music video

Geek humor abounds.

Parody singer "Weird Al" Yankovic poked fun at Segway riders three years ago with his rap song "White and Nerdy."

His latest single "Craigslist" skewers the people who can be found swapping wares and scoring dates on the classifieds ads site. (While there's a verse about the popular "missed connections" feature on Craigslist, there isn't otherwise mention of the current prostitution controversy that the site's been dealing with.)

The video and song are a professed homage to The Doors. Ray Manzarek, the former band's keyboardist, … Read more

Universal Music Group and YouTube have answered the question of whether any of the major labels will be interested in joining the new all music video Web site, Vevo.

Sony Music Entertainment has joined the venture, the companies said Thursday in a statement. Vevo will launch sometime later this year featuring video content from at least the two largest recording companies. (Universal is the largest.)

Some of the acts represented by the two labels include Amy Winehouse, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Duffy, Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Eminem, AC/DC, Kelly Clarkson, Lady Gaga, Carrie Underwood, Mariah Carey, Akon, The Killers, Mary J … Read more

Today only, freebie-software site Giveaway of the Day is offering Wondershare Music Converter, normally $29.95, free.

True to its name, the program converts music files from one format to another--great if you have, say, some WMAs you want to turn into MP3s. But it can also remove the DRM protection from AAC, WMA, and other popular protected formats.

Now that stores like Amazon, Rhapsody, and even iTunes sell DRM-free music, this is less of a big deal than it used to be. But if you still have DRM-infested tracks in your library, here's your chance to liberate them … Read more

YouTube is trying to make good use of some of the most valuable real estate on its music videos.

Anyone clicking on music videos at the site may notice a Visa logo inserted in the click-to-buy overlay that appears at the bottom of the video.

The spot is a choice position for brand advertising and is reflective of YouTube's continued efforts to find new--and hopefully profitable--advertising methods.

YouTube has long said that there won't be one way to turn the Web's largest video site into a profitable venture. Google, YouTube's parent company, has launched numerous ad … Read more

Rio Caraeff, executive vice president of Universal Music Group's eLabs, is expected to be named president of Vevo, the music video site formed by Universal Music and YouTube, sources close to Vevo said.

Universal and YouTube officially unveiled Vevo in April, saying it would be a showcase for the major labels' music videos and other video content. The site is expected to launch later this year, and Universal and YouTube executives continue to negotiate with the other three major recording companies--EMI, Sony Music, and Warner Music Group--to bring their content into the fold.

Vevo is the brainchild of Universal … Read more

YouTube has pulled the plug on music videos in Germany as Western Europe starts to look like a hostile environment for Web music services.

A YouTube spokesman confirmed that YouTube is no longer playing music videos belonging to the largest music labels after talks with Germany's biggest royalty collections group, GEMA, broke down.

The conflict is almost identical to YouTube's spat with a royalty group in the United Kingdom, but with one important twist. According to YouTube, GEMA is asking for royalty rates that are 50 times higher than those asked for by PRS, the British organization, and … Read more

There's no lack of music instruction online. Sites like iVideoSongs and Internet-connected applications such as Garage Band, can tailor music instruction right down to the specific genre, song, and instrument of your choice. The trouble is, they don't actually show you how to make a great recording.

If you're more interested in how to use side-chain audio compression in Logic, than how to how to play "Stairway to Heaven," WinkSound.com is worth a look. The site design is a little rough, but the video tutorials are helpful and clearly organized into relevant topics (Garage … Read more

Quick quiz: Which is the better buy, a $199 iPod Nano or a $99.99 Creative Zen Mozaic? No, it's not a trick question: The answer is the Zen Mosaic.

Both models play music and movies, of course, and both offer 16GB of storage at their respective price points.

But that's where the similarities end, mostly in favor of the Mozaic. Creative's player features an FM tuner, a voice recorder, and a built-in speaker, among other features. (Find out more in CNET's review.)

It's kind of sweet looking, too. That mosaic design definitely scores points … Read more

If you hold it at arm's length and squint a bit, you might mistake the V-Bop media player for a third-generation iPod Nano. They're definitely kissing cousins, at least in the looks department. But where features are concerned, the V-Bop blows the iPod out of the water.

Buy.com has the 8GB V-Bop media player for $39.99 shipped. That's a rebate-free price on a new, not refurbished, unit.

So what does the V-Bop offer that the Nano doesn't? For starters, a microSD slot--pop in an 8GB card, and you double your available storage. (Newegg has … Read more