iTunes

Apple's iTunes will likely whip past Wal-Mart Stores to become the largest U.S. music retailer sometime this year.

The NPD Group issued a report Tuesday that said Apple had outpaced Best Buy and Target to become the No. 2 U.S. music retailer. Unless the downward trend in CD sales suddenly reverses, Apple will be No. 1, said Russ Crupnick, the NPD Group's president of Music.

"Digital sales were up close to 50 percent and CD sales were down 20 percent last year," Crupnick said. "Even at half that growth rate in digital sales, … Read more

Apple continues to tighten its grip on music sales as iTunes has become the second largest U.S. music retailer.

A report released by tracking company NPD Group, showed that Apple now has more than 50 million customers and sold more than 4 billion songs last year.

Apple's digital music store jumped past Best Buy to capture the No.2 spot behind Wal-Mart stores. Apple is on a roll. It was only last June that the company overtook Amazon as the nation's third-largest retailer.

How long before the company can surpass Wal-Mart to become top dog in music … Read more

For many Windows users, Apple's iTunes is a mixed bag. It offers many of the music and video jukebox services we all want, but it's often sluggish and the polar opposite of customizable. A new freeware plug-in called iTunes Control gives us all a chance to remedy at least part of that situation.

… Read more

It's a couple of weeks late, but the Apple TV software update is now available to the public. The free download updates the Apple TV with a variety of new functionality presented at last month's Macworld show, including HD movie rentals and PC-free access to the iTunes Store.

We're downloading it now, and will be reporting back soon with some hands-on impressions. In the meantime, check out Steve Jobs' preview of the new features.

UPDATE 2: Full hands-on review and video available here.

UPDATE: My initial impressions are pretty positive. As far as the new features are concerned: … Read more

If you read CD or LP credits you've probably seen "Mastered by Greg Calbi" a bunch of times, but don't have a clue exactly what Calbi and other mastering engineers do. I don't blame you--it's a mystery to most music lovers. When I heard that Calbi was going to cut some LP masters I made arrangements to drop by Sterling Sound and watch the master masterer at work. He's mastered thousands of records--everybody from Bob Dylan to Talking Heads to The Roots, to the High School Musical soundtrack, and one of my favorite … Read more

UPDATE: 5:02 P.M. Federal regulators have begun asking questions about a plan supported by at least two major record companies to launch a jointly operated music-subscription site.

The U.S. Department of Justice has requested information from Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group about Total Music, an iTunes competitor that plans to offer music from all the majors for a $5-per-month subscription fee, according to a report in the newsletter Music Alley.

Two sources close to both record companies confirmed that that the labels had received letters from the DOJ in an interview with CNET News.… Read more

UPDATE: I just heard the sad news that Future Legend will be closing its doors later this month. I have personally bought more than 200 CDs over the years from that little shop, but now I'll have to go elsewhere for my weekly fix. If you're in NYC drop by and pick up bargains, starting today, 2/6/08, Future Legend will begin selling all merchandise at 50% off the sticker price.

I want to tell you about my favorite record store, Future Legend. I drop in every week to see what's new, and talk about music … Read more

Apple has been throwing a lot of love at their iPod Touch MP3 player recently. A few weeks back at Macworld, Steve Jobs announced that the iPod Touch would now include the iPhone's e-mail, stocks, weather, notepad, improved maps, and Safari Web clip features, as well as support for Apple's new iTunes movie rentals. As of yesterday, there's even a new 32GB model to lust over. With all these new developments, Apple's iPod Touch seems less and less like the iPhone's feature-deprived sibling, and more like the touch screen, high-capacity convergence player we all wanted … Read more

Do you buy CDs, LPs, MP3s, iTunes, or 8 track cartridges?

If so, do you buy them from Amazon or other online retailer, brick and mortar chain store, or local "record" shop?

Do you regularly buy used CDs or LPs? And rarely buy new CDs or LPs?

Do you subscribe to a subscription service, if so, which one? Rhapsody, Yahoo, Napster, etc?

If you really like a tune you heard from a subscription service do you buy it? Do you buy individual tracks or complete albums?

Or do you get your tunes from a P2P like Morpheus or … Read more