DOT COMEDY
And Love The Internet
eGreetings has signed a "strategic alliance" with Universal Music Group. As part of the deal users will be able to send animated music e-cards (note the "e") with music from 98 Degrees, Sting, blink-182 and—perfect for sympathy e-cards—Eminem. The cards use Flash animation and the like while playing excerpts of songs, and include a link so that the receiver of the card can purchase the CD. Hey, sending them is free, and if you e-mail the Brian McKnight card, you know you'll get some play.
LISTEN.COM ADDS SCHOCK TO SYSTEM
Net music destination Listen.com has appointed Dan Schock its new VP of Sales. Prior to his appointment, Schock spent four years in sales at Microsoft, where he was consistently promised a chance to meet Bill Gates. In his new post, Schock hopes fervently to meet Listen.com CEO Rob Reid.
SDMIC SDKEY SDMOUSE
The Secure Digital Music Initiative, which is raising a ruckus thanks to reports that it may not be so secure, has expanded its functionality specs to make it easier to develop SDMI-compliant devices. Now you can pine for certified cell phones and radios, as well as devices to play music "in addition to their other capabilities." We're hoping they mean things like the digital cameras that have MP3 players included, only employing whatever digital format SDMI decides is "secure." Next up, SDMI tackles developing a perpetual motion machine.
FLEET FLOOTED
Proving that those wacky Brits love to do things in their own way, Floot.com, an—get this—online music retailer that sells both Windows Media downloads and physical CDs—has signed a three-year licensing agreement with Amplified. Through the pact Floot will have access to Amplified's free and paid digital downloads, but not its dictionary.
MONEY FOR NEXT TO NOTHING
While it's getting harder and harder to get VCs to put money into the music space, ETC Music received a strategic investment from S3's Rio Division. ETC's main product is MusicTeller, an ATM-like machine that allows users to download music directly into their portable players. The kiosks fit in brick-and-mortar retail stores, and charge a $1.50 fee if you have your checking account at a different store—but they're still more convenient than ETC's recent product AlTeller, which tended to run out of cash very quickly indeed.
