Reuters - Microsoft Corp on Thursday announced a new music subscription plan for owners of its Zune players, which would allow them to keep 10 tracks per month and add them to their permanent collection.

AP - To record his third studio CD, Jason Mraz withdrew from the music industry so he wouldn't be affected by album sales and charts. Instead, the pop singer went to his hometown of San Diego and traveled to London while disconnecting himself from his phone and e-mail. 

AFP - Gone are the swashbuckling days of repelling pirates with cutlasses -- a British firm is spearheading use of a high-tech "sonic laser" to beat bandits on the high seas.

AP - When the last new Guns N' Roses album came out, there were no iPods or digital downloads. There was no "American Idol." No music blogs. No MySpace.

AFP - Microsoft, seeking to boost the popularity of its Zune music player, announced a new subscription offer on Thursday that will allow users to keep 10 tracks a month permanently.

AP - A video for the title track on hip-hop veteran Common's forthcoming album, "Universal Mind Control," begins with a digital music player pulsing to the beat. The viewer is pulled through the screen into the gadget's guts, where the cool, collected rapper lets loose an easy stream of lyrics.