DOT COM BEFORE THE STORM
This just in, and not from FuckedCompany.com, but from Wired: Another music Web site is looking for a buyer, and this one actually has the option of choosing among bidders. Webcaster/online music distributor/unsigned band showcase Riffage.com, owners of 1500 Records and San Francisco's Great Music Hall, despite getting funding from both AOL and BMG, has the fore sale sign up because venture capital is drying up. If you do happen to purchase Riffage, please don't forget our 7% finder's fee.
AMPLIFIED MAKES EMI LOUDER
In an announcement that makes us not just warm but fuzzy, too, if only because it uses the phrase "non-exclusive strategic partnership,"Amplified was granted non-exclusive worldwide rights to provide EMI digital content to online retailers as downloads for sale. Ooh, baby. The Germans are gonna love this. As part of the deal, Amplified will work on EMI's full-length album digital distribution project. We hope that someday Amplified will design advertising around the phrase "These Amps go to 11." It's like Artie Fufkin says, "G'ahead... kick me."
ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER LAWSUIT
MP3.com's lawyers can't take a vacation just yet. Indie powerhouse, OK, indie label Unity Entertainment Corporation filed a class-action suit against the netco. The suit alleges—hold your breath—copyright infringement. We thought they just paid $53.4 million to settle that. In a completely unrelated story, several lawyers were seen driving very fast behind a van with flashing red lights.
TWO JOIN TONOS
Former Supertracks.com VP Business Development Peter Sherman has joined Tonos as VP of Business Development and Strategy. He will be responsible for building the core business and driving strategic partnerships with entertainment, media and Internet companies and monitoring David Foster mentions on the Velvet Rope. Also joining Tonos is Richard Lewis, signing up as SVP and CFO. He was most recently CFO of PublicStudios.com and a neurotic stand-up comic who once starred in a TV show with Jamie Lee Curtis.
MUSICMATCH MAKER MAKES A MATCH
MusicMatch just launched the Gold version of its MusicMatch Jukebox 6.0. The all-in-one digital music app's latest version is available as a free download. Though heavier than the aluminum version, this version, with personalizable MusicMatch Radio built right in, also includes support for AAC and EMMS, a skin development kit, more than 100,000 tracks to choose from, 1,398 Palm Beach ballots with votes for Pat Buchanan and a special wallpaper feature.
AUDIOHIGHWAY HITS ROADBLOCK
Streaming/downloadable audio content company Audiohighway.com laid off two-thirds of its employees today. The company, which has partnered with Barnesandnoble.com, Liquid Audio, Clear Channel, Maverick Records, UMG and WMG, released earnings on Tuesday, reporting losses for the year at $12 on revenues of $1.98 million, with an inhouse surplus of approximately 2,987 Post-It pads.
