC World reports.

Fans who buy the app also get access to premium content like the band's original 10-song demo tape Froggystyle; a link to buy PUSA songs on the iTunes store; outtakes and live recordings that will be updated regularly; and links to the PUSA blog.

... Dave Dederer, PUSA's lead singer, said the PUSA app is a trial run for a much bigger business model that would allow bands to preview albums directly with fans and then give them the opportunity to pre-purchase the album at the iTunes store.

Since the music is streamed, labels don't have to worry about the album ending up on a file-sharing site, and with a link to the iTunes Store the app might actually encourage people to buy the music.

Read full article.

Previously: - The Presidents of the USA introduces iPhone app

More states join iTunes tax debate

A growing number of states are considering taxing songs from iTunes to relieve their strained budgets, though at least one state may buck the trend in the hopes of appearing more tech-friendly. cnet news reports.

A state legislator in North Dakota last week introduced a bill to explicitly exempt digital goods such as digital music or movies, digital books, or ringtones from the state's sales tax and use tax. A hearing on the bill is scheduled for next week.

At least 17 states currently collect taxes on digital goods, and a handful more may join them. A bill was introduced last week in the Mississippi state legislature to impose taxes on digital goods, and lawmakers in North Carolina are considering a digital goods tax as well. New York Gov. David Paterson has proposed the tax in his state, and legislators in states like California and Wisconsin may take up the issue again this year despite a lack of support for it in the past.

The extra revenues that could be gained from taxing digital downloads may be appealing to state lawmakers, but Stephen Kranz, an attorney at Sutherland law firm who represents members of the digital media industry, called digital download taxes "a short-sighted approach to digital tax policy."

Music downloads could face a tax in NC

North Carolina could soon be taxing people who download music, ringtones, movies, and software.

Tuesday, the Revenue Laws Study Committee met with the Legislature to suggest that the state and local tax be applied to the electronic transactions.

... If the tax is added, NC could collect $8 million next year while local governments could collect nearly $4 million.

[via WECT]

Patent pending: Apple audio sensor

It happens all the time: You miss an important phone call because you're in a loud environment and your ringtone volume is turned down too low.

Apple just filed a patent on an audio sensor that adjusts volume based on ambient sound.

More from Apple Insider.

[via DVICE]

Music world embracing unlimited downloads

After years of futile efforts to stop digital pirates from copying its music, the music business has started to copy the pirates. The IHT reports.

Online and mobile services offering listeners unlimited, "free" access to millions of songs are set to proliferate in the coming months, according to executives of the recording companies, Internet service providers and cellphone makers who gathered in Cannes for the MIDEM music conference over the weekend.

Unlike illegal file-sharing services, which the music industry says are responsible for billions of dollars in lost sales, these new offerings are perfectly legal. The services are not really free, but payment is included in the cost of, say, a new cellphone or a broadband Internet access contract, so the cost to the consumer is disguised. And, unlike pirate sites, these services provide revenue to the music companies.

Read full article.

Pearl Jam To Re-Release Debut Album Through Mobile Phone Provider

Pearl Jam are to re-issue their 1991 debut album, 'Ten', through the US mobile service provider Verizon Wireless. GigWIse reports.

One remastered track a week will be made available to customers via V Cast Music with Rhapsody from January 13th, beginning with 'Once'.

Fans with the the VZW Tones application will also be able to download previously unreleased ringtones from the album.

The promotion comes ahead of 'Ten's' general re-release on March 24th.

Universal signs DIY ringtone deal

Universal Music is to team up with ID Interactive to let users make their own custom ringtones, reports Mobile Entertainemnt.

ID's UrTone player allows consumers to select any part of a track and tweak it to their own specifications. They can alter the start and end points, and dictate the duration of the tone to within one tenth of a second.

Want to Copy iTunes Music? Go Ahead, Apple Says

Apple said it would begin selling song downloads without anticopying measures and change its pricing structure. The New York Times reports.

Beginning this week, three of the four major music labels — Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group — will begin selling music through iTunes without digital rights management software, or D.R.M., which controls the copying and use of digital files. The fourth, EMI, was already doing so.

In return, Apple, whose dominance in online music sales gives it powerful leverage, agreed to a longstanding demand of the music labels and said it would move away from its insistence on pricing all individual song downloads on iTunes at 99 cents.

Instead, the majority of songs will drop to 69 cents beginning in April, while the biggest hits and newest songs will go for $1.29. Others that are moderately popular will remain at 99 cents.

Read full article.

Previously: - Apple Makes DRM Deal with Big Three Music Labels, Plus 3G Downloads Coming?

Apple Makes DRM Deal with Big Three Music Labels, Plus 3G Downloads Coming?

According to CNET sources, Apple has signed deals with Sony BMG, Universal, and Warner to bring flexibly-priced DRM-free music to iTunes while simultaneously introducing music downloads to the iPhone's 3G service.

In exchange, Apple has agreed to become more flexible on pricing, the sources said.

Apple and the music labels have also apparently come to terms on over-the-air downloads, according to a source.

[via Gizmodo]

Doctor, doctor my ears are ringing

Hospitals in the UK have been told to allow more patients to use mobile phones on their wards. Silicon.com reports.

Updated government guidelines, issued today, say hospitals should encourage patients to use their mobiles wherever possible, by putting up signs indicating where handsets can be safely used.

... However, the changes have sparked anger among the NHS Confederation, which represents workers across the NHS.

Nigel Edwards, director of policy for the NHS Confederation, said hospitals could be made more stressful by loud noise and annoying ringtones brought by the advent of mobiles.

Hospitals are one of the latest havens from the mobile ringtone to come under threat and the move to allow phones on wards follows a decision by European regulators to pave the way for mobile calls on flights.

Related: Mobile phones have no adverse effect on hospital equipment however, Most cell phones used by doctors carry infectious pathogens

Zune 'bug' fixed, says Microsoft

The glitch that froze many older Zune music players should now have been cleared, says Microsoft, reports the BBC.

Many owners of 30GB Zune players found that the gadget froze up on the last day of 2008, thanks to a problem with software on the device.

But, said Microsoft, players should function properly once fully charged and switched on again on 1 January.

However, some Zune owners were still reporting lingering problems with their portable player.

Related: - Microsoft Zune music player hit by 'Y2K-type' bug

Microsoft Zune music player hit by 'Y2K-type' bug

Certain models of the company's Zune media player - Microsoft's equivalent of the iPod - rolled over and played dead on a New Year's Eve. The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Microsoft's online support forum for Zunes were flooded on Wednesday with thousands of reports of the malfunction affecting the 30GB model Zune.

"I was playing music and all of sudden the music stopped and it shut off. I turned the Zune back on and it loaded to 100% but then froze and none of the reset combinations are working," wrote one angry user.

Many of the forum posters tagged themselves as "Victim of the December 31st 2008 Zune 30 Meltdown!"

Google Cleared from Fraudulent Ringtones Case

Google is not liable for fraudulent ringtone advertisements on its AdWords platform. The ruling by District Court Judge Jeremy Fogel states that the federal Communications Decency Act clears Google from any liability for pay-per-click ads created via AdWords.

[via Wireless ad Mobile News]

Ringtone Marketer Pays $1 Million In Settlement

Ringtone marketer Media Breakaway has agreed to pay $1 million to settle a fraud investigation by Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum. Online Media Daily reports.

Media Breakaway , based in Denver, allegedly ran Web ads promising "free" ringtones and other mobile content, but then enrolled consumers who accepted the offer in paid subscription programs, according to McCollum's office.

"A large number of CyberFraud complaints led to a widespread investigation over the past several months which revealed thousands of Florida consumers had received these charges on their cell phone bills for mobile content downloads that they neither desired nor authorized," the Florida Attorney General's office said in a statement.

New York considers taxing iTunes downloads

The state is staring at a $15.4 billion deficit so Gov. David Paterson is proposing an "iPod tax" as part of his state budget. Under the plan, New York would charge state and local sales tax for "digitally delivered entertainment services," according to a story in The New York Daily News via cnet news.

That includes e-books downloaded to Amazon's Kindle as well as for the digital songs obtained from Apple's iTunes. If the state legislature passes the governor's plan, the price of digital content for New Yorkers is sure to go up. The tax would also apply to sporting events, movie tickets, taxis, and satellite TV and radio.

Challenges remain for Amazon digital music service

After its first full year selling tracks from all four major labels, Amazon's digital music store has become the second-largest a la carte service, according to industry estimates. Reuters reports.

But it's a very distant second to iTunes. Major-label sources say that they had hoped the company would have fared better than it did. Amazon has yet to release any sales figures for digital music, and it did not respond to interview requests for this story. But Piper Jaffray financial analyst Gene Munster estimates that Amazon will sell 130 million tracks this year -- a paltry sum compared with the 2.4 billion songs iTunes is expected to sell in 2008.