Peter Kafka

Recent Posts by Peter Kafka

Amazon Grabs Top Sony Music Exec

Michael Paull, who oversaw Sony Music’s digital business, is headed to Amazon.

Sources say Paull, who had been at Sony for the last four years, has already left the music label. No word from Amazon about the role he’ll have there, and Sony has yet to announce a replacement. [UPDATE: An Amazon rep says he’ll be vp of content acquisition and business development, a new position.]

Last year Amazon riled the music industry by rolling out a Web-based music “locker” service without getting permission from the labels first.

This summer the e-commerce giant finally negotiated licenses with the labels and other copyright holders, and rolled out an enhanced version of the service, meant to compete with Apple’s iTunes Match.

Paull’s departure may not have anything to do with the industry’s consolidation, as Universal Music swallows up EMI Music. But expect to see many top players shifting jobs and employers in the coming months.

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Another gadget you don’t really need. Will not work once you get it home. New model out in 4 weeks. Battery life is too short to be of any use.

— From the fact sheet for a fake product entitled Useless Plasticbox 1.2 (an actual empty plastic box) placed in L.A.-area Best Buy stores by an artist called Plastic Jesus