music
Startup ProjectOpus launches personal music organization, sharing and importing features
ProjectOpus.com, a DRM-free online music community, recently released a screencast (watch below) detailing the launch of their new "Music Importing Tool". These new features mark a strategic change for the company: Site members can now organize their music collections and create playlists that include both the music of ProjectOpus artists, and any music found on the web. They can also tag, organize their song collections, which can then be shared via player widgets that can be embedded into MySpace/Facebook/Bebo/Hi5/Friendster or their blog.
What Microsoft *should* have done with Zune
When we all first heard about Microsoft's Zune -- it sounded like a decent contender for an Apple iPod competitor. Big screen, video, pictures, wireless sharing of music plus rewards for people sharing music. It sounded like it was to good to be true (or to good to be Microsoft). It sounded like a big fat powerful idea.
But reality and corporate trenches are a bitch. Here is only some of what went wrong.
Pay Per Sale to Universal
Despite what most thing, the decision to pay Universal for each unit sold was a relatively good strategic move. This will force iTunes to renegotiate with potentially different terms with the Major labels. ("If Microsoft did it, then so can you").
However, take special note that giving Universal a piece of the pie indicated that both sides are in agreement that there is a relatively large amount of piracy that happens on these devices. Therefore, the payment is basically a levy in MP3 players which goes right into the labels pocket.
Wireless
