• Supermarket chain ASDA is the first in the U.K. to exclusively stock an environmentally friendly "Ecopac" CD that is manufactured by Universal Music Group. The package is made from 100% recycled and recyclable paper-foam, and will be made for 42 titles. The really new twist here is that the ecopac does not have a CD sleeve -- that will be available at the UMG website. (Retail Bulletin)

• Music 2.0 site imeem.com has hooked up with Snocap to launch an ad-supported digital music service. The new service filters out uploaded content for which imeem does not have permission to stream; songs for which imeem does not have permission will stream only a 30-second clip. Artists and/or record labels will get a share of the ad revenue. (Reuters)

• Industry vets Bill Hurley and Fred Boenig have launched the Artist Development Co-Op (ADC). For a flat rate of $1,600, an artist can get radio and press support, graphic design services and placement on ADC's music and merch store. (The Artist Development Co-op, via CMJ)

• New York is getting another music venue. The 550-capacity The Music Hall of Williamsburg is set to open on September 4th with a performance by Patti Smith. The venue is part of the growing Bowery Presents empire, recently profiled in the New York Times. (Relix)

• Responding to my post about hip hop sales, blogger Camdemonium looked up BPI statistics for 2006 U.K. album sales. In 2006, hip hop accounted for 3.3% of U.K. album sales. Hip hop's shares in 2004 and 2005 were 6.5% and 5.9, respectively. That's quite a decline, and it mirrors what's happening in the U.S. (BPI, via Camdemonium)

• Country legend Porter Wagoner now holds the record -- 43 years, five months and two weeks -- for longest span between charting albums. (Billboard Chart Beat)