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MP3 News Breakers: Rihanna, China, DMX, Napster, and Jacko
"S.O.S." singer joins Fall Out Boy bassist to host MTV Movie Awards pre-show; China to crack down on online music piracy; DMX considers name change; Napster to launch in Japan; Jacko visits Japan.
Wolfmother will play a post-show concert.
Rihanna, Fall Out Boy bassist to host MTV Movie Awards
Having dealt with the media crush surrounding their respective albums in recent years, R&B star Rihanna and Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz will test out their skills on the other side of the mic for the MTV Movie Awards June 8. The pair will join MTV's correspondents as hosts of the network's pre-show telecast, interviewing celebs as they arrive on the red carpet. The event, which airs June 8 at 9 pm on MTV, is being hosted by actress Jessica Alba and will include live performances by Christina Aguilera, AFI, and Gnarls Barkley, as well as a pre-show performance by Wolfmother.(5:25 p.m.)
China government says it will fine music pirates
Long home to one of the world's largest markets for illegally pirated music, movies, and other media, China said today that it plans to fine those caught distributing media as much as $12,500 starting July 1. The announcement raises the stakes for search engines like Baidu.com, which has long been accused of pointing users to illegal download sites. All four major record labels sued Baidu last year for copyright infringement.(4:45 p.m.)
DMX to seek new moniker
Just a few months before the release of his new album, Year of the Dog, Dark Man X (aka DMX, aka Earl Simmons) is ready to make some changes, for Jesus. The singer told MTV Europe he is considering changing his name. "It's just the whole Dark Man thing," he told MTV Europe. "Because if you look at it, from a spiritual point of view, the Bible teaches us that we can speak things into existence... And Dark Man, you know, it may not be the best name for me." The singer recently made headlines after getting arrested for harassing a flight attendant on an international flight. Reports are that DMX refused to buckle up on a flight from New York City to London--he was promptly arrested (and later released) by Scotland Yard when the plane landed at Heathrow airport.(12:05 p.m.)
Coming soon.
Napster Japan set to launch in fall
Napster is expected to make its long-awaited debut in Japan this fall, as the subscription service has created a live Web site announcing an imminent launch and a few details about the service there. The service, a partnership with Tower Records in Japan, will look a lot like the US version of Napster, with both the basic, monthly-fee Napster and the premium Napster To Go that allows for transfers of music to portable devices. Prices have not yet been announced. Napster said late last week that it was teaming up with NTT DoCoMo, with the wireless giant offering Napster support on its new phones this summer.(12:05 p.m.)
Mobile music sales to skyrocket
Mobile music sales will tally almost $8 billion by 2010, says eMarketer analyst John du Pre Gauntt. While sales of music in digital form will comprise 35 percent of the overall music industry revenue by 2010, according to eMarketer, sales of music onto mobile phones will make up 65 percent of that chunk. Sales of mobile music drove $434 million in revenues last year, says eMarketers. "This year mobile music will shift from being the purview of the hard-core music fan to a mass market, directed by the tastes of more casual listeners," says du Pre Gauntt, the senior analyst at eMarketer who wrote the report.(11:35 a.m.)
Jacko wows Japanese kids
In his first public appearance since being cleared of sex-abuse charges in June of 2005, Michael Jackson visited at an orphanage in Tokyo, telling the 140 children present "I love you" in Japanese. According to Reuters, he watched a short performance of traditional music and dance by the children--who were dressed in kimonos--before taking to the stage and speaking briefly. He greeted the children afterwards, shaking hands and signing autographs for those who called out "Michael, Michael" and tugged at his sleeve, say reports. Jackson was in Japan to pick up an award given to him by MTV Japan.(11:35 a.m.)
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