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27 Feb 2010

MOG, an on-demand music streaming service with backing from both Universal Music Group and Sony Music, has raised $9.5 million in a new round of funding.

MOG, which has already raised over $10 million in angel and Series A rounds, launched in December with the goal of muscling into the subscription music business, with its value proposition being its $5-per-month price and 256kbps streams.

Competitors include Napster, Rhapsody and Spotify (though Spotify has yet to launch in the U.S.).

According to MOG, the new funding will be used to push European expansion, develop mobile apps and build partnerships. The company plans to expand into the UK by the end of June, with other nations to follow. MOG is also upping its free trial from one hour to three days in order to give people a better chance to experience its product.

The funding round was led by Menlo Ventures, a previous investor in the company, and joined by Balderton Capital.

Reviews: Rhapsody, Spotify

Tags: MOG, music, online music, rhapsody, spotify

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Dave Morin Leaves Facebook, To Launch New Startup With Napster Creator Shawn Fanning

In: web resources

23 Jan 2010

Long time Facebook employee Dave Morin (pictured left), an early member of the team that led the launch of Facebook Platform and Facebook Connect, is leaving the company today, we’ve confirmed. He’s starting a new company with Napster creator Shawn Fanning. Fanning sold his most recent startup, Rupture, to EA in early 2008.

What we don’t know is what that startup will do, and it isn’t likely Morin or Fanning will be saying anytime soon. In a phone call this morning, all Morin would say is that they’ll be building Facebook Connect into the product.

Morin was previously at Apple, where he met and partnered with Facebook. He eventually left Apple to join Facebook in 2006. At the time Facebook had just 10 million users. Today, it has over 350 million users.

Morin’s personal blog is at davemorin.tumblr.com. I’d expect him to announce this shortly.

A Facebook spokesperson tells us that Morin is leaving on good terms and that “we’re excited to be working with him on the other side as a member of the developer community.”

Update: Here’s Dave’s personal announcement.

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Tags: 10 million, dave morin, developer community, launch, long time, napster, personal announcement, personal blog, spokesperson

Napster Launches New Developer Portal

In: tutorial

7 Jan 2010

Napster said today its application-programming interface (API) is now available via the new Napster Access developer portal.

Now consumer electronics and web developers can integrate Napster content and services into their own products and web pages.

Samsung has added Napster to its Internet-connected TVs, allowing users to access the service for $5 monthly after the 14-day trial period.

“Current and potential partners have requested access to the Napster API so they can provide a great music experience directly from their site or device,” said Christopher Allen, Napster general manager. “

“Now our consumer electronic partners, music bloggers, music fan sites and other businesses, regardless of size, can easily create and offer our on-demand music service and sell MP3s directly from their site or product.”

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