Coldplay latest act to freeze out streaming services (scoop)

Coldplay latest act to freeze out streaming services (scoop)
EMI, the band's record label, acknowledged that Coldplay, known for such songs as "Yellow"and "Clocks," will not distribute through streaming services for "Mylo Xyloto," but did not detail the reasons for the decision."We always work with our artists and management on a case by case basis to deliver the best outcome for each release," EMI said in a statement. "Mylo Xyloto," however, has been streamed online. Coldplay, which has sold more than 50 million records since debuting in 1996, offered a new track from the album each day last week through iTunes. Coldplay representatives were not immediately available for comment. EMI, the smallest of the four largest record companies, is a little embarrassed by the band's decision, according to the sources who spoke with CNET. All four of the major labels have thrown their support behind streaming services and it is one of the ways the industry has seen a modest amount of success at convincing fans to again pay for music after a decade-long era of rampant music piracy.Losing a band with the marquee value of Coldplay is a blow to the streaming sector but it is only the most recent act to follow a no-streaming strategy amid concerns over payouts. The management team of singer-actor Tom Waits has informed services such as Spotify, Rhapsody, and MOG, that it will not be distributing his new album, "Bad As Me," through them, according to industry sources. The album "21," from British songstress Adele, is one of the best selling of the year but the music can't be found on Spotify.While Spotify offers millions of tracks, there are other bands as well missing from its catalog. What's going on? "We have strong support from the music industry," Spotify said in a statement. "We of course respect the decision of any artist who chooses not to have their music on Spotify for whatever reason. We do however hope that they will change their minds as we believe that the Spotify model is adding, and will continue to add, huge value to the music industry. Right now we have already convinced millions of consumers to pay for music again, and that they are generating real revenue for the music business."Jaimee Steele, a spokeswoman for Rhapsody, said that artists must remember this is a new segment and that it will take time to produce the kind of sales volume as say iTunes and music downloads. But she also cautioned that streaming is where the public is going. And for artists, streaming is likely to be more profitable over the longer term.Album cover for '21' from singer Adele.Sony Music Entertainment"Artists are getting paid every time one of their tracks is being played," Steele said. "A download is sold and the revenue is distributed, but the artist doesn't see any more money from future plays of that song. With streaming, if someone plays a song a million times, the artist will earn money from that. Music acts could potentially make more money. Coldplay's handlers are telling some of the services they won't stream because they believe "Mylo Xyloto" should be heard as one cohesive work, according to one industry insider with knowledge of the discussions. They don't want the album to be broken up into singles. If that's true, how often have we heard this before? Acts such as AC/DC, Kid Rock, and Pink Floyd have all eschewed digital sales at one point and claimed that their music should be heard in its entirety. That's fine, but forcing people to buy music that they may not want is taking us back to the days of the CD, when fans people required to plunk down $15 for one or two good songs. It was anti-consumer then and it is anti-consumer now.

The 404 453- Where the role of Justin Yu will be played by Mark Licea

The 404 453: Where the role of Justin Yu will be played by Mark Licea
On today's show, we talk about beautifupeople.com, a Web site that is finally coming to the United States, which only beautiful people are allowed to join. That's right: in order to join this dating Web site, you have to be pretty.Users must submit their pictures, then the community decides whether you're hot enough to join. Unfortunately, Jeff and Wilson will likely get rejected. We'll let you know what Mark finds out on the Web site.Not cool.Phoenix New TimesAfter that, we find out that older men who are less educated than their female counterparts are less likely to get a divorce and are generally happier in their relationships.So we guess all those cougar relationships out there aren't going to work out. We also check out a not cool "illegal alien costume."It might have been funny on "Chappelle's Show," but it's likely to get the crap beat out of you immediately.Finally, we cover CNN's new Web site and we get to some video game news and commentary. The PlayStation 3 finally gets Netflix streaming after Xbox 360 has had it for almost a year now. Took them long enough, but we think this might start to change the balance of power in the video game console war, because it will be free on the PlayStation 3, rather than having to sell out $50 bucks a year for a Xbox Live Gold membership. Plus, Wilson gets close to beating Ghostbusters: The Videogame.His take? It's fun to watch, a little monotonous to play after a while, but a good buy.Please, please, send in voice mails.We're running a bit low these days, and we love to hear your feedback.Call in at 1-866-404-CNET (2638).Call!(Especially if you're a lady.)Episode 453PodcastYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) |Subscribe in RSS Audio |Subscribe in RSS Video This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayFollow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson TangAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff BakalarWilson Tang