The records are double-weight vinyl discs that come with a unique code. With the code, buyers can download an unprotected, 320Kbps MP3 version of the music, to use however they like. The approach offers DJs and audiophiles the best of both analog and digital media.

First Word cofounder Andy H is a DJ and knows the difficulties and dangers of traveling with rare discs.

“The sheer weight and size of vinyl meant that I had to be very selective of what I took abroad to DJ,” says DJ and First Word cofounder Andy H. “By contrast, digital files weigh nothing, and if you have a backup, they are impossible to lose.”

The MP3 downloads are DRM-free.

“Once a customer has paid for the track, they should be free to play it in any player,” says First Word cofounder Aly Gillani. “Making a legal, paid-for version of the file less useful than a copied or pirated one doesn’t make sense.”

While incorporating the technology of the original iKEY, the new iKEY PLUS takes a step forward by including a line/ phono/ mic input, a headphone jack for real-time monitoring and front LEDs that serve as a VU meter for sound level indication.

“iKEY-Audio will continue to support the needs of a new generation of consumers,” says Gemini Chief Executive Officer Artie Cabasso. “The iKEY PLUS is a prime example of our ability to create products that are on the next level of audio recording innovation.” The iKEY PLUS has more applications than ever, allowing the user to digitize a vinyl or tape collection, capture a powerful guitar lick on an MP3 player or record a live speech or seminar. The product retails for $279.95.

More information is available at the iKey site.

According to ex-rock-star-turn-advertising-tycoon Andrey Koltakov, “100 top Russian models competed in a grilling contest to become the next Kalashnikov Girl.”

“I was ring-fencing the necessary funds for upgrading our AK-MP3 player from 20GB to 40GB and for incorporating internet P2P radio,.” says AudioBooksForFree CTO Peter Morris. “But as usual, our directors spent almost all of it on the semi-naked girls instead. We will probably have lots of complaints, instead of serious commercial exposure”.

“Two years ago, when we unveiled AK-MP3 with our first original Kalashnikov Girl, we experienced a level of complaints from American Feminists” say CEO Ruslan Fedorovsky. “But we have managed to reassure and persuade them. Now they share our beliefs that a woman with an AK-47 is very much empowered and cannot possibly be exploited or put upon in any way.”

via Podcasting News

MP3 SX enables listening to two-channel content in surround and guarantees playback with a stable localization of vocalists and solo instruments even off the sweet spot. Additionally, MP3 SX presents the feeling of envelopment by using the ambience sounds already present in the stereo source.

Traditionally, surround sound has been primarily limited to loudspeaker setups in living rooms or theaters. With the Ensonido technology, the individual listening experience through portable MP3 Surround players and stereo headphones is enhanced. To achieve this, an acoustic model simulates the natural transmission of multi-channel sound from the loudspeakers to the human ear.

MP3 Surround enables high-quality surround sound at bit rates comparable to those currently used to encode stereo MP3 material. It is backwards compatible to stereo MP3; a legacy MP3 device plays back MP3 Surround as high quality stereo.

MP3 Surround was developed by Fraunhofer IIS in collaboration with Agere Systems, introduced in December 2004 and is licensed by Thomson, co-inventors of the MP3 codec.

Demo software of these two new enhancements to the MP3 Surround technology are now available and can be downloaded for free at www.all4mp3.com.

MP3tunes

All music sold at MP3tunes will work on any computer and with any portable player including popular models like the Apple iPod, Dell DJ and Creative Nomad. At www.mp3tunes.com, consumers never run the risk of losing their music – songs that have been purchased are permanently stored in a “music locker” and accessible from any Web browser. Even if a computer crashes or a user switches machines, the music is saved and can be accessed without repurchasing.

“Digital music sales make up less than two percent of the total music business because many consumers know they aren’t really buying the music – they’re renting it from a big corporation that controls what software, computer and portable devices they can use,” Robertson said. “A consumer-friendly digital music store that provides true music ownership to paying customers can triple the digital music business almost overnight. MP3tunes gives the consumers more value because they can use the music on all their computers and MP3 players – whatever brand they may have. And it’s permanently stored in their music locker, so they never lose the music they paid for.”

MP3tunes only offers songs for purchase and download that are legally licensed for distribution from the copyright holders. More than 22,000 artists are participating in the launch of MP3tunes, and 300,000 songs representing nearly 30,000 complete CDs are now available for immediate purchase in high-quality 192k MP3 format at www.mp3tunes.com. No special software is required to sample the music and make purchases and virtually any Web browser will work.

MP3tunes differs from other online music services such as Apple’s iTunes and Microsoft’s MSN Music Store because it does not use digital restrictions management (DRM) technology, which restricts how a buyer can use the music. DRM restrictions limit what software or computer can be used to listen to the music and also limit what types of portable players will work. Songs in the open MP3 format, like those found at www.mp3tunes.com, are the most flexible for consumers because the songs work with a wide array of software players such as iTunes and Windows Media Player and are also compatible with virtually all digital players or computers, including the iPod series.

Features:

• 88¢ per song and $8.88 per CD
• Free Music Locker with permanent storage for all purchased songs
• Songs will play on all portable MP3 players
• Songs will play from any computer (Mac, Windows, Linux)
• Unlimited CD burning and downloads for personal use
• High-quality sound – 192k MP3s (most sites offer 128 KB)
• Chart-driven Web site
• You own the music

“All new trends in music start with emerging artists and progressive-thinking labels who are most willing to try new approaches, which is where MP3tunes is focusing initially,” Robertson said. “MP3.com started with complete songs in MP3 format from promising young artists like Linkin Park and Maroon 5. Then it expanded to include new artists from major labels, and eventually it grew to be a key promotional vehicle for all the major record labels. I’m confident MP3tunes will follow the same path – if music buyers come to MP3tunes, then ultimately forward-thinking labels will too.”

MP3, the world’s most popular audio compression format, goes multi-channel. Scientists and engineers from Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS, who developed MP3 together with their colleagues from Thomson, the exclusive licensing representative for their MP3 patents, and Agere Systems, have joined to launch MP3 Surround into the consumer and commercial markets. This technology will enable 5.1 channel surround sound for a broad spectrum of applications including web-based music distribution, broadcasting systems, PC-related audiovisual or gaming applications, consumer electronics and automotive systems

MP3 Surround supports high-quality multi-channel sound at bit rates comparable to those currently used to encode stereo MP3 material, resulting in files half the size of common compressed surround formats. At the same time, the new format offers complete backward compatibility to any existing MP3 software and hardware devices.

Attracting attention at several recent events and fairs, the new MP3 Surround format has become eagerly anticipated by the vast MP3 user community. The web site www.mp3surround-format.com now provides users immediate download access to free MP3 Surround evaluation software, demo samples and detailed technology information

Thomson, which has partnered with Fraunhofer IIS since the launch of MP3 in 1992, is adding Fraunhofer Institute’s new MP3 Surround technology to its licensing program.

“The free MP3 Surround evaluation software will enable everyone to test the latest feature of the digital audio standard. We encourage music artists, engineers and producers to experience this new multi-channel audio format and realize the benefits of its portability and backward compatibility,” said Henri Linde, Vice President, Growth Initiatives, Audio & mp3 program of the Intellectual Property and Licensing unit for Thomson

The evaluation encoder enables the creation of MP3 Surround material out of five or six channel “.wav“ files. The Fraunhofer IIS MP3 Surround player is capable of decoding and playing back the surround format’s files as well as stereo MP3 material. This software-only solution runs on any standard PC with multi-channel audio capabilities.

MP3 Surround was developed by Fraunhofer IIS in collaboration with Agere Systems. Using a psychoacoustic technique called binaural cue coding, MP3 Surround captures the spatial image information of multi-channel sound. This method is critical in achieving the compact file size that MP3 users expect.

“We are delighted to advance MP3 into the area of multi-channel audio, with the help of Agere Systems. As surround sound is increasingly gaining importance in the marketplace, we are confident that MP3 Surround will attract the attention of music production professionals and consumers alike,” comments Juergen Herre, Chief Executive Scientist at Fraunhofer IIS.

“Together, Fraunhofer IIS and Agere are developing technology that will contribute to the delivery of a compelling compressed multi-channel audio solution,” said Peter Kroon, chief multimedia architect for Agere’s Mobility business. “This work is part of Agere’s overall commitment to provide advanced multimedia technology that enables consumers to stay connected.”

The evaluation period of the MP3 Surround encoder will expire on the 31st of December 2005, while the Fraunhofer IIS player will continue to remain fully functional. The use of the software is allowed for personal and non-commercial purposes only. Professionals can license MP3 Surround from Thomson at www.mp3licensing.com.

http://www.iis.fraunhofer.de/amm/download/mp3surround/pressrelease.html

Claire Chanel and Scary Sherman have been keeping busy. First they put together the Jay-Z Construction Set, a complete, downloadable kit for making your own remixes of the latest tripe from Jay-Z. Now they’ve put together a hot collection of noise-filled hits from today’s hottest stars.

Have Sherman & Chanel finally cracked the code and figured out the RIAA’s angle? You be the judge. They’ve collected 10, count ‘em 10 tracks from artists like Aerosmith, Alicia Keys, and the newly single Britney Spears. Oh yeah!

But wait! There’s more!

If you download these RIAA-approved remixes now, you’ll get eleven (11!) more web-only bonus tracks. Each track is the official RIAA Mix! Download them all at RIAAMix.com!

It’s hip, funny, and effective in the way it explains how the major labels work, how artists get screwed, and how there is an alternative.

The site has a great photo essay about printing & distributing major label warning stickers. It documents distributing 2,000 anti-RIAA stickers…at Wal-Mart. It’s funny and effective.

The site also provides news on RIAA suing grandmas and kids, artists that have spoken out against the RIAA, and commercial and non-commercial alternatives.