findanyfilm.com

This is the link to the website of findanyfilm.com- a website set up by the UK Film Council in 2009. It was hoped that findanyfilm.com would help to combat illegal downloading by providing film fans with information on how to legally obtain films (either as DVDs, Blurays or downloads).

The site is also good evidence for the Long Tail of films online- there is a huge range of films available- both mainstream hits and niche films:

http://www.findanyfilm.com/

Warner Brothers to offer film downloads through Facebook

This article is about an interesting distribution partnership between Warner Brothers and Facebook:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/mar/08/warner-bros-rental-service-facebook

Illegal downloading threatens the film industry

A good article about the threat to the UK film industry from illegal downloading:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/mar/13/illegal-downloads-threaten-british-film

Internet advertising and recommendation engines

A good extract from the BBC Virtual Revolution series about internet advertising and the information that online advertisers and businesses can find out when you go online. Businesses like Amazon, Love Film and Netflix use this information to power their recommendation engines:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg5E9Y5rH5I

The clip continues at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMo2B4ILzik&feature=related

How unsigned artists make money online

A really good article about how unsigned artists are using Youtube to carve out an independent music career- some good case studies that you can link in well with ideas about wikinomics, the Long Tail and David Gauntlett's ideas about the 'making and doing' culture

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12382785

Trouble at HMV

This is a great article about the difficulties experienced by HMV because of the decline in CD sales. It seems that the days of high street music retail are coming to an end...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12118619

This is another good article related to HMV:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12117510

Decline in music sales in 2010

The following article outlines the current state of UK music sales and the difficulties for the industry at the moment:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12120789