Mike Butcher

Mashable is reporting that MySpace will soon be selling music downloads from the 3 million unsigned bands that have set-up shop on the hugely popular social network – a move that further enhances the disruptive nature of MySpace on the music industry.

Curiously, MySpace co-founder Chris DeWolfe is quoted as telling Reuters:

“Everyone we’ve spoken to definitely wants an alternative to iTunes and the iPod. MySpace could be that alternative.�

An alternative to iTunes it may be, but as the songs sold on MySpace will be good old-fashioned (and DRM-free) MP3s, they will work just fine on the iPod – which is of course where Apple makes most of its money anyway.

AIS Thailand, the largest mobile operator in Thailand, plans to expand its content discovery service, mLive! to reach 8 million subscribers by the end of the year, according to the firm. Powered by Celltick (headquartered in London), mLive! broadcasts streams of content teasers directly across the idle screen of user’s mobile phones, with subscribers offered “personalized content and promotions”. AIS says that during its first year of operation over 40% of subscribers used mLIVE! on a monthly basis, with over 300,000 downloads a day. The service will become available for 8 million users by the end of the year and then extended to the majority of AIS users.

Technorati Tags: Mobbites

UBC Media, owner of Classic Gold analogue and digital stations, is investing in technology to let listeners push a button on their radio and transfer songs to their computer. UBC, which also produces programmes for BBC radio, hopes to announce partners in the music and radio industries for the venture shortly.