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Last.fm Signs Deal with Sony BMG

By the Betanews Staff | Published July 9, 2007, 3:04 PM

The reasoning behind Web radio service Last.fm's refusal to take part in the webcasters' "day of silence" protest of exorbitant royalty fees that take effect this month became clear Monday, as the company announced a licensing deal with Sony BMG.

Under the deal, Last.fm listeners will have access to Sony's entire music catalog; financial terms were not disclosed. The label said the service's recommendation and tracking features are what enticed them to the bargaining table. Last.fm, which is now owned by CBS and based in London, says its music library is now the largest of any Web radio provider, including rival Pandora.

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hcir2323
Jul 11, 2007 - 12:32 PM edited

Are there any other services that track what you listen to, so you can share your list with your friends?

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bobthegoat2001
Jul 12, 2007 - 5:29 AM

Pandora.com. I actually like it better than last.fm

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bobthegoat2001
Jul 11, 2007 - 5:30 AM

The problem is Sony.

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nms04
Jul 10, 2007 - 9:52 AM

where's the problem? as long as they don't sell their users ip lists (to find out who scrobbled that ****ing sonyBMG song) to sony everything is fine!!

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FubarJeb
Jul 10, 2007 - 7:30 AM

Yeah, they sold out, but can you really blame them? It's all about making money.

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bobthegoat2001
Jul 10, 2007 - 1:31 AM

I liked pandora.com more anyway.

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Axe56
Jul 10, 2007 - 12:25 AM

what a sad sad day.

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PC_Tool
Jul 9, 2007 - 5:17 PM

Alas Last.FM, I knew thee well.

Time to find another service. Wouldn't touch Sony with a 10ft. pole.

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melkor
Jul 9, 2007 - 4:25 PM

And so it goes. They've sold out. How much can they cash it in for now?

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