Kitty Empire talks to Stephen Witt about his eagerly awaited book charting the rise of the MP3 file, the online pirates who exploited it and the record industry that ignored its cultural impact until it was far too lateExtract: Going for a song: the hidden history of music piracy How Music Got Free is in essence the gripping tale of three men: Karlheinz Brandenburg, the German scientist whose lab cobbled together the MP3; Doug Morris, the old-school record company executive who presided over the rap boom and began the fight-back against piracy; and Bennie Lydell “Dell” Glover, the North Carolina CD pressing plant worker, whose light fingers and computer skills singlehandedly led to a haemorrhage of A-list rock and hip-hop releases – Eminem, Kanye West, Queens of the Stone Age, Björk – being freely available on the internet two weeks before release.The three men never met, but Witt reveals how their lives overlapped and irrevocably changed those of anyone who listens to music. Brandenburg’s genius lay in shrinking sound files down so that they could easily be sent over the internet, back when most files were huge and modems still dialled up. Owing to the bitter internecine rivalries within acoustic engineering, no one recognised the scope of Brandenburg’s technology; the inferior MP2 kept winning industry accolades and commercial applications. Universal executive Morris presided over an industry rich from the obscene profits generated by CD sales, until the secretive... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2015-06-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Listen… can you hear the denim moving across a stage in California, the swish of gelled hair? S.E. Hinton’s beloved novel The Outsiders has been adapted into a musical at La Jolla Playhouse, with solid reviews following the open. If you haven’t pawed at a paperback of The Outsiders since... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-03-10 17:16:31 UTC ]
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The vertical TikTok-style video feed has invaded a lot of the apps we use on a daily basis and now it's officially coming to one more. After announcing a beta test last year, Spotify will begin rolling out a new design for the Home section of its mobile app with a "more visual, dynamic" look.... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-03-08 18:33:59 UTC ]
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By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) ‘In the Desert’ is a poem by the American author Stephen Crane (1871-1900), published in his 1895 collection, The Black Riders and Other Lines. Crane is perhaps best-known for his American Civil War novel The Red Badge of Courage, and this is his... Continue reading at Interesting Literature
[ Interesting Literature | 2023-02-14 15:00:27 UTC ]
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Stephen Prothero, author of 'God the Bestseller: How One Editor Transformed American Religion a Book at a Time' (HarperOne, Mar. 14), explores Eugene Exman's role in publishing books that remade America's religious life. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-08 05:00:00 UTC ]
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We must recognise the critical importance of strong copyright law and fair remuneration, writes Christian ZimmermannArtists, illustrators and photographers have often led the way in embracing new technology. The concerns that creators such as Harry Woodgate have about AI programs (‘It’s the... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-02-03 17:10:51 UTC ]
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No, kids CAN'T get the books being banned at libraries and bookstores, Mr. King. That, plus this week's book censorship news. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-01-27 11:40:00 UTC ]
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The well-connected publishing executive provides a top-down look at the industry—and more than a few harsh appraisals of notable peers—in a new memoir. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-01-27 05:00:00 UTC ]
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During a panel, "Do Publisher’s Have a Moral Obligation to Diversify American Literature?", authors Min Jin Lee, Chris Beha, Roxane Gay and publishing veteran Erroll McDonald weighed in on a central issue in the book business. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-16 05:00:00 UTC ]
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This season’s music books include a collection of interviews with Nick Cave, a memoir by Sporty Spice and Greil Marcus’s latest meditation on Bob Dylan. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-12-02 14:45:06 UTC ]
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At Time Warner, executives saw AT&T as just a “big phone company from Texas.” At AT&T, they thought Hollywood would play by their rules. That combination led to strategic miscalculation unrivaled in recent corporate history. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-11-19 10:00:26 UTC ]
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A Pulitzer Prize winner, he wrote many orchestral works but was most celebrated for his vocal pieces. He was also well known for writing candidly about his life. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-11-18 17:18:04 UTC ]
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Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks now include freebies from an erstwhile rival. The company now offers Ultimate subscribers three-month free trials of Apple Music and Apple TV+ to newcomers for either media service. You can stream tunes in the background while you're playing Halo... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2022-11-16 16:50:43 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House CEO Markus Dohle took the stage on Tuesday morning at the Sharjah International Book Fair and said he is "super disappointed" with the court ruling blocking PRH's proposed acquisition of S&S, calling the decision "utterly wrong." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-11-01 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The "Late Show" host looks into Tudor Dixon's claim that some children's books are "pornographic." Continue reading at The Huffington Post
[ The Huffington Post | 2022-10-27 08:02:56 UTC ]
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As a publishing company with its main location in southern West Virginia, Blackwater Press is undeniably an Appalachian press. That means when we receive manuscripts from regional writers or on regional topics, I’m not automatically open to acceptance. Quite the opposite: I’m more critical than... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-10-21 08:52:57 UTC ]
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Literary Hub is pleased to reveal the cover for Stephen Buoro’s debut novel The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa, which will be published by Bloomsbury in April 2023. Here’s how the publisher describes the novel: Andrew Aziza is a fifteen-year-old boy living in Kontagora in Northern... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-10-19 13:30:34 UTC ]
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Book piracy in France has taken a hit, with court action led by the SNE and 12 publishing companies against 'Z-Library.' The post French Publishers Cheer a Court’s Order to Block a Book Piracy Site appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-09-19 20:26:31 UTC ]
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Music publishers, songwriters and musicians have struck a deal with streaming services for US mechanical streaming rates for 2023-2027, the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) has announced. The NMPA, Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and Digital Media Association... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2022-09-01 12:34:02 UTC ]
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In South Africa's challenges, Eve Fairbanks sees parallels to the U.S. efforts to undo white supremacy. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-08-26 10:00:53 UTC ]
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Day two of the DOJ's trial to block PRH from acquiring S&S featured a little star power: bestselling author Stephen King. In terms of the case before the court, however, the highlight of the day was the testimony of S&S CEO Jonathan Karp. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
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