“We are studying it and we expect to make that free, and instead of having one million, having at least 10 million-15 million in every corner of the earth,”  were the words of new owner Rupert Murdoch when asked about online readership of the Wall Street Journal. No date set yet, but it won’t be too long, that’s for sure.

Read more at the other newly freed site, The New York Times. 

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When artists yearn for creative freedom, even the riches that come in the form of dollars only go so far. The pressure to be creative grows and grows until it blows, and for the recording industry, it is starting to blow.

Witness the following events:

• Radiohead, currently not under contract with a record label, announced that the price for the all digital version of its latest album was going to be whatever you wanted to pay. September 30, ‘07.
• Nine Inch Nails front man Trent Rezner wrote on October 8, ‘07, “I’ve waited a LONG time to be able to make the following announcement: as of right now Nine Inch Nails is a totally free agent, free of any recording contract with any label.” 
• Madonna is not renewing her contract with Warner Brothers, instead opting to go with a concert promotion company, Live Nation (NYSE: LVY). This according to the Wall Street Journal on October 10, ‘07.

These and other artists are leading the movement to be free from oppressive record companies. Free from oxymorons like inspiration schedules and formula forced creations. Like many other industries where the Internet has played a role in removing barriers, the recording industry will never be the same. It will be better. Both for artists who want to be free and for consumers who will pay for their freedom.

Seth Godin has an interesting perspecitve on this.

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Sling Media, the company that introduced place shifting to the world, has been purchased by early investor EchoStar Communications for 380 million dollars. Hopefully this gives Sling the money to grow and continued freedom to innovate. Read more on the Sling Media site.

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Led by Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson and LG, the Open Mobile Terminal Platform announced that the micro USB connector will be the standard on mobile phones for both data and power. Just think, wherever it makes sense, you can connect. Your car, your TV, your computer, airline seats, public kiosks. Wow! This is huge! More details at News.com.

Photo: Wikipedia

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In what we hope is a sign of the times, the New York Times has removed the subscription wall that hid some of the best content they offer. Now you don’t have to use BugMeNot to get in. There’s talk that the Wall Street Journal is also contemplating this move. Do it! Do it now!

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