Venzo Music Integrates Pre-Cut iTunes Ringtones via INTRANET

Hi guys,

Exciting times are ahead of us here at Venzo Digital. With new store additions coming, with new markets, we are positioning ourselves to be an industry leader in providing forward thinking technology to both small and large labels. It is with great pleasure to announce publicly of our new feature added into our powerful existing INTRANET technology.

Currently, artists who would like to sell ringtones on iTunes are informed from their distributor that they would have to cut the ringtone first in order for them to sell a ringtone on iTunes. Artist would then use iTunes itself to cut full-length songs into ringtones or use a audio clipper to create ringtones from scratch. While this is a pretty good method, it is also time consuming considering that if an artist has more than 200+ tracks.

Today, we would like to unveil our new "Pre-Cut Ringtones" feature fully implemented into INTRANET, the world's most powerful digital technology. Through INTRANET, artists are able to upload a song for Ringtone distribution as if they were submitting a full-length single. Should artist uploads a full length song in Ringtone mode, INTRANET will automatically cut the full-length song into a 25 second ringtone before delivery. This powerful feature makes distributing ringtones on iTunes a breeze. INTRANET automates a start time of 0:45 to a stop time of 1:09. This is because usually the chorus of a song is between those intervals. As a result, artists are able to create a simple, pre-cut, ready-for-sale ringtone for iTunes. What's even better? It's all for FREE!

So how do you get started?

Simple. Simply visit Venzo Music at: http://music.venzodigital.com, create your FREE account, and start selling music & ringtones for FREE!

Spotify Launches Today In Australia & New Zealand – Venzo Music Delivers to Spotify!!!

Source: Hypebot

"G’day Australia. Kia Ora New Zealand. Spotify here." read the simultaneous press releases as Spotify went live in Australia and New Zealand at 5PM ET today.  The launch brings Spotify's country count to 15 along with Germany, US, UK, Sweden, France, Spain, Netherlands, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, and Belgium.

As it does elsewhere, Spotify will offer a free option in both new countries.  In Australia, the Spotify Unlimited will be $6.99 AU and Premium service is priced at $11.99 AU. In New Zealand the services are $7.49 NZ and $12.99 NZ respectively.

Venzo Launches INTRANET 5, Signs Deals with eMusic & Playstation 3’s VidZone

Facebook Confirms: “We Have Removed the Grooveshark App…”

Source: Digital Music News

Grooveshark first brushed it off as a simple 'error,' but this was no accident. In fact, Facebook has now confirmed to Digital Music News that the Grooveshark app has been deliberately banned based on infringement concerns.  "We have removed the Grooveshark app due to a copyright infringement complaint we received," a Facebook spokesperson told us, on the record. 

The source of that complaint was not disclosed, though the dots are pretty easy to connect on this one.  And that could become a disastrous problem: early indicators show a significant drop in Grooveshark's traffic, not to mention confused users and a vanished app.    

But this goes beyond an off'd app: Facebook has also taken the extreme step of completely disabling its login authorizations on the main Grooveshark site and web-based app.   So here's what happens if you try to log into Grooveshark using your Facebook ID.

Exclusive: The Orchard Aquires IRIS Distribution

Source: Billboard.biz

The Orchard has acquired fellow digital distributor IRIS Distribution, bringing further consolidation to the digital distribution marketplace, according to an email apparently addressed to IRIS-distributed labels from that company's co-founder and president Matt Laszuk. Terms of the deal and plans for IRIS employees were not disclosed in the email.

"We've seen a lot of change over the last nine years," the email reads in part. "Retailers have come and gone; 'mobile' has gone from meaning the iPod to ringtones to the cloud on your smartphone; and today labels don't just sell music, they touch every income stream they possibly can. Nine years later the music industry is transformed.

"Today we announce that we're joining with The Orchard. We've thought hard about where the industry is headed, and we truly believe that this is the best next step for our labels. Marketing, technology, and legal expertise are all fundamental at The Orchard, and we know that they have the momentum to help you succeed for the next nine years.

"I look forward to continuing to work with you. Myself as well as the staff you've gotten to know well will be here to answer questions and continue to move your music into retail and beyond."
 
Nine-year-old IRIS, co-founded by Laszuk and chief marketing officer Bryn Boughton, joins a growing distribution company that merged with IODA Distribution in March. Boughton is head of BlinkerActive, IRIS's interactive marketing and promotion arm. The Orchard also offers marketing services in addition to distribution of both digital and phyiscal product.

The Orchard CEO Brad Navin addressed IRIS-distributed labels in the email, welcoming them to the company and expressing an eagerness to work together. "Starting now, our expanded company in San Francisco, New York, London, Berlin, Paris, Barcelona and Florence is at your service," he said in the statement.

At press time, neither company had commented publicly on the news.

Google Opens Free Hangouts On Air To All

Source: Hypebot

This morning Google flipped the switch on a major expansion of Google Hangouts that makes possible new opportunities for artists to interact directly with fans. Now anyone can now stream their Google+ Hangouts live video chats to an unlimited number of viewers.

Google Hangout video chats had been limited to 10 people with only select "celebrity" users pre-approved to stream their Hangouts to a bigger group of viewers. Now these Hangouts On Air are available to all users.

How Artists Can Use Hangouts On Air

Imagine letting 10 "VIP guests" (i.e. fans who win a contest plus band members) into your hangout to interact during a live Google Hangout broadcast concert, listening party or Q&A with the band.  With "On Air", now an unlimited number of fans can watch the event. Hangouts On Aire automatically streamed to your Google+ profile, YouTube account and anywhere you embed it. There's also an online chat/social function.

HMV Blames ‘Weak New Release Schedule’ For $26 Million Loss (But Predicts Imminent Return To Profitability)

Source: Billboard.biz

Troubled British retailer HMV has forecast a pre-tax loss of £16 million ($25.9 million) for the year ending April 28, blaming a "weak new release schedule in CDs and DVDs" in the fourth quarter for the lower than expected sales.
 
The retailer had previously forecast a year-end pre-tax loss of £10 million ($16.2 million). HMV Group, which also includes its profitable live arm HMV Live, expects year-end net debt to be approximately £168 million ($271.9 million), representing an improvement on its £180 million ($291.4 million) debt forecast the previous quarter.

How To Offer Free Music Downloads And Press Kits Via Dropbox & WordPress

Source: Hypebot

Musicians often need to provide free music downloads for press purposes or to spread the word to fans. Recently Dropbox unveiled a feature that allows you to share with a link. Like WordPress.com blogs, Dropbox limits free storage and charges for extra storage but doesn't bill based on bandwidth used. This option is also useful for sharing press kits with media outlets and music supervisors.

While you may prefer using one of a number of services that allow you to require an email address for a free download, Dropbox offers you a nice display while  WordPress.com allow you to customize and even design the page on which your download is offered.

Dropbox already featured various ways to share large files and create public folders but they've improved your options with their new link sharing feature. It includes a gallery display page where you can customize what visitors see when they arrive for their download: