DOT COM ON FEEL THE NOIZE
Liquid Audio, a provider of software and services for the delivery of music on the Internet, and the Country Music Assn. have teamed to provide free digital sound bites to country radio stations from four CMA Awards nominees through Oct. 4. Radio stations wishing to participate in the promotion can go to www.CMAworld.com to download or stream exclusive interview sound bites from Faith Hill, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw and Brad Paisley. The CMA Awards will be telecast live Oct. 4 on CBS. Sources said Liquid Audio had to pay CMA officials in chewing tobacco and 10-gallon hats to gain Internet rights.
FULLAUDIO NEARS $15 MIL IN FUNDING
FullAudio, a Chicago-based company developing a digital music subscription service, has closed on $15 million in second-round financing led by Venture Strategy Partners. Other investors include New Enterprise Associates and Kettle Partners, according to online news site Webnoize. The company hopes to introduce the service in early 2001. FullAudio CEO Chris Gladwin said the company is negotiating with the five major label groups for licenses to use their music. FullAudio might want to change its name to FullyHopeful considering the current state of the online music market, an avid hitsdailydouble.com reader said.
SMASHING PUMPKINS CRASH INTERNET
The Smashing Pumpkins will give away more than an album's worth of unreleased tracks online; a decision sources said stems from Virgin's refusal to release the material on CD, according to published reports. The band is encouraging fans to spread the 25 tracks from the album, which is being dubbed "Machina II /The Friends And Enemies Of Modern Music," through trading circles, and will make one new track every day available for download from their Website. No word if anyone is still actually interested in the Smashing Pumpkins.
