PANDORA OPENS iPHONE APP TO ADVERTISERS: Pandora is now selling advertising on their iPhone application, according to a press release from the company today. Best Buy and Beck’s beer have already jumped on board (Best Buy’s campaign on the iPhone, activated when users launch the Pandora application on their iPhone, iPhone 3G, and iPod touch, goes live today). The Pandora application has been downloaded 1.1 million times since July 11 when Apple launched the App Store. This represents nearly one out of every ten iPhone and iPhone 3G users. For more, read the official press release here.

HANSON SPEAKS TO NY DAILY NEWS ON WEBCAST ROYALTIES: RAIN publisher and AccuRadio founder Kurt Hanson brought up a few important points that often get missed in news coverage of the situation. Most importantly, while the music industry often accuses webcasters of trying to get a free ride and build businesses on the backs of performers, Hanson insists, “Webcasters don’t mind paying royalties… It just should be proportionate to what they make and what everyone else [other forms of radio] pays.” He also reminded the Daily News’s David Hinckley that most webcasters are still able to operate only through an informal agreement to continue to pay old, lower rates while negotiations continue. Read more here.

DIMA, NARM SPEAK UP AGAINST ROYALTIES FOR 30-SECOND SONG PREVIEWS: On Friday, the Digital Media Association (DiMA) and the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) filed a brief asking a federal court to reject the notion that online music retailers should have to pay royalties on 30-previews of the music they sell. The case involves ASCAP versus AT&T, and preview versions of ringtone and “ringback” music files, Digital Music News reports. “DiMA members pay tens of millions of dollars in royalties to songwriters and publishers for online music sales,” said DiMA executive director Jonathan Potter. “If ASCAP succeeds in pressing its demand for a new payment for these previews, internet music retailers would be disadvantaged simply because they are selling online…” Read Digital Music News’s coverage here.

CABRADIO OFFERS B’CASTER’S GUIDE TO TWITTER: Broadcast Media Services’ new media company CABRadio.com is offering broadcasters a free “how-to” on using the popular social media tool Twitter. The guide, called RadioTwit, includes ideas for how to connect to listeners who may not even be listening at the moment, and inform them of upcoming songs, contests, and weather and traffic updates. Download the guide here.

Comment

1. Any details on how many people are actually using Pandora and not just downloading it?

   — Matt Gunter · Sep 22, 01:59 PM · #

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