Having finally come to an agreement with the Irish Music Rights Organisation, Apple made the European version of the iTunes Music Store available yesterday in Ireland.
San Francisco, California was today the scene of a landmark move in the rapidly evolving music download market. In an announcement two key developments were confirmed by Apple, in the Keynote Address at Macworld, presented on this occasion by Senior Vice President of Marketing, Phil Schiller.
Fresh from the news that Vodafone control 18% of the Irish singles market and 3 control 14%, Apple CEO has launched an attack on record companies as to why iTunes music can only be played on an iPod.
hotpress.com reveals the tracklisting of the complete U2 digital download which, since going on sale last week, has been exceeding predicted sales figures
The acclaimed Cork 5 piece Fred have hit new heights this week, with their single 'Skyscrapers' having been awarded iTunes Canada's influential Single of the Week accolade
A talent as refined as Kate Walsh is a true rarity. This is a record devoid of cynicism, beautifully naïve in many respects and all the more engaging for it.
A new row has broken out between computer giant Apple and record labels, with IRMA boss Dick Doyle telling Apple’s Steve Jobs to “wake up and smell the coffee”.
Annual article: The arrival of Channel 6 was a boom – but music programming on television in 2006 was challenged by reality TV game shows and, increasingly, by YouTube.
The seeming indifference of the Department of Education has prompted the band TUPELO to release a song to highlight the plight of children attending Cabra’s neglected Gaelscoil Bharra
A breathtaking variety of acts have come together - as Lennon might have put it - to focus attention on the ongoing genocide in Darfur, under the auspices of Amnesty International.
The Mac brigade are back – and they’re at it again in style. We’re not talking about Phoenix Park doggers, although iLife 06 does offer an incomparable suite of tools.
She was toiling in obscurity until she caught the ear of British TV host Jools Holland. Now Dublin rockabilly siren Imelda May is on the fast-track to the big time.
He's got a young family and a demanding day job, but that hasn't prevented Davy Matchett, supremo of Only Gone Records, from fighting the good fight on behalf of the Belfast music scene.
Presenter of Channel 6's Night Shift, an air hostess and a model, Michelle Doherty is rarely found at home... but that doesn't stop her from showing us around her Drumcondra abode.
One of the leading figures in Belfast's electronic scene has just embraced an intriguing new identity. Step forward A.J. SUZUKI a.k.a beatmaster Jupiter Ace.
Home-recording buff, culinary wizard and fully paid-up member of the local indie cognoscenti – welcome to the cultured residence of turn singer Ollie Cole.
She’s one of the sassiest, not to say iconic, frontwomen in rock. Up close however, Yeah Yeah Yeahs singer Karen O is just a big pussycat. Look, we’ve even made her cry.
Radio Ulster’s Donna Legge ensures there’s no punching below the belt as she and two of the north’s other leading DJs - Maurice Jay and Johnny Hero - come together to discuss the local music scene, on-air rows with James Galway and prank calls to Sellafield.
To tie in with their contribution to Instant Karma – The Amnesty International Campaign To Save Darfur, Green Day have designed a limited-edition ‘Working Class Hero’ t-shirt, which is available in Ireland from the Fleet Street, Dublin 2 branch of the Hard Rock Café.
Managing to convince Shaz Oye that he’s not another Fianna Fail canvasser calling round to insult her, Jackie Hayden is allowed in to see where the singer-songwriter works, rests and plays.
He’s best known as the voice of Soundgarden and Audioslave. But now grunge legend Chris Cornell has embarked on his most far-fetched adventure yet – a hook-up with uber-beatmaster Timbaland.
Roisin Dwyer catches up with electropop duo MGMT to discuss their greatest rock 'n' roll moment, Jools Holland and their growing reputation as popular music's new trouble-makers.
With a career-best new album under their belts, Razorlight's Johnny Borrell talks about bling, mid-career reinvention and Britain's battle with metrosexuality.
Having had a whale of a time readying it for the Meteors, Sinéad O’Connor and Republic Of Loose have decided to release their cover of Curtis Mayfield’s ‘We People Who Are Darker Than Blue’.
To coincide with their upcoming burst of live activity, The Sultans Of Ping – we still miss the ‘FC’ – have recorded their first new material in 12 years.
The first issue of (RED)Wire digital music magazine will be available for download on December 1 to coincide with World AIDS Day. It's the latest initiative from (RED), the HIV/AIDS organisation whose prime movers include Bono.
Codes underline their growing stature with an October headliner in Dublin’s Button Factory, which will doubtless feature all three of their Irish top 40 singles.
They’ve been heralded as the biggest thing in Irish rock since U2 – a prediction that proved prescient when The Script romped to the top of the charts with their debut album.
In what could prove to be one of the year's biggest marketing coups, Apple Computer Inc. have inked a deal with U2 which sees the band putting their name to a customised iPod. [pics courtesy of Apple]
There are many who must have thought it was pie in the sky when Jimmy Wales set about creating Wikipedia. Less than a decade later, the forum he created boasts over 12 million entries and has become the fourth most used website in the world. No wonder so many people want to interview him, but so few do...
As the CEO of YouTube, Chad Hurley has been lauded and criticised for the video-sharing site's content in almost equal measure. Paul Nolan speaks with one of the world's richest men.
Irish indie supergroup Concerto For Constantine have been announced as the support act for the Smashing Pumpkins' eagerly-anticipated visits to Dublin and Belfast.
As the dust settles on the Northern Peace deal and Sinn Fein gears up for an election in the Republic, Gerry Adams talks about his journey from political outcast to statesman, Bono's knighthood and what’s on his iPod.
The Waterboys are back, with arguably their most complete record yet, Book Of Lightning. In this remarkably open and honest interview, Mike Scott talks about his songwriting genius, about relationships, his family, his boozy years in Galway - and turning U2 onto Greenpeace.
U2 manager Paul McGuinness is among the most powerful players in the music industry. To coincide with the DVD release of U2’s classic ZOO TV Live From Sydney, he talks candidly about his relationship with the band and their controversial decision to move part of their business empire to the Netherlands in order to lower their tax burden.
Ask nicely and Breed 77 might play you their Latino metal version of ‘Zombie’ when they visit the Spring & Airbrake (April 19) and Temple Bar Music Centre, Dublin (20).
Snow Patrol kick-off their 20-date tour of the UK and Ireland at the end of the month, but ahead of that they've got plans for a more intimate London show – with free tickets up for grabs!
The Minister For Justice Equality & Law Reform, Michael McDowell, finally proves that he’s good for something by gracing the cover of the new Pony Club single, ‘Diplomat’.
Dublin acoustic roots band Tupelo have released a single and are doing a gig at the Village to support the campaign of parents and teachers at the Gaelscoil Bharra in Cabra.
Laura Izibor will be showcasing songs from her upcoming debut album – including new single 'From My Heart To Yours' – when she plays Dublin’s Crawdaddy next month.
Music fans are now spoilt for choice with today's announcement that the mobile network 3 has now over 1 million tracks available for download from their online mobile music store.
Masked nu-metal royalty Slipknot have penned a deal to preview their new album on getcloser.com, prompting website owners HMV to claim that their site is now offering the way forward.
Wexford singer-songwriter and ace guitarist Clive Barnes follows his recent support slot with Jeff Beck at Vicar Street with news of a new single, album and 17-date Irish tour.
Belfast community TV station NvTv will take its 'Kick Out The Jams' series global with a new video podcast. This week's show includes Scottish rockers Biffy Clyro.
The Fundamentals are set to release their debut single ‘Brother’ on November 21 in Flannery’s in Kilkenny on Decadent Records, with a nationwide tour to follow.
The Chapters are set to tour with stable mates The Coronas for twelve dates around Ireland before taking on their own six date tour culminating with a headline show at Dublin’s The Academy on November 20.
“An awful idea.” That’s U2 manager Paul McGuinness’ verdict on the free Spiral Frog download service, which launches in the US in December and on this side of the Atlantic in early 2007.
The free music for ads driven site, SpiralFrog has closed it's doors. When the concept was launched in a blaze of hype at in autumn 2006, it was seen by some commentators as a brave attempt to 'monetise' the free downloads that the record industry were blaming for declining revenues.
Lesley-Ann Halvey, singer and bassist with the all-girl Dublin four-piece Black Daisy, claims being in a band is different for girls, not least in squatting down to do the ass test in Penneys.
It’s so confident, accomplished and comfortable in its own skin that you feel like you’ve happened across a long-running serial that’s bubbling along mid-season.
A new Dublin-based operation claims to be about to revolutionise the music business by adopting a non-contractual, non-A&R approach to releasing records via key internet music stores. Jackie Hayden talks to the company’s mainman Denver Thomas.
Why do so many gay men find it difficult to honestly express their feelings towards their partners? And would the introduction of gay marriage really change anything?
There are those who believe that the future of music as an art form is seriously under threat from the rise of music piracy. Where will it all end? The truth is that no one truly knows.
