• Will Apple offers a music subscription service? No, not if Steve Jobs' comments to Reuters in any indication. Said Jobs, "Never say never, but customers don't seem to be interested in it. The subscription model has failed so far. ... People want to own their music." (Reuters)

• Even a person with no legal knowledge could see this coming: In saying digital downloads do not count as public performances, a court denies ASCAP from double-dipping. (Hollywood Reporter)

• Research from Strategy Analytics Digital Media Strategies puts this year's global online music growth rate at 62%. By 2011, the value of the online market will grow to $6.6 billion from $2.7 billion in 2007. It predicts a "temperate increase in single track download revenues" due to EMI's decision to offer DRM-free, premium tracks. Their optimism is striking: "This year will likely be the turning point for the music industry, and a return to overall revenue growth." I doubt it, but it's possible if you include publishing revenue. (Strategy Analytics)

• The Guardian has a routine article on download stores and DRM -- it's the hot topic of the quarter -- but there's one part that may cause your eyes to open wide. Scott Cohen, founder of The Orchard, explains that dropping DRM is not technically complicated but the finer stuff can get a bit complicated. Details vary from store to store (things like bit rates and metadata identifiers). "There are 63 variants for mobile devices alone, and overall there are hundreds. Cohen notes, though, that the really hard work is marketing the music." (The Guardian)

• An interview with Last.fm co-founder Martin Stiksel. "We released our software in ten different languages before Christmas, and because of our unique 'scrobbling' within two weeks we had millions of tracks of Brazilian music and Spanish music and Russian music added to our catalogue." (Exclaim.ca)

[music jobs] Brand and Online Marketing Manager at The Ascot Club/Am Only; Brooklyn, NY.