DIGITAL MUSIC NEWS – WEEK IN REVIEW

Week In Review

• P2Ps have been feeling the heat since a round of RIAA cease-and-desist letters. eDonkey this week indicated that it will comply with RIAA demands, and is taking some steps to move towards a sanctioned, closed system. Others are also reportedly moving in that direction as well.
• Memory cards got their day in the sun this week. SanDisk will now release the latest Rolling Stones album on its microSD card, while V2 and Disney also announced their own album releases on the memory card format.
• In the satellite sector, GM rolled out its three millionth XM-compatible dashboard, while XM itself surpassed five million total subscribers. The company expects to cross 6 million by year end.
• The verbal sparring continued over iTunes pricing this week. Elsewhere in the online music space, MusicNet reached two million tracks in its catalog.
• In the mobile world, Nokia delayed the launch of its much-anticipated N91.
• And MTV was very active, inking relationships with both Warner Music and Sprint Nextel. Meanwhile, Apple executives expressed reservations over device convergence.
• Elsewhere, Universal Music announced a new live concert relationship with Instant Live, a division of Clear Channel Entertainment. Instant Live offers CDs of a just-completed performance to concertgoers.