"Sony BMG has decided to dip its toes into the world of podcasted music with its recent agreement with marketing agency Rock River Communications Inc., making it the first (and only, for the time being) major music label in the US to license music for podcasting.

While you may not have heard of Rock River Communications, you will most likely recognize what they do. The agency creates promotional mix CDs for companies like Volkswagen, The Gap, Verizon, Chrysler, and more to hand out at retail stores and dealerships. Rock River, in an attempt to move past CD-only distribution, is now creating promotional podcasts for Chrysler and Ford Motors.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Ford and Chrysler are both paying Sony BMG a flat fee to license music for podcast distribution for one year, no matter how many copies are downloaded. On the customer's side, the podcast will be free and can be kept forever. Rock River says that they are in talks to license music from more music labels in the future for podcasting." - Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica.

Next year's Sony Radio Awards will include The Internet Programme Award, which has been created specifically for streamed, Podcast and download programmes. UK Podcasters Association has been pushing for recognition, and a category to include podcasting.

"We now have a more level playing field," said UKPA Chairman Dean Whitbread. "Thanks go to Trevor Dann, head of the Radio Academy, who had the far-sightedness to organise a meeting with us on his first day in the job, and who persuaded me to join his organisation. It remains to be seen whether the award will go to one of the usual high-profile media suspects, or whether the judges will look at the great range of independently produced content that's out there."

"The British record industry has lost the fight to extend copyrights on sound recordings from 50 years to 95 years. Artists and record labels have been lobbying the government in an effort to bring copyright protection into line with United States copyright law.

In December 2005, the Chancellor of the Exchequer asked Andrew Gowers to lead an Independent Review to examine the UK’s intellectual property framework. Today, the Telegraph reports the Gowers Review has found little evidence to support record companies claims they will be deprived of profits that otherwise could be used to reinvest in new acts. The review will recommend against an extension of copyright terms but the final decision rests with the government. Music industry insiders are calling it a blow to the record industry that will detrimentally impact the income of artists in their old age. Recordings out of copyright will enter the public domain and be available for anyone to use or exploit for non-commercial and commercial purposes." - Dave's Imaginary Sound Space.

BPI
BBC
Open Rights Group: Release The Music

From the length and breadth of the UK - and several other places besides - UK Podcasters prepare to assemble for November 18th's PodcastCon, the UK eqivalent of the Podcast Expo, held this year in Shoreditch, London.

Sponsored by Cheeze Media, the adventurous and podcaster-friendly digital agency headed by Jamie Riddell (accent on the second syllable, please) the conference promises something for all types of podcaster, with an extensive programme, and live music sets from well-known "podsafe" artists.

Panellists include: US podcaster C.C. Chapman, Nicole Simon from Cruel To Be Kind, Tom Hall from Lonely Planet, Guillaume du Gardier from Edelman, Heather Gorringe from Wiggly Wigglers, Suw Charman from Open Rights Group, Chris Vallance from BBC,
Neil McIntosh from The Guardian, John Buckman from Magnatune, famed UK podcasters Martin Devaughan, Mark Hunter, John Buckley, and MCing the whole event is "Podcast" Paul Nicholls (UK Podcasters Association).

The battle of the Podcast Networks is hotting up, Australian-based The Podcast Network today announcing two major new signings.

Brian Ibbott, winner of the 2005 Peoples Choice Best Music Podcast, today joins The Podcast Network with his daily entertainment show, “Today in Music History.”

Acting as a perfect slice of Podcasting every weekday, Ibbott’s latest show is a short, sharp and sweet hit of music, trivia and information that is great to dip into at any time of the day – stuck in traffic jam, waiting for a bus, or enjoying your tea break.

“TPN was a natural fit for a daily show like ‘Today In Music History’,” Ibbott points out. “They were the first commercial podcast network, and their experience in promoting podcasts under their umbrella is unrivalled. I look forward to presenting my show to a whole new audience of music and podcast lovers alike.”

“Brian was one of the first podcasters to make a truly great music show with Coverville,” enthuses Ewan Spence, Executive Director and Head of Music at The Podcast Network. “He still is a genuine trail-blazer, and to bring this unique and exciting show, and its host, to the Network has long been a personal goal. I can’t wait for our listener’s reaction to the news.”

Iain Foulds, the man behind the Unsigned Rock Podcast, is the latest signing to The Podcast Network. Taking the chair to host the Monday and Thursday shows on the TPN Rock show, Foulds brings a strong following from his previous show of audience and bands

Having started in March 2005, TPN Rock has evolved from a single show to a well-respected brand name in the online rock world. As it moved from a single show to a powerful brand name, TPN Rock fans have continued to ask for more music for their MP3 players and computers.

“Till now I have been leaving the audience wanting more,” pointed out Ewan Spence, host of TPN Rock and Executive Director of The Podcast Network, “but Iain’s show was so close to the style of TPN Rock, and because we get on fantastically well, the obvious solution was the way forward.”

“Working with The Podcast Network will allow me to give bands and artists more exposure, and that can only be a good thing,” Foulds comments. “Everyone I get in touch with about the podcast immediately realises the potential, and can’t wait to get involved. I’m sure The Podcast Network, Ewan, and myself can provide even more opportunities and exposure for these unknown, unsigned and under-appreciated bands to be heard around the world.”

Research conducted by Point Topic in the first two months of 2006 show that around half of UK households do not have internet access and are not intending to get it, despite the slew of free broadband offers available. Most new broadband connections are simply replacing existing dial up. According The Register, 44 per cent of UK households don't have net access and views are becoming more entrenched. 44.8 per cent of those households don't think the net is important at all (another 29.8 per cent think it's not very important). And 70 per cent of those households thought it unlikely, or not very likely, that they'd get online.

Two thirds of households surveyed don't have a PC, and alternatives aren't considered very attractive. Only 14 per cent of non-access households rated a TV or mobile phone as a good alternative to PC-based net access. Email-capable phones, games consoles, and PDAs rated even lower.

"The code that prevents music downloaded from Apple's iTunes store being played on any portable player other than an iPod has been "cracked". Apple has not commented on claims that Jon Lech Johansen has "reverse engineered" the FairPlay system. Prominent hacker Mr Johansen has made a name circumventing software used to restrict the use of digital media. His company, DoubleTwist, said that it planned to license the code to other digital music player manufacturers.

"There's a certain amount of trouble that Apple can give us, but not enough to stop this," Monique Farantzos, managing director at DoubleTwist told Associated Press.

"We believe we're on good legal ground, and our attorneys have given us the green light on this."

At the moment iTunes controls 88% of the legal music download market, while 60% of those possessing a portable music player own an iPod. - BBC