News & UK Play Chart

The EAG International Expo at Excel, London from 24th - 26th January 2012, provided an essential insight into the direction of jukebox and entertainment technology. At EAG, Soundnet launched a number of landmark music and audio visual packages designed to bring much-needed revenue boosting potential to the pub and hospitality industry.

The new 20,000 Track Audio Service breaks new ground as the most comprehensive, low-cost music package. Combining the most played tracks from over 15,000 jukeboxes, the most popular albums of the last five years and classic tracks from various decades and genres, the track list is compiled from Soundnet’s extensive play data and knowledge of what music customers will pay to hear.

Soundnet also launched its VHub AV package, an unrivalled low-cost music and music video offering for the popular VenueHub digital jukebox, providing 30,000 audio tracks and 7,000 music videos for £27.50 per month for the first year.

Speaking about the launches, Soundnet spokesperson Toby Hoyte said:

"The VHub jukebox has allowed us to make huge leaps in the provision of the UK’s most advanced and affordable music and music video packages. As well as the VHub’s reputation for providing the largest ever online jukebox offering, with access to over seven million songs and the latest tracks delivered twice weekly, our new products, combined with consumers’ familiarity with handheld digital music technology will continue to drive demand for Soundnet’s services."

2011 was like an end-of-season finale for the music industry. There were thrills, spills and adventures. It was all a bit too exciting for us really.

Still, the start of January gives us the opportunity to review the year just passed and we've been eagerly combing through our digital jukebox data in order to make sense of it all. And, you have been busy. Over the past 12 months, Soundnet jukeboxes across the country have been playing your favourite tunes. And today, we'll reveal your background music of choice for 2011.

While she occasionally forgets her own name, Rihanna was the most popular artist in Soundnet's 2011. The 23-year-old singer released her sixth studio album, Talk The Talk, in November. The record, which contained hits like We Found Love' and 'You Da One' helped the singer to the cherished number one spot. It also didn't hurt that her fifth album ' Loud', released the previous year, contained such stonking hits like 'S&M' and 'California King Bed'.

Following up in second place is our very own Adele. The East London songstress had a fantastic year which began with the launch of her sophomore album '21'. The songs 'Someone Like You', 'Rolling In The Deep' and 'Set Fire To The Rain' all appear in the most-played tracks in the Soundnet chart. Well done her.

The third-most popular artist of 2011 was Bruno Mars. The Hawaii-born musician, who launched his debut album in 2010, enjoyed a year of success in the digital jukebox chart. Mars' singles 'Grenade', 'The Lazy Song' and 'Just The Way You Are' all featured in the most-played songs of 2011.

Elsewhere in the chart, it was a bit disappointing for Lady Gaga. The Little Monster came 11th in our list of most-popular artists, being kerplunked by the likes of David Guetta, Oasis and Elvis in our 2011 chart. Indeed, the drama queen of pop failed to feature in your top songs of the year. Better luck next year your ladyship.

For your delectation, here's your list of the most-played artists in 2011:

• Rihanna
• Adele
• Bruno Mars
• David Guetta
• Oasis
• Pitbull
• The Beatles
• Elvis Presley
• Jessie J
• Eminem

It's worth mentioning that thousands upon thousands of tracks were played in our digital jukeboxes in 2011. Consumers were more than happy to pile in the pounds for the opportunity to hear their favourite track of the moment. If you're not giving your patrons this opportunity then your missing out on a dedicated revenue stream.

And if you're music jukebox doesn't contain any of these artists, perhaps it's time you gave us a call.

Background music can encourage customers to spend more time shopping, according to a number of leading psychologists.

In an article published by American news network NBC, a variety of US psychologists discussed the role of music in consumer shopping behaviour, arguing that a bit of background sound is music to the ears of retailers hoping to increase sales.

"In department stores, shoppers who are exposed to music shop 18 per cent longer and make 17 per cent more purchases than (in) non-music stores," states Kurt Mortensen, a US author who has penned a number of books relating to subconscious purchasing behaviour.

Here at Soundnet, we're constantly aware of the power of background music and how different songs can shape a customer's experience or purchasing habits. A good tune has the power to influence emotions – for better and worse – and organisations need to be aware that background music can completely change how customers perceive a shopping or dining experience.

But don't take our word for it.

Speaking to NBC, Seth Rabinowitz, a partner at a Los Angeles consultancy firm, argues that a range of music can influence shoppers.

"Faster-pace music would logically tend to promote more impulsive purchases, while slower music fosters a more contemplative, planned, stay-a-while feeling."

Mortensen, who we mentioned earlier, agrees with the sentiment.

"There are even rhythms, pitches and styles of music that are best for different shoppers," he states.

"Grocery shoppers respond best to slow tempos. Fast-food restaurants need a higher number of beats per minute."

So there you have it. You can turn your attention here if you'd like to marvel at our fantastic range of background music playlists.

So then, 2011. It's been alright, hasn’t it?

There's been winners and there's been losers. Overall though, Adele is probably the most deserving of a tipple on New Year's Eve. 21, her sophomore album, was released way back in January and, 12 months later, has been certified fourteen-times platinum in the United Kingdom.

Over 3.4 million copies were sold in Blighty over 2011 and the album eventually became the 10th biggest-selling record of all time in the country. Other artists deserving a celebratory drink include Rihanna, Lady GaGa, Beyonce and James Morrison for their album successes over the year.

Single victory came for Jennifer Lopez, Maroon 5, Rihanna and The Wanted, while Bruno Mars made a couple of appearances in the number one spot for his various efforts. Still, platinum-wise, only eight songs made the cut this year, including Adele's 'Someone Like You', Katy Perry's 'Firework' and 'Price Tag' by Jessie J.

We also welcomed back some familiar faces to our digital jukeboxes. Glam-rock-screechers The Darkness made a return, as did The Stone Roses, Bloc Party and Steps. We're not too fussed about Steps.

But, it's not all been good news and 2011 has seen a number of musical legends part ways. R.E.M, The White Stripes, The Streets and LCD Soundsystem all threw in the towel, vowing never to make beautiful music together again. In more serious news, it's also been a year which has seen the passing of a number of musical greats as John Barry, Jet Harris, Amy Winehouse and Clarence Clemons all bid us farewell during 2011.

We also quite enjoyed this year's X-Factor, eventually won by Little Mix, the first group to claim the prize. Still, they may not win the honours on the Christmas Day chart; the Military Wives Choir are looking more likely to scoop the prize come the 25th. It’s all very exciting.

See you all in 2012. Have a merry Christmas.

Lady Gaga is a Merlot, while Jeff Buckley is a Sauvignon Blanc. The Sugababes are Lambrini girls.

No, we haven't been drinking heavily (the sun isn't past the yardarm). Rather, we're discussing the results of a new university study which claims that we perceive music differently when sipping on a drink. Seriously.

The research, published in the British Journal of Psychology, found that individuals judge wine to have similar taste characteristics of a musical artist if the two activities are enjoyed together.

The study interviewed 250 students to discover whether a particular song could influence the way we perceive taste. Participants were asked to sample a Cabernet Sauvignon while listening to a selection of tracks, including Just Can't Get Enough by Nouvelle Vague, Slow Breakdown by Michael Brook and Carmina Burana by Orff and, during the test, were asked to describe the taste of the wine.

The research discovered that those listening to more upbeat songs were likely to discuss the wine in more energetic terms.

Here's Professor Adrian North, the mastermind behind the study, with the science bit.

"The research reported here considers the possibility that the emotional connotations of music may be able to function as a symbol that influences perception of taste.

"Participants appeared to perceive the taste of the wine in a manner consistent with the connotations of music."

So, there you go.

But, this isn't the first study to investigate the effect of music on paying patrons. A study from 2010 discovered that restaurant diners splash more cash when they were played classical background music over more contemporary pop hits. Best start queuing up the Rachmaninoff then.

Never one to shirk away from our responsibilities, the Soundnet team have been helping celebrate British Pub Week over the past few days. This glorious occasion, which falls between the 28th October and 6th November, aims to celebrate all that makes British pubs great. In order to share our love for the local boozer, we present our four favourite film clips from watering holes across the world.

Shaun of the Dead

Proving that a pub is the safest place in a zombie invasion, The Winchester has a starring role in this movie from Spaced alumni Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Edgar Wright.

Star Wars

A 'wretched hive of scum and villainy,' the Mos Eisley Cantina provides that your local is the perfect place to meet interesting characters who'll happily buy you a drink/try to shoot you.

Terminator 3

A classic scene here from the Terminator 3, as Arnie, in full-on robot mode, scouts the local pub for a pair of trousers. A timeless bit of movie history which demonstrates that you'll always get something useful from a trip to the pub.

The Shining

The classy surroundings of The Overlook Hotel bar provides us with two life lessons: xylophones provide excellent background music for suspense, while ghosts are surprisingly generous.

Superman 3

Superman turns evil in this clip, which sees him flick peanuts at bottles of whisky. The moral here is that you're allowed to let your hair down once in a while. Just don’t' flick peanuts at people. Or wear a cape.

A few weeks ago, we told you all about our trip to Earl's Court in London for the annual Bar and Restaurant show. Last week, we attended the exhibition along with PPL; a glamorous shindig which saw the finest food producers and drink suppliers in the United Kingdom gather to network, discuss the industry and share tips and techniques.

The Soundnet brand has always had a strong relationship with the services industry (our background music systems are in hundreds of establishments across the country) and this year's Bar and Restaurant show gave us another opportunity to chat to those in the business about us and our services.

One of the main issues on the table (if you'll excuse the pun) was the topic of creating the perfect dining ambiance in a restaurant or pub. While top class chefs demonstrated the latest techniques and recipes, we happily held court with a number of pub and restaurant owners, demonstrating the importance of good music in the drinking and eating experience.

Away from the industry chatter, we were also ecstatic to supply the official music for the dining areas of the exhibition. We're always delighted to have the chance to showcase our work to those in the industry and the Bar and Restaurant show gave us the perfect outlet to demonstrate just how effective our products are at creating the perfect atmosphere. Whatever the clientèle.

We're coming up to awards season and, this month, speculation is rife regarding the upcoming shortlist for Barclaycard Mercury Prize. There's an intimidating collection of names vying for the nomination this year and PJ Harvey, Adele, Elbow, Radiohead, The Vaccines and Jessie J are all rumoured to be up for the award. On July 19, broadcaster Lauren Laverne will reveal the final 12 names in the posh surroundings of the Hospital Club in London. Nervous times.

The actual ceremony, which is hosted by Jools Holland on September 6, promises to be a lavish affair (naturally, we can only assume our invites are on their way), and, in a year with some very impressive albums, we're genuinely excited to see which artist will scoop the prize. For what it's worth, our money is on PJ Harvey.

In our experience, the Mercury Prize has always been a difficult competition to judge. It's an award ceremony which tends to favour the underdog, rather than the establish act. In 1994, M-People claimed the gong ahead of Blur, Pulp and Paul Weller, while in 2009, unknown act Speech Debelle nicked the award ahead of Florence and the Machine, La Roux and Glasvegas. In short, anyone could be in the running.

Still, the Mercury Prize is one of the most prestigious awards in UK music and, inevitably, each nominated act receives a boost in sales and radio-play before, during and after the ceremony. Which must be nice for them. More importantly though, each act nominated for the Mercury Prize also gets a bump up the Soundnet playlist. Which is much more important.

Anyway, regardless of which act scoops the prize at the end of the night, we'd like to wish the best of luck to all those hoping to be nominated later in the month. Bonne chance you music maestros.

As we type, thousands of revellers will be packing up their wellington boots and fetching their tents from the shed. We're well into festival season and this week sees the opening of that pot of mud soup and music; also affectionately known as Glastonbury.

While the festival doesn't officially kick off until Friday, thousands of eager attendees have begun to trudge through the muddy gates in order to get their hands of the prime tent-pitching spots. Although, judging by the weather report, it may have been wiser to have purchased a canoe.

Still, you can hardly blame them for braving the weather as the line-up for this year's festival looks rather fantastic. Indeed, over the next few days U2, Morrissey, Coldplay, Elbow and Beyonce will all grace the stage in deepest Somerset.

Here at Soundnet, we salute those who dare to brave the elements in the pursuit of live music. Past Glastonbury Festivals have often ended up looking like the pitch after a particularly frantic game of rugby and we can only imagine how much fun it must be to pour brown sludge from your wellington boots after a day of standing in the rain. Just imagine.

But, we can think of better places to listen to the biggest acts in music. Here are just some of the more desirable locations we can think of:

• In your favourite bar
• Sitting in your local pub
• Waiting to pick up your room keys in the lobby of a five-star hotel
• Having a relaxing weekend spa experience.

Indeed, we imagine all of these venues would be more comfortable than sitting in a pile of mud by The Pyramid Stage. Coincidentally, you can also find Soundnet jukeboxes in all of these locations across the United Kingdom.

So, if you've not managed to beg, borrow or steal Glastonbury tickets this year around, don't fret. Our digital jukeboxes feature thousands of songs from hundreds of artists; you can listen to U2, Morrissey, Coldplay, Elbow and Beyonce around the clock. You don't even have to buy new wellies.

We all know that music can be emotional. Great music can make an evening, while bad music can seriously hamper a good time. Music can make us dance, cry and, very occasionally, do the Macarena.

But, if you need any more proof about the emotional effect of music, take a look at this story from Australia. According to several news sources, imaginative tour operators down-under have been researching how music affects the behaviour of great white sharks. Don’t ask us why.

As it turns out, these particular types of sharks seem very partial to classic rock troupe AC/DC. Indeed, when speakers playing the aging Aussie band were lowered in the water, observers noticed a significant shift in behaviour from the fearsome creatures.

Matt Waller, the man responsible for the research, describes their reaction as 'more inquisitive and a lot less aggressive'.

"They actually came past in a couple of occasions when we had the speaker in the water and rubbed their face along the speaker which was really bizarre," he added.

Rather than being fans of the band though, scientists think the fish were reacting to the different frequencies and vibrations in the water (sharks don't have ears).

Now, while we have no real expertise in judging how music affects the behaviour of the world's most fearsome predator, we do know a thing about choosing music for people.

Here at Soundnet, we've provided jukeboxes for hundreds of different venues; bars, clubs, hotels and spars across the UK all have a Soundnet system humming in the corner. And we're experts in providing the right sort of music for any venue or occasion. Our jukeboxes have made people relax, unwind and get up and dance.

So when you need your customer in the right mood we’ll plunge the depths for the best tracks.

On June 8th, the Soundnet and Sound Leisure team will be heading to NW10 for the annual Park Avenue Open Day, an electronics fare celebrating the best in the leisure entertainment business. It's an event which sees the top minds of pub, club and hospitality entertainment proudly show off their latest toys and gadgets. And we can't wait.

But we won't be going just to oogle the pub games and pinball machines; we're planning to show off our latest creation in digital jukebox technology: the Venue Hub.

The Venue Hub (or VHub for short) is the latest in the Sound Leisure's digital jukebox range. This high-tech bit of kit offers an intuitive interface, full-screen portrait touch screen and more features than you can throw Bob Dylan's back catalogue at. It includes:

• Scrolling artist and track names browsing
• Track listings by release date, artist name, song title and popularity
• Drop and Drop artist search
• Playlist creator
• Customisable interface elements allowing venues to personalise its own machines
• Geo-location music listings
• Contactless payment
• Personalised adverts, including sporting event promotion

Some people are nuts about cars. We save our obsession for digital jukeboxes.

But, there's more. The VHub contains our mind-blowing 'Milestones' music package; a collection of every track featured in the UK Top 40 since 1952. You could spend hours counting them all up, but we'd advise your time better spent listening to them.

And trust us. Your customers are going to be just as excited about the VHub as we are.

Isn't music brilliant? It can inspire emotions, evoke long-forgotten memories and add atmosphere. A three minute track can make you smile, laugh and get on the table to start dancing. A good song can make an evening.

We love music; it doesn't matter if it's old or new.

So naturally, we were delighted to find out that over in America, the Library of Congress has decided to help preserve some of music's finest compositions in a project called the National Jukebox website.

The initiative, in partnership with Sony, sees 10,000 rare songs hosted online. The collection, which includes tracks performed between 1901 and 1925, features a host of previously unheard music from blues to early jazz. It's all very exciting stuff and well worth a listen if you're interested in the musical history of our Atlantic cousins.

And it's something that we can relate to over here at Soundnet. While our jukeboxes include all the latest tracks, from Adele to Lady Gaga, we're also proud to offer a veritable attic of iconic and classic songs. Indeed, while we all like to get an earful of the latest songs ripping up the dance floor, sometimes you can't beat a classic track: Queen, Iggy Pop, The Ramones. We could go on.

The thing about classic songs is that they never got old. Some of our most request tracks come from the swinging 60s or the raving 90s. The lesson here is that customers, from 18 to 60, always want to hear the classics. If you're music system only travels as far back as last week's Top 40, perhaps it's time you started investing in a digital jukebox which can teach you a thing or two about good music.

We hate to say we told you so but, according to a leading industry expert, a friendly and relaxed pub environment can help increase sales and customer dwell time.

Speaking in an interview to The Publican's Morning Advertiser, Paul Linthwaite, the chap responsible for licensed trade for Britvic Soft Drinks in the UK, argued that Britain's pubs needed to be more focused on providing customers with a better experience; better hospitality, better music, better atmosphere.

"In a recent survey pubs lagged behind supermarkets for hospitality," Paul told The Morning Advertiser.

"The take-home trade has worked hard to build customer loyalty, to keep them coming back. It’s about providing a level of service that makes people believe they belong there. And that’s something that’s often missing in pubs."

Naturally, background music plays a huge role in making a local watering hole more appealing. A background music jukebox, complete with an extensive track selection, can create a fantastic atmosphere, helping to drastically improve customer experience. And atmosphere is everything to customers.

To prove our point, our digital-savvy team spent the morning trawling through the online views of the masses. Here's just five comments from the users of Twitter.

"Did you guys eat at the Red Bar in Grayton? If not you should try to hit it. Great food and cool atmosphere"

"Love that pub, right around the corner from my new flat. Looks horrid, but amaze atmosphere"

"Top bar with a great atmosphere"

"Have you been to Bremerton Bar and Grill? I went a couple of weeks ago and it was a great, fun atmosphere."

"Has anyone eaten in the Samsara bar on Dawson street? I'd like to know what kind of atmosphere/crowd it has!"

We did tell you so…

It's coming up to the festival season and, throughout the United Kingdom, keen gig-goers have been eagerly anticipating the release of this year's lineups; lists detailing which artists will be playing around the country at the summer's most-popular festivals.

Last Thursday, Glastonbury announced that Morrissey, U2, Metronomy and Biffy Clyro will be gracing the Pyramid Stage this year, while on Monday it was revealed that The Chemical Brothers, Kayne West and Jessie J are set to attend The Big Chill festival.

Meanwhile, rock-lovers will be looking to attend this year's T in the Park festival in Scotland as The Strokes, Blink 182 and Slash will all be performing. Coldplay, The Arctic Monkeys and Foo Fighters are also set to join the trio during the July extravaganza. Elsewhere, Latitude Festival will play host to KT Tunstall, Paolo Nutini, Paloma Faith and Suede.

So, 2011 is shaping up to be a bumper year for festival fans. But, all this festival action is also good news for venues with up-to-date jukebox playlists. Indeed, the rolling coverage of Glasonbury and its ilk will no doubt turn fans towards their favourite tracks as they attempt to soften the anguish of not being able to attend in person.

Just a quick glance down the Soundnet playlist reveals a number of tracks from those artists set to appear this summer. Currently, Jessie J, Cee Lo Green and Bruno Mars hold a place in our top-30 playlist, while KT Tunstall, Coldplay and Kanye West have all regularly appeared over the last year or so. And you can be certain that, when footage of this year's festival begins to appear online and television, customers will want to hear the season's most-popular tracks.

Here at Soundnet, we're consistently asking our customer about the music they want to see. We've sourced Live Lounge performances, one-off Brit Award slots and timeless tracks which have enjoyed a second wind. If your customers want a song, we'll have it for them. They won't even have to buy new Wellington boots to enjoy it.

Some bad news for Spotify users this week as the music-streaming company declared it was introducing some tough new restrictions for subscribers.

The Swedish company announced it was imposing strict new laws to the service, limiting users who had not yet signed up to a paid-for package to just 10 hours of free music per month. Furthermore, listeners will only be able to hear the same track five times per month.

Naturally, a number of music lovers expressed their anger at the changes, with users on Twitter venting their frustrations at the change.

"Wow. Spotify are making some harsh change," said one user.

"Goodbye, Spotify. The 5-play limit just plain stinks, and I have more important things to subscribe to (like food)," condemned another.

"Big mistake if you ask me. Should clamp down on businesses using the free service in public places though," vented a third.

Here at Soundnet, we're constantly amazed by the number of businesses using Spotify to provide background music to their customers. While we've highlighted the legal issues of using programs like Spotify in the past, there are a number of other concerns for venues using streaming software; notably that these free services don't have the comprehensive catalogue of tracks offered by professional music jukeboxes.

We're proud to be able to offer venues and their customers the very latest tracks. If you need any further proof, please feel free to have a look at our playlist chart; new music immediately available for patrons. Whatever their music taste.

And we certainly won't limit you to listening to one track five times.

In a bid to combat Internet piracy, Sony and Universal have announced an innovative plan to make new singles available immediately after they first make it onto the airwaves. This new policy, nicknamed "on air, on sale" is a massive step in preventing bootleg copies circulating in place of the official single release, and may signal the end of the age-old practice of setting up a new release with weeks of airplay before it becomes available to buy.

The business model has already been proven to work, as it's been a mainstay of X Factor winners for the past few years, and this year saw Matt Cardle's Biffy Clyro cover When We Collide going on to shift 439,000 copies, having been made available to buy immediately after the final was broadcast. The growing demands for instant gratification and immediacy, highlighted by the iPod-sporting music habits of the new generation of music consumers, means that being forced to wait for a new release is no longer a viable option. Instead of hanging on until the official release, fans are downloading unofficial copies from blogs or peer to peer sites, thus impinging on sales figures.

The entertainment juggernaut that is X Factor came to a glittery conclusion this weekend, but, despite huge ratings and acres of press coverage, Matt Cardle will be forgiven for being a little on edge about his chart-topping prospects for one reason: last year's Facebook campaign. In previous years the X Factor winner was guaranteed the festive number one, but a highly-orchestrated online campaign in 2009 saw Joe McElderry's cover of The Climb pipped to the top by Rage Against The Machine's swear-packed classic, Killing In The Name.

This year the Internet tricksters are trying to provide another demonstration of people power, and the 'song' of choice is avant-garde composer John Cage's infamous 4'33 – a performance piece in which musicians don't play their instruments for four minutes, 33 seconds, and the ensuing silence is recorded. It doesn't look like Cage will join Rage at the top, however, with early figures showing that the re-recorded composition is unlikely to bother the top 20, despite featuring the likes of Billy Bragg, and members of The Kooks and Madness. Matt Cardle's clear bookies' favourite with his version of Many Of Horror by rockers Biffy Clyro – cunningly Cardle-ised under the new title When We Collide.

In news which demonstrates an increased willingness, and effectiveness, in chasing after people who contravene anti-piracy legislation, there have been three successful copyright-related prosecutions in the last few days.

The first came at Cardiff Crown Court, when Kevin Roberts of GoldSoul Entertainment Limited was found guilty of three trademark offences relating to his vinyl record business, resulting in the seizure by Bridgend County Council of 17.000 vinyl records. These records have since been destroyed by authorities.

Two other prosecutions followed quick on his heels, with Aylesbury Crown Court witnessing a guilty plea from brothers Ronald and Christopher Silver, who between them distributed £170,000 worth of counterfeit DVD mp3s. On the same day, at Staines Magistrates Court, Roneil Tomlinson was brought to book for producing and selling 5,000 counterfeit recordings.

These cases prove that the law is starting to take copyright infringement very seriously, marking the age of turning a blind eye to bootlegs and counterfeits as well and truly over. While it might be tempting to cut corners, the long-term effects are not just damaging to the entertainment industry, but to that of the copyright infringers' – they might save a few quid at the time but the fines won't look so appealing…

The fight-back against online piracy continues apace, but the rights holders of music which is being shared for free will still have to shoulder the vast majority of the costs of the clampdown.

The task of identifying, and notifying, people who are illegally distributing and downloading is a huge one, and the government has decided that the rights holders are to be responsible for 75% of the costs, likely to around the £14 million, with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) forking out for the remaining 25%.

This new cost-sharing plan is set to kick in in 2011, and it’s hoped it will make a saving for copyright holders of around £200million across the board. The rights holders aren’t exactly thrilled with the division, however, feeling ISPs should be forced to stump up more for their customers who use P2P filesharing tools.

At present, the rights holders have been paying the cost, but their hopes that a more equal division of the bill would be announced seem to have fallen flat. The government’s reasoning behind the uneven carve up was that “It was considered these were largely 'business as usual' costs that copyright owners would face as part of protecting their own copyright material”.

The BPI’s response to the ruling was guarded: “We will work closely with the government and Ofcom to ensure that the costs framework overall is workable and affordable, in particular for small labels, and that the Code can be swiftly implemented."

McDonalds have shown their commitment to introducing new technologies by partnering with IBM to implement a new cashless payment system at 1,300 restaurants across the country. Furthermore, it’s expected to be up and running by as soon as the end of this year.

It’s not the first time the two global giants have worked together – IBM were behind McDonalds’ move to provide free wi-fi in almost all its restaurants in 2007, which made them the biggest wi-fi provider in the country at the time and saw millions stopping by for a burger with their browser. They’re now working to make the McDonalds payment process quicker and more secure than ever before.

The new technology is intended to enhance customers’ payment experience by reducing transaction time, but it’s not just about speed – the new system will feature cutting-edge fraud detection software, as well as anti-tamper functionality, to protect these cashless payments.

The new, cashless solution is an integrated infrastructure, from the chip and pin at the point of sale terminal to the new, centralised data centre. This is a major part of an ongoing three year project to transform McDonalds payment systems, and a clear indicator of what the future of payment technology might look like.

The revolutionary iPad from Apple may be a sleek and stylish invention, but for PC bosses it’s proving a pretty ugly proposition. According to research from a leading analyst the impact of the iPad on the market is set to be felt most keenly by the manufacturers of lower-end PCs, with estimates of iPad sales in 2011 coming in at a whopping 28 million units. And according to the experts that might just be a ‘conservative’ estimate.

Notebook PCs may offer more complex functionality than the iPad, but its tablet design and eye-catching visuals have seen it overshadow the plainer, less aesthetically appealing notebooks, causing designers to go back to the drawing board in a bid to create products which can rival the innovative look and feel of the iPad.

One key knock-on effect of the iPad craze is the delay in customers upgrading their PCs, or holding back from buying them entirely, as their day-to-day browsing needs are met by the portable and lightweight Apple devices.

Another is the driving down of digital random access memory, or DRAM, in PCs as the iPad and other similar machines aren’t as reliant on DRAM as PCs or notebooks are.   
 

Amid all the talk of crisis and collapse in the music industry, a recent report from the Performing Right Society seems to suggest there's life in the business yet. Reporting a 5% rise across the music industry as a whole, a record-breaking spend on live music and a decrease in online piracy, the statistics seem to point to recovery, or at least a halt in the decline.

The PRS have admitted the report is "a view of the music industry from 30,000 feet … as the increasingly complex and cross-border industry is proving hard to add up" but it goes a long way to show that the worst may be over for worried music execs. A clampdown on online piracy does seem to be having the desired effect, with a 4.7% growth in the UK's music revenue in 2009, partly thanks to the global success of Susan Boyle.

The most interesting stat, however, is the 9.4% increase in live music revenue, proving that even if it's possible to download an album, it's never going to be possible to bootleg the experience of seeing an artist in the flesh. The rise of festivals and appetite for live music should ensure the industry stays in decent health, and can support the next generation of bands.

This appetite for live music, and unique music experiences, is surely the future of the music industry, with band's interactions with fans the key to their financial survival. Here's hoping for another growth in 2011 – even if SuBo doesn't bring out a follow-up record...

George Michael's fall from grace hit rock bottom as he started a jail term in Pentonville on careless driving charges. The star is faced with an eight week sentence, of which he's likely to serve four, and was said to be inconsolable, refusing to leave his cell.

George isn't the first musician to have a run-in with the law– here's our look at five of music's most infamous musical encounters with the boys in blue:

The Rolling Stones

While they hardly served hard time, the Stones were faced with a night in the cells over drugs charges in the 60s, and mocked the incident in their video for We Love You, casting themselves as Oscar Wilde in the dock.
Soundnet's jukebox must-hear: Gimme Shelter

Pete Doherty

The Libertines enjoyed a summer comeback but Pete Doherty knows his way around a prison cell - it was his imprisonment for burgling Carl Barat that led to the band's first split.
Soundnet's jukebox must-hear: The Good Old Days

Phil Spector

Wall of Sound producer Phil Spector was always seen as a loose cannon but his gun-play took a darker turn in 2003, when he killed actress Lana Clarkson – he's currently serving 19 to life.
Soundnet's jukebox must-hear: Be My Baby

Lil Wayne

Lil Wayne is serving a one-year term for illegal possession of a firearm, but he's not let it stop him from keeping up with fans via a blog and earning a few quid from 'Free Weezy' merchandise.
Soundnet's jukebox must-hear: Lollipop

Ian Brown

The former Stone Roses frontman ended up inside over an air-rage incident, and undertook a dramatic change while banged up in Strangeways, converting to Islam. He confessed he'd only done it to get better quality dinners after he left, though.
Soundnet's jukebox must-hear: F.E.A.R

In March, Facebook overtook Google to become the most visited site on the Web. And what’s more, according to recent statistics, a whopping 50% of its 350 million plus users log into it every single day. More than 35 million of its users update their status everyday too – that’s a lot of active engagement – and it means their friends need to be able to access the web to stay up to speed with the latest goings on in their social circle.

Add to the mix rapidly-growing upstart Twitter, business essential LinkedIn and photo-hoster Flickr, itself a resource for over four billion images (and counting), and a picture soon emerges of a growing number of must-visit sites, whose dedicated users can’t be out of the loop for too long.

Thanks to the wonders of wi-fi there’s no need to be left out in the cold anymore, meaning terminal tweeters can share their latest musings, Facebook fiends find out what their friends got up to on their holidays as soon as they touch back down and budding Alan Sugars can do a bit of networking over lunch, via LinkedIn. It doesn’t take an entrepreneur to know that wi-fi connectivity is paramount in our new social networking age. Wi-fi in your pub, bar, cafe or hotel is as necessary as the furniture customers and patrons sit on.

So, Apple has another gleaming hit on its hands with the iPad. Within four weeks of its launch in the US, over a million high-tech tablets were snapped up. Interestingly, the wi-fi enabled units provided the key sales. The alternative, 3G iPads are costlier to buy and maintain.

The success of the wi-fi iPad is yet another sign that wireless connectivity is fast becoming essential for any commercial business wanting to maximise customer dwell time.

On another note, the San Francisco Chronicle reports the iPad is popular among OAPs – it seems older folks find it easier, more readable and better for people with basic computer skills than a laptop. Maybe that’s why I’ve got to get my hands on one when the iPads finally storm these shores!

The issue of online copyright law was brought into focus when a pub owner in the UK was faced with an £8,000 fine in November last year after its open wireless Internet connection was used to illegally download copyrighted material. The Cloud, hotspot provider to the pub, declined to name its location.

With the passing of the Digital Economy Bill it looks like this large fine, the first of its kind in the UK, won’t be the last. Under the new legislation the owner of the copyright which has been infringed will only need to target the address which owns the Internet connection used – in this case the pub in question.

Bringing a case against someone infringing on copyright isn’t a new thing, but targeting the Internet hotspot rather than the individual is – and makes clear the need for anyone providing web access to their customers to ensure there are filters in place.

The increasing crackdown on illegal downloading means Internet usage will be under more scrutiny than ever, and it’s absolutely essential to go down the proper channels when providing music, video and web content to your customers, or risk being punished for their misdemeanours.

For the first time since 2003 the British music industry’s sales of recorded music have risen. It might only be a 1.4% increase, but it points at just how important digital sales are in the modern music industry – they’ve played a crucial role in this rise.

Online music purchases have risen by 51.7% with digital tracks and video sales more popular than ever. Now worth £154 million in sales, digital tracks and videos may not quite have replaced traditional physical formats, but they are helping to maintain the industry at a time of transition.

Digital sales now make up around a fifth of music sales, with singles the format performing the most impressively. Even with illegal downloads still taking a chunk out of the music business’ revenue, the single enjoyed its best year ever – not least because of the much publicised battle for Christmas number one.

Spotify might be changing the way people hear music, but legal downloads are making sure they can carry their favourite tracks and videos around with them, and help support the next generation of artists. Keep up to speed with all the singles and albums making headlines with Soundnet’s MIM package, or go Unlimited to enjoy the benefits of Internet connectivity to a limitless number of songs.

A heavy-handed approach to fighting online file-sharing has seen a case against a teen dropped by Teeside Crown Prosecution Service. The decision to charge the case as criminal, rather than civil, seems to have been the cause for its collapse, with a number of holes in the prosecution emerging.

Sounding like something more suited to an anti-terror raid, six people, among them police officers, members of the BPI and International Federation of the Phonographic Industry entered the teen’s home, seizing material and ultimately charging him with the distribution of copyrighted material.

The allegations were based around files he’d made available on a BitTorrent site, but the copyright holders were never asked to identify the tracks in question, and the choice of trying the case as criminal seemed excessive, with the CPS acting almost as a proxy for the private prosecutor whose copyright had been violated.

With the new Digital Economy Bill 2010 and the fight back against online piracy and copyright infringement, this is a clear warning about the danger of going overboard, and the need for a measured approach to safeguard the music industry’s future. While it’s important to crack down, we shouldn’t treat teens as public enemy number one. Let’s teach them the importance of legal downloads. 

The passing of The Digital Economy Bill 2010 is a strike back against online music piracy, but what’s it really going to mean for the industry as a whole?

The main area of interest for music fans, and musicians, was the section on illegal downloading, because there’s no two ways about it – it’s having a huge impact on record labels and artists, as well as all those trying to get a record deal from an industry in flux.

Music isn’t free to make, and with the rise of online piracy acts increasingly have to live off revenue made from touring to survive. The bill may have been modified but it does send out a clear signal: copyright infringement is theft, and it has to stop.

While the arguments over making music free to download will continue to rumble on, amid claims that those who download illegally go on to spend more money on music than people who don’t, it is an important move to halt a massive drain on the music industry’s resources.

If you love a musician’s work you’ve got to support it, or face the reality that they might not get to release another record. 
 

It might sound like something from a spy film but Warner Bros are taking their fight against piracy to the next level: on-campus espionage. The music giants are hoping to crack down on students who break copyright laws with a little help from their fellow bookworms.

Aimed at people studying computing (well, they do know their way around the system after all) the £17,500 job, based in London, is a clear sign labels are taking the issue of illegal downloading more seriously than ever.

It’s not as simple as keeping their virtual ear to the ground – the successful ‘anti-piracy intern’ will monitor blogs and torrent sites as well as purchasing illegal material and issuing copyright infringement notices straight after their sting.

Rumour has it torrent sites are already biting back, recruiting people to snoop on the snooper – it could be a never ending spiral! Either way it shows how important this issue has become, and while I’m sure the intern won’t be the most popular person on campus it is a forward-thinking move to get someone on the inside. It also shows it’s not just big sites like Pirate Bay who have to keep an eye on who’s watching when they try to get around copyright laws.