From Ed Christman, Billboard:The Alternative Distribution Alliance, an independent distributor owned by the Warner Music Group, has acquired Insound.com, the only indie music lifestyle store, sources confirm.
ADA apparently will use the Insound digital sales infrastructure as a back-end to allow its labels and indie accounts to open their own online download stores.
From CNN Money:LinkPlayBOX (US) Inc. (OTCBB: PYBX) is pleased to announce the signing of a letter of intent dated December 14, 2007 for the proposed acquisition of 100% of the issued capital of U.K based Delta Leisure Group Plc ("Delta") an established distributor of an extensive catalogue of major music CD's, DVD's and video's throughout the UK and Europe. Playbox is also pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Harry Maloney to its Board of Directors from December 14, 2007.
Delta, whose registered office is in Orpington, UK, holds 75% of the shares in Delta Music Limited. Delta Music Limited, has two subsidiaries: Delta Home Entertainment Ltd., and Delta Music Merchandising Ltd. Since its inception in 1993, the Delta group of companies (the "Group") has become one of the most recognized manufacturers and distributors of entertainment products in the UK with client distribution outlets including Universal, Asda, Tesco, Aldi, Sit-Up TV, TK Maxx, Toys-R-Us and Sainsbury's. In addition, Delta Music Limited was an early mover in the growing on-line digital download industry.
PlayBOX is a UK based technology company with over three years experience at offering online shop facilities to the music industry. We specifically target emerging artists and small-to-medium sized record labels who have not got the present knowledge or resource to set-up and manage their own online shop/distribution channel PlayBOX offers this to them pool services like hosting, streaming, e-commerce and digital rights management (DRM) together with the online experience and know-how to offer a cost-effective and professional platform on which to sell and promote their music products from.
LinkWhy have the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 teamed up?
Recognising you don't need different TV sets to watch rival channels, they have assumed consumers are more likely to come to a site that aggregates output from major broadcasters rather than launching rival offerings. It follows the trend in the US where News Corp and NBC recently teamed up to launch Hulu.com.
What will be on offer?
They promise at least 10,000 hours of programming at launch, ranging from "catch up" shows from the previous 30 days to classic programmes from the archive.
On which platforms will it be available?
It will launch as a PC-based service but they hope to extend it to cable and Freeview.
Why not just sell programmes through another provider?
Broadcasters are terrified of following the music industry, which devolved control over pricing and packaging to Apple.
From the site:
TuneCore Video (currently in Beta) will deliver your music videos to iTunes, where your fans can buy them for download. TuneCore CANNOT currently deliver shorts, TV shows, movies or any other video that is not specifically a MUSIC VIDEO. After your video has been purchased, the money it earned will go into your TuneCore My Account page for you to take any time you want, day or night, by check or PayPal. As always, TuneCore takes NONE of the money from the sales of your music or music videos: you will receive 100% of the money from the sale of your music video. TuneCore Video is non-exclusive, we take none of your rights or masters, and you can cancel at any time. There is no charge if you would like your video removed from iTunes after the first six months.
Here are all the fees you'll ever encounter at TuneCore Video (all fees one-time only):
Digital delivery of a music video to iTunes for more by length:
0 to 5:00 minutes: $85
5:01 to 10:00 minutes: $175
10:01 to 20:00 minutes: $250
20:01 to 30:00 minutes: $350
30:01 to 40:00 minutes: $425
Resubmitting a music video: $50
Requesting a music video be taken down from iTunes within the first six months: $20
Annual maintenance and storage fee, per video: $19.98
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