Yuticha

Is Apple launching a record label..?

And, according to BGR, it will be Jay-Z at the helm of things. For those that don’t know, Jay-Z left Def Jam as President last month, and everyone’s been talking about where he’s heading. The rumor seems to be that Jay-Z is launching a record label with Apple.

Gizmodo adds: Jay-Z and Jobs are both brilliant businessmen, and the move would make sense on a number of levels: The labels almost view iTunes as a competitor now, the industry landscape is rapidly transforming, and whoever finds the magic formula for a new kind of label/distribution firm stands to make a lot of money as they establish the new paradigm of the industry. And iTunes is something like a label already.

Apple's iNext on iTunes

Sounds like Apple's Next Big Thing isn't too big at all: lower prices for full albums on iTunes.

Introduced with a minor manifesto discussing the powerful influence of indie music on the mainstream, it's pretty clear that Cupertino's finally ready to lower the barrier of entry not only for consumers, but musicians and indie labels looking to sell music on the iTMS.

$5.99 and $6.99 will now get you some tasty tracks by the likes of Peter, Bjorn, & John and LCD Soundsystem -- some are even iTunes Plus (read: DRM-free).

Take note: Want a great way to keep your music business popular and relevant? Offer more music for less money. Hat tip, Apple.
via engadget

Online music-licensing marketplace

Need some music content for your next production and dreading the headache of going through the music companies for working out the deal...?

Youlicense is one site that is attempting to bring some order to the madness.

An online music licensing marketplace, YouLicense enables artists and those seeking musical content to conduct business directly without the need to deal with music companies.

Content is indexed and easily searchable. YouLicense provides standardized contracts so that both buyer and seller immediately know the legalities of a deal, allowing for a quick and easy transaction.