If you’re a fan of pounding the pavements, or the treadmill, on a regular basis then no doubt you’ve already discovered just how useful music can be in terms of maintaining focus and motivation and stopping you from getting bored. However, you’ve probably also found that not all headphones are suited to runners looking for a durable, sweat resistant design that won’t fall out of your ears whilst you’re running and isn’t going to have to be replaced every month or so. Whilst not all headphones are suited to heavy sports use, some have been specifically designed for it – check out these best earphones for runners: 

Yurbud

Yurbud earphones are specifically designed for sport and market themselves as the earphones that will never fall out. They have a range of different types of headphones, including the Ironman Inspire Duro, which has a uniquely shaped silicone cap that twists in the ears to ensure that it remains in place, as well as protecting the technology inside from sweat. The Yurbud CEO has run no less than 24 marathons so he probably knows what he’s doing…(http://www.yurbuds.com).

Sennheiser CX 680i

These high performance headphones have been specifically designed for those on the move, and have a unique moisture protection system to ensure the headphones don’t become damaged and music is delivered undistorted. These headphones have an EarFin holding system, which keeps them in place no matter how much you go for it. If you’re a fan of gym running then these headphones can also help keep you focused – they’re acoustically closed, which means that they’re incredibly effective at blocking out the noise of other gym-goers, as well as TVs and music played publicly that you’re not keen to hear (http://www.sennheiser.co.uk).

JayBird Freedom

It’s not usually possible to find a Bluetooth headset that’s light and slimline enough to use in the gym but the JayBird Freedom is the exception. These earphones have a unique design that sits both on and in the ears, with a cable that rests on the back of the neck. No more annoying pauses when the cable comes unplugged from your MP3 player and no more restrictive wires with these innovative headphones, just a warm bass to eliminate listener fatigue during long workouts and an all over moisture protection seal (http://www.jaybirdgear.com).

JLab Go

For those out there that get seriously sweaty during a run there are probably few headphones that have been able to handle the pace. If this is you then take a look at the JLab Go earpieces, headphones so waterproof that you can even swim in them if you want to. The design of these means they’re 100% fully submersible, which makes them ideal for even the sweatiest of runners – as well as for those who like to run in all weathers, even torrential downpours (http://www.jlabaudio.com).

If you’re a committed runner and you expect the same standards from your equipment as from your own motivation to get to the finish line then these earphones won’t let you down. Waterproof, non-restrictive, secure and pretty good looking too, opting for one of these designs mean that you’ll never have to lose a beat.

Written by Andy from Deal Zippy – a daily deals website with loads of great deals on headphones ranging from the cheap and cheerful to top of the range Beats.

Technology has enabled many advances in the home entertainment market and one of these areas is that of the multiroom music system. When we think about something like this naturally we think there are going to be many complicated problems and vast expensive pieces of equipment to buy, but how true is this and what questions need to be asked for you to get what you want.

Firstly you need to decide how many rooms you want your new system to be present in, if you are planning on as little as two rooms then a simple split speak setup is possible and will save you more of the DIY effort required. Its likely you will want to use more than two rooms however and so the next decision is whether you want your setup to be wired or wireless. In terms of cost and effort the wireless approach is best, it means you don’t have to go wiring through walls and with the advanced wireless technology around today doing away with the wires may be a better overall solution.

Going with a wireless setup will require you to have a strong wi-fi connection in your house as its the most commonly used way of these systems communicating, although some of the more expensive ones do run on their own network. Before buying any hardware you should also have a good idea of how many sources you will use with your system, for example just streaming from a CD across all rooms. Its important to understand that being able to tap into more sources with your system will present you with additional cost in getting the right system for the job, so understanding the limits of your use will save you money here.

Another decision to make is what kind of speaker setup you will have, fixed within walls possibly or surface based which allows for more freedom in moving them around and upgrading if you want to. Its important you make sure everything works as it should across the entire speak configuration before finishing off your setup, especially if you plan on wall mounting the speakers. When costing up the project you need to bear in mind not only the cost of the equipment but also associated costs like brackets, wiring and any tools you might need to get the job done. Some diy stores like Wickes have tool hire options if you just need a specific tool for one job and don’t think you’ll use it again which may work out cheaper than going out and buying everything new.

Which ever kind of system you choose, whether you go down the wired or wireless route, there are various different complete multiroom music systems available with vastly different price ranges to suit your price range and requirements. Its one of the more cutting edge home entertainment options available and yet its relatively simple to do it yourself and best of all when people see it in action they will want one themselves!

Calling all Zumba enthusiasts, are you looking for the best music to Zumba to? If so, you have come to the right place! Zumba has gained significant popularity in recent years and there is little wonder why. Zumba uses a combination of fun Latin beats and International Pop music to get fitness seekers up and moving. Listed below the Zumba team from Go Mammoth have put together a collection of the Top 10 Songs for Zumba Classes.

The Top 10 Songs for Zumba Classes

1. David Guetta – Turn Me on Ft. Nicki Minaj: This Pop inspired track invites Zumba dancers to get up and move to the music. It’s up beat tempo and quick pace music is sure to inspire jumps and turns all class long.

2. Havana Brown – We Run the Night – Twist, turn, jump and burn.. very few songs inspire movement quite like We Run the Night. This song helps momentarily transform Zumba dancers into powerful Zumba warriors ready to kick out the calories.

3. Chris Brown – Turn Up the Music: Modern and fast paced, Turn Up the Music is the perfect song for Zumba fitness. Not only does it have feet taping and bodies bending, it instils strong feelings of pride for a workout well done!

4. Rain Over Me – Pitbull: Few songs gets people up and moving quite like Rain Over Me. Each beat brings light to new moves and higher jumps, keeping students motivated to push themselves harder.

5. Dance, Dance, Dance – Zumba Fitness: There is little surprise why Dance, Dance, Dance continues to be a favourite at Zumba groups worldwide. Dance, Dance, Dance, is a feel good, up beat masterpiece designed to help get class goers in the groove of the beat.

6. Gangnam Style – Psy: There is no denying the catchy moves of Gangnam Style. In fact, very few people can resist the urge to move and shake along with this newly popular hit.

7. Shawty Got Moves – Step Up: Shawty Got Moves bring the street to class, inviting dancers to get raw with their moves. This urban inspired hit is sure to have fitness seekers moving, popping, and locking in ways they never imagined.

8. El Amor, El Amor – Zumba Fitness: A Zumba beat with a Latin vibe, get dancers swinging and moving to this beat with heat. El Amor will bring sexy back!

9. Sexy and I Know It – LMFAO: Zumba fitness classes are fun, exciting, and full of great music! Sexy and I Know It keeps things interesting, bodies move in happy motion. LMFAO`s hit number takes the `work`out of workout and delivers pure fun.

10. Party Nation – Zumba Fitness: Another Zumba classic. Party Nation turns every Zumba fitness class into a party in motion. Get fit with beats that are thrilling, big moves, wild twists, kicks, twirls.. party on!

Zumba fitness is about good times, great company, and getting fit to the beat of some of the best Latin and pop inspired songs around. What are you waiting for?

MTV was, in the 1980s, groundbreaking as the first major music video TV channel. The channel became so important that, for most top music artists, producing a music video was to become nearly as important as the music itself.

Today, there are many different ways of seeing music videos. These include watching the many digital TV channels, buying DVDs, watching videos on websites, and using a catch up TV service like YouView, which makes live TV less important. The ability to record music videos on recordable TV is another easy way that music fans can choose to watch music videos. Because some TV stations also have their own type of web-based player, which shows recent programmes, videos can also be watched this way.

It is really the rise of the Internet that has diminished the power of MTV. Virtually any artist who makes music can make a music video at little cost, and upload it for free on the Internet. The amount of hits that popular artists can get for their videos, when posted on the net, is staggering (thats right, 800 million views!). Big music companies can not only post their videos for free now, but can even include advertising in their own video. The music video has, effectively, become an advertising tool for music companies and artists, and that is MTV’s legacy. If a music video is hugely popular, then the effect on music sales are only likely to be beneficial.

Though MTV is still important, it’s influence has become somewhat diluted because of all the competition from major media companies. Whether MTV will be able to become more innovative and regain some of its influence of 20-30 years ago is open to question. Aspects of MTV remain treasured, and its annual awards are among the most prestigious to win in the music industry.

MTV has been responsible for some of music’s most famous moments, most notably when screening the Michael Jackson video for his album ‘Thriller’ in 1983. It made other artists take note and realise that they would have to raise their game and supply fans and the media with much more than just music.

The music video itself remains a potent way of promoting an artist, and that isn’t going to change. There is a greater desire among music fans to also see artists live however, and the future of the music video may involve increasingly more live, ‘real’ footage. It will be interesting to see if music video TV itself adapts enough to survive.

Music festivals have become enormously popular in the last decade and when you think about spending a few days listening to great music in the sunshine with all your mates whilst drinking lots of lovely cider it’s not hard to see why. However, the line between being a punter and being the organiser is not one than many will cross, as it can be a rather daunting experience. Whilst you might not be able to rival the likes of Reading and Leeds when you start out organising your own music festival, putting something like this together is actually much more simple than you might imagine. Here are a few tips:

Have it somewhere cheap – i.e. try and make friends with someone who owns some fields or a castle or a great spot by the beach. As festivals involve large gatherings of people in one place mostly getting a bit squiffy and dropping stuff on the floor there can be some pretty enormous premiums charged on hiring land for something like this. Plus if the landowner thinks you’ve either got money or you’re going to make money they will try and get in on the action so it’s far better to find someone who’ll give you the site for free or at mates rates.

Don’t count on a profit – Unless you’ve got the budget to book the kinds of headliners you’d find at some of the really big events (and you’ll need a big budget for them) then you’re going to have to work hard to sell all your tickets and there are no guarantees that you’ll sell enough to break even. Many new festival organisers will forget to incorporate something essential into the budget, run out of money, or find that certain risks just won’t pay off and that may mean that you end up without the millions rolling in that you had imagined. If you manage to break even in your first year then you are doing very well!

Meredith Music Festival December 2006 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Remember the weather…. if you’re holding the festival in the UK then remember that the weather here has been the reason for many a new festival going under in the first year. If your site floods, if there isn’t enough cover during rain showers, if you run out of water during excessive heat, or all your electrics blow and no one can hear the bands then you’re going to have to start thinking about refunds and you’re unlikely to get any customers returning next year.

Don’t be afraid to ask. If you don’t ask, you don’t get, and when it comes to getting a project like this off the ground you need to be pretty shameless. Try every means possible to get hold of freebies, favours and anything that might help trim the budget, increase the profile, boost the sales or get people to come back next year.

Clean up! If you want your festival to be a repeat event again next year – and if you don’t want to end up being fined and pretty much hated by the entire local community – then you need to make sure that you leave the site as pristine as you found it. Skip hire is very useful for getting rid of all the rubbish generated by a festival and you can always offer free tickets to those willing to litter pick during the event itself. Provide plenty of bins, do regular refuse collections and make sure those toilets don’t overflow…

Although you might need lots of patience, a will of iron and relentless determination in order to pull off a successful music festival, with a little forward planning it’s definitely possible. With these tips you might even end up being the force behind the next Glastonbury…

If you’ve ever spent a couple of hours watching music channels on TV then you will know that music videos these days often run the risk of falling into something of a rut – sweeping moving camera work with an attractive singer making eyes at the lens, strobe filled club scenes, or a band playing in some or other location (the roof of a tall building, a giant stage, in front of a sunset etc etc) have all been done and then done again. Clever acts whose careers achieve longevity – or who want to stand out from the crowd – tend to use animation in their videos at some point, whether it’s to defy the laws of gravity or inject a great big dose of fantasy entertainment. Here are 5 examples of the most loved animated music videos:

The White Stripes – Fell In Love With A Girl

Ok, so its not drawn animation but the stop motion Lego animation in this clever White Stripes video puts a great big capital ‘A’ in awesome. From a remarkably lifelike drummer Lego Meg – complete with giant drum kit – to close ups of Jack White’s singing lips (including tongue and teeth!) it’s incredible what you can do with a few plastic blocks and a lot of patience. Swimming pool scenes, street scenes, even a big red bus make this video of primary colours and remarkably fluid movements a great example of how animation can still have a very lifelike appeal.

A – ha – Take On Me

This 1985 slice of romantic fantasy was composed by way of ‘rotoscoping’ – a combination of pencil sketch and live animation – and was responsible for many a teenage girl spending hours staring wistfully at comic books wishing a handsome hero with a motorbike would come alive and whisk them off on an adventure as happened to Bunty Bailey in the video. ‘Take On Me’ had all the key components for a classic pop video, from the handsome hero to the whiff of danger and the happy ending when Morten Harket breaks out of the comic book to be with the girl he loves. The believability of the animation has made it somewhat legendary and the video won six MTV Music Awards in 1986.

Peter Gabriel – Sledge Hammer

It’s another stop motion video and if you haven’t seen this genius piece of animation in a while (or ever) then your life is really lacking something. This has to be one of the most inventive, entertaining and clever pieces of music video animation ever made – from the chalkboard roller coaster to the giant fruit face. If you need any further proof that this really is one of the greatest music video animations since the dawn of TV then Sledge Hammer holds the title for the most played music video in the history of MTV and has won nine MTV Awards, as well as a BRIT.

Justice – D.A.N.C.E

All the animated action in this super cool hipster video takes place on the T-shirts of the dance duo Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay and friends as they stroll around the Rex nightclub in Paris. Chests that unzip to reveal animated pumping organs beneath, cartoon keyboards that become real as they drop to the floor, the dancing names of fellow Ed Banger artists and a clever tie in with the action on the T shirts and what the human beings are doing at the time makes this one of the smartest animation videos in recent times. D.A.N.C.E was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards and whilst it didn’t win, it spawned a series of copycat videos, which is always a sign of greatness – imitation is the greatest form of flattery after all.

Daft Punk – Discovery

If there’s an act that totally milked the animated music video it was without a doubt Daft Punk. This duo of motorcycle helmet wearing electronic music pioneers created not just a single animated music video but an entire movie, which was set to their album ‘Discovery.’ They used mostly Japanese animation to depict their futuristic adventures, and whilst this might not be everyone’s cup of tea, you can’t dispute that they were one of the most energetic users of music video animation out there. It was also, of course, another great way to preserve the anonymity of the two Frenchmen – something which they pretty much maintained throughout their stellar years – and ramp up the mystery surrounding them and their music. An enormously effective marketing tool…

These are just five examples of excellent music video animation – it’s certainly not an exclusive list and if it was longer would have to also include the trippy Beatles graphics, the clever Gorillaz characters, Pearl Jam’s ‘Do the Evolution’ and Bjork’s ‘I Miss You,’ where the songstress appears as a cartoon character by Ren and Stimpy creator John Kricfalusi. Awesome.

Steve Brookstein - Remember him from the first X Factor

If you get your big break starting as a cruise ship singer, you are considered to have had humble beginnings and to have worked your way up. If, however, you have a hit record and end up singing on a cruise ship later in life, you are considered to be a ‘has been’. The cruise ship singing profession can be many things to different people. For the guests however, it is purely entertainment. If you’re lucky, it is good entertainment.

Jane McDonald

Possibly the most famous ‘typical’ cruise singer, Jane McDonald has done extremely well from her humble beginnings. From pubs to clubs, to stints on many cruise ships, Jane eventually got her big break when she agreed to partake in the docusoap ‘The Cruise’ which was watched by over 14 million viewers and made Jane a household name overnight. Over the last few years Jane has moved into television and she can currently be seen in the West End musical ‘Daddy Cool’.

Steve Brookstein

As the winner of 2004 X Factor, you would imagine Steve would have had a couple of number one hits before he began to fade into obscurity. However, Steve had just the one number one hit, which did not even go straight to the top spot. Eight months after signing his recording contract with Sony, he was ceremoniously dropped for poor sales. He attempted to set up his own music company to be able to release his self penned tracks, but none of his attempts were successful. In 2007, Steve appeared on the P & O Portsmouth to Bilbao cruise ship. He has made some small theatre performances but he has generally been quiet since 2010.

Claire Sweeney

Claire Sweeney was initially better known for her role as Lindsey Corkhill in Brookside. Once she had finished her contract, she embarked as an entertainer for P & O Cruise ships. Claire spent 4 years touring with the cruise ship, to return to television to reprieve her role in Brookside. Claire has had a stint on celebrity big brother, has an impressive theatre resume and makes the occasional guest appearance on Loose Women.

Michael Bublé

When you see the star he has become today, it is incredible to look back to see where Michael started. Initially convinced he would be a hockey player, it would be many, many years before he realised his second dream of becoming a singer. When he was 18, Michael entered a local Talent Contest which he went on to win. He was promptly disqualified for being underage. He did, however, get the attention of Bev Delich (the talent contest organiser), who spent several years representing Bublé. Bublé, ever the hard worker would work every gig he could get. This included many cruise ships over a period of seven years.

Gareth Gates

Gareth was the runner up (to Will Young), in the first series of Pop Idol in 2002. His debut single reached number one and included a double platinum selling album. Things looked very rosy for him. Gareth had 2 fantastic years with 3 number one singles (2 alone and one as a duet), before his hits started to struggle to reach the top spot. Gareth struggled as reports that he would lose his recording contract started to circulate. He has made a fantastic career in theatre, but recently has been seen entertaining on cruise ships.

Whether you start your career singing on a cruise ship or end your career singing on a cruise ship, one thing is certain. It takes some talent to sustain a career in the music industry and anybody who persists in this business needs to be truly committed to their chosen career path.

Written by Amy from Royal Caribbean Cruises

A musical instrument is a valuable possession. Not only can musical instruments be expensive to replace if lost or damaged, but they can also attract great sentimental value. Often, a musical instrument may be the chief source of an owner’s income. For all of these reasons, taking good care of musical instruments is of the utmost importance and particularly when they are being transported.

Whether preparing for a house move or travelling overseas, if you intend to transport a musical instrument over any distance it’s wise to take appropriate measures to ensure that it arrives at its destination in one piece and sounding as good as ever. This guide to transporting musical instruments gives advice on the best ways to protect your musical instrument in transit.

Choose an adequately protective case for your musical instrument

A lightweight soft case may be practical for carrying your musical instrument in everyday use, but may not provide sufficient protection against the bumps and jolts associated with longer periods of travel. A dedicated hard case with a padded interior contoured to the shape of your musical instrument and with a secure or lockable fastener offers far greater protection. If you are travelling by air with your musical instrument and it is of an appropriate size it should ideally form part of your carry-on hand luggage. If, however, your musical instrument needs to be stowed in the plane’s cargo hold, a durable and shock-resistant flight case –whilst expensive – may prove to be a worthwhile investment. For extra piece of mind, musical instruments that are sectional should be taken apart, and each section individually wrapped in bubble-wrap prior to being placed in a case for transportation.

Be aware of, and compensate for, travelling conditions

Safely transporting musical instruments is more than simply a case of protecting them against knocks and scrapes. Many instruments can be adversely affected by other factors such as excessive vibration, exposure to heat or cold, humidity or changes in air pressure. Stringed instruments are particularly vulnerable to climate changes and especially those associated with air transport. The strings of such instruments should be loosened slightly prior to transportation to compensate for the variation in conditions; failure to do so could result in significant physical damage to the instrument.

Use the most appropriate means of transport for your musical instrument

Common sense dictates that you can’t transport a grand piano on a bicycle, although this might be perfectly acceptable for a guitar in a case slung over your shoulder. Ideally though, you should aim to transport your musical instrument in a vehicle suited to the purpose; it’s preferable, for example, for an electronic keyboard to be able to lay flat in the boot or on the back seat of a car rather than be stuffed in at an angle because of lack of space. Conversely, laying the keyboard flat on the floor of a large van could be equally damaging if the keyboard is unsecured and can move around in transit.

Don’t forget to insure your musical instrument

If your musical instrument is particularly valuable it may not be sufficient to simply lump it in with your standard ‘home and contents’ insurance policy. A number of insurers provide policies specifically aimed at covering musical instruments against theft, loss, accidental damage and damage in transit. Provided that you have taken the appropriate measures to protect your musical instrument prior to and during transportation, insuring your musical instrument should at least provide some form of compensation should the worst happen.

Transporting pianos and other large musical instruments

Attempting to transport large musical instruments such as pianos, harps, cellos, basses or tubas that are potentially fragile or antique should not be attempted by anyone other than a specialist in the field. Any potential cost savings achievable by transporting these musical instruments by yourself are easily outweighed by the risk of loss or irreparable damage.

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Thеу ѕaу that іt’s putting thouѕаndѕ of јobѕ at risk and will damаge the quаlity оf new music getting made.

But the muѕіc іndustrу hаs ѕеen аll thіs before.

It’ѕ been bаttling filе-ѕhаrіng fоr ovеr а dеcаde nоw.

Eаrly 2000s

Napster, the orіginаl file-ѕhаring рrоgrаmme, was stаrted by 19-year-old collеge droроut Shawn Fаnnіng.

Tеn yеаrѕ аgo Metalliсa drummеr Lаrs Ulriсh begаn а lеgal аctіon againѕt thе соmpany аlоng wіth Dr Drе.

“If peoрle wаnt tо stеаl Mеtalliсa’s muѕіс, inѕtеad of hіding behіnd theіr сomputеrs in thеіr bedroоmѕ аnd dоrm roоmѕ, theу should go down tо Tоwer Rеcоrds and grаb them оff thе shelvеs,” fumеd Ulriсh at thе tіmе.

Mеtаllicа drummer Lаrs Ulrіch ѕuеd eаrly illegаl dоwnlоаd ѕіte Napѕter.

Nарѕter later sеttled thе cаѕе by аgrеeіng to reѕtrict the uѕe оf theіr muѕiс. It wаѕ еvеntuallу sоld аnd stіll оpеrаteѕ as a legаl muѕіс rеtаіler.

Meаnwhilе the RIAA’ѕ (Rеcording Industrу Aѕsоcіаtіon оf Amеricа) taсtiс wаѕ tо go аftеr thе іndivіdual filе-ѕhаrerѕ breаkіng coрyrіght lаws.

In the UK, the BPI (British Phоnоgraрhiс Industrу) did the ѕаme.

By 2004 the US muѕic іndustry hаd ѕtarted legal аction аgаinst morе than 500 uѕеrs.

Mid-2000s

By thе middlе оf the dеcadе the mаjоr rеcоrd lаbelѕ wеrе nоw fightіng оn a numbеr of frontѕ.

Coрy-protесted CDѕ hаd bеen introducеd in аn аttemрt tо stоp реoplе from mоving music frоm the phуѕiсаl fоrmat tо dіgitаl – and thеn shаring it.

After bеing crіticіsed fоr the “vіrus-lіke” teсhnоlоgies the CDѕ uѕеd, Sonу stoрpеd mаking thеm saying thаt thеy felt their mеsѕаge had widely ѕunk іn.

The number оf nеw bandѕ bеіng ѕigned is fallіng and іnvestment is fаllіng.

The Britiѕh Phоnographic Industry

Mеаnwhіle Swеdіsh torrеnt-site The Pіratе Bay had emеrgеd аnd itѕ pорularitу еxplоdеd with mіllionѕ of fіles beіng еxchаnged betwееn usеrѕ еvеrу dаy.

It еndеd uр іn court in April 2009 whеn the sіte’s founderѕ were јаіlеd for а year and оrderеd tо раy dаmages fоr brеаch оf соpyright.

Onе оf thеm, Petеr Sunde, told Nеwѕbeat in 2010 he wаs unrepentаnt.
“Theу [recоrd labels] dоn’t havе а god-gіvеn right tо earn mоnеу frоm сulturе,” hе ѕаid. “It’ѕ quite diѕgustіng.”

2008-рrеѕent

Therе hаѕ alwаyѕ bеen dіѕagreеment bеtwееn аrtіstѕ, labеls аnd fаnѕ over whеthеr file-ѕharіng іs а good or bаd thіng.

In 2008 40 bіllion muѕic fіleѕ were downloаded wіthоut pауmеnt accоrdіng to the Intеrnаtіonal Fеdеrаtion оf the Phоnоgraphic Induѕtrу (IFPI), meаning 95% of all digіtal muѕіc waѕ dоwnlоaded іllegаllу.

With the topic riрe, іn 2009 Lіlу Allen toоk tо hеr MуSpасe blog to vent hеr fruѕtratіоn.

Muѕе ѕіnger Matt Bellаmу haѕ ѕpokеn out аgаіnst іllеgаl downlоаding

“Fіle-shаring iѕ a dіѕаster as іt’s mаking it harder аnd hardеr for new aсtѕ to еmеrge,” she ѕаіd.

Shе alsо critісised а newlу fоrmed forum оf artіsts whо argued thаt filе-ѕhаring wаѕ OK – Radіoheаd’s Ed O’Brіen wаѕ one оf thоѕe іnvоlvеd.
Muѕe’ѕ

Matt Bеllamу аlѕo vоісed his ѕuрpоrt for Allen.

But raррer Tinchy Stryder waded іn, сritiсiѕing “oldеr, estаbliѕhеd аnd verу wеalthу аrtists,” and sауіng thеу hаd “madе mіllionѕ frоm CD ѕаles bеfоrе the daуs of рirаcy”.

Thоѕe іn thе muѕic industrу werе voсаl ѕuрportеrs of thе Digіtal Eсonоmу Act pаsѕеd in 2010, whіch wаѕ desіgnеd tо brіng thе lаws on dоwnlоading up tо dаtе.

But dіѕagrеemеnt ovеr punіshmеntѕ for file-ѕhаrers and hоw new rules should be enforced is still rаgіng – mеаning thе bill hаs hіt а seriеs оf dеlayѕ.

There wаѕ оne brеakthrough fоr thе muѕiс industry, when file-ѕharing softwаre comрany Limewire аgreеd tо рaу соmрenѕatiоn of £64.6m to 13 musiс fіrms.

Thаt wаѕ aftеr it hаd bеen suеd for hеlріng реорlе pіrаte muѕіс.

Tоdаy the BPI bоѕs Geoff Tаylоr іs ѕtill wаrning thаt the еffесtѕ оf file-ѕharing will be “very sеrіouѕ”.

“Thе number of new bаndѕ beіng ѕignеd iѕ falling аnd the inveѕtment iѕ fаlling – wе’re rеаllу worriеd abоut thаt for thе future,” hе ѕаіd.

Mеаnwhіle lаbеls are trying to рush onlіnе legal аltеrnativеѕ. Therе arе more lеgаl online ѕеrvіces іn thе UK than anу оther cоuntry.

Inсentivеs tо buу music сhеaplу аrе evеrywhеrе аnd ѕtreаmіng ѕеrvісеѕ lіkе Spоtіfy оffеr ѕubscrірtiоn models.

Pluѕ the wоrld’s biggest online сompаnies want us tо storе our соllectionѕ in “thе cloud”.

Written by Rob Playford
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Monotonix, Primavera Sound 2010

In recent years Spain has become one of the most festival-filled countries in Europe, thanks to some pretty savvy booking by festival organisers in the country and the beautiful (and very reliable) Spanish summers. Whereas there was a time where only those with a trust fund could afford to take trips abroad to festivals, now the tickets, flights and accommodation are all bundled up into budget friendly packages that make everything much more affordable. There are so many festivals in Spain right now that it can be difficult to know which ones to choose; if you really want to have a summer to remember next year then why not hire a car in Spain and plan a road trip around all of them, taking in some of the rest of Spain in between events.  You could even finish up your trip with a stop off in Ibiza if you really want to go for it!

When you start planning your road trip for next summer, book your flights early so that you arrive in Barcelona just in time for Primavera Sound (22 – 26^th May http://www.sanmiguelprimaverasound.es), a five day music event with a whole range of different types of bands, artists and DJs on the bill. From the legendary Black Lips, to Death Cab For Cutie, Forest Swords, M83, Beach House and Laura Marling, you get a lot for the price of your €129 ticket. At the end of the festival, take some time out to explore Barcelona, including Parc Guell, Sagrada Familia and Barcelona beach and then hire a car and head up the coast to the French border to chill out in the fishing village of Portbou. Once you’re feeling refreshed, drive back via Girona and see its ancient Roman city so that you arrive back in Barcelona by 14^th June for Sonar (14 – 16^th June http://www.sonar.es/en/2012/). Sonar is set over two festival sites in Barcelona, one geared up for the daytime festival and one for the night. It offers a great selection of acts from the world of electronica and beyond, including Deadmau5, Fatboy Slim, Lana del Ray and Annie Mac.

Benicassim sunset

After a few days recuperation in Barcelona after Sonar, get back on the road and head south, driving down the coast to Alicante, where you can spend a week topping up your tan and getting lots of sleep (or hitting the bars and drinking lots of cocktails). When you’re feeling ready for a festival again, head northwest towards Madrid, taking in the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Toledo on the way and then spending a few days in the Spanish capital exploring the shopping, nightlife and attractions such as the Royal Palace and the Fine Arts Museum. From Madrid you have two choices – a straight road back east to Valencia for Benicassim (12-15^th July http://benicassimfestival.co.uk/), or a straight road northwest for Bilbao BBK Live (12-14^th July http://www.bilbaobbklive.com/2012/index.php?lang=en). A three-day ticket in Bilbao is £88 and will buy you access to bands such as Snow Patrol, Bloc Party, Radiohead, the Kooks, The Maccabbees, Garbage and Kean. At Benicassim, for £155 you can see the likes of The Stone Roses, Florence and The Machine, The Vaccines and Katy B. After that, if you’re not all partied out then head back towards the northeast of the country for Monegros (21 July, http://www.monegrosfestival.com), which is basically a rave in the Spanish desert near Saragossa that goes on all day and all night.  From there you can make the short drive back to Barcelona, leave the hire car and either take a flight back home or jump on the ferry to Ibiza to carry on the partying.  Just bear in mind that with a trip like this, you might well need another holiday to recover!