Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web:
Billboard’s critical response to GhostTunes.com: Garth Brooks had promised his fans something special when he opted to go digital, and Billboard is underwhelmed with what he delivered. This article runs down the financial challenges GhostTunes.com will face and questions how fan-friendly the service really is.
WholeWorldBand app offers mobile online collaborations: An app called WholeWorldBand is looking to tap into the enthusiasm of fans to be involved with their music by remixing or covering their favorite songs. The program lets established music stars and ambitious amateurs collaborate on new music from their phones or tablets. The Los Angeles Times shares the details of the company’s business plan for success.
Livestreaming concerts and lessons with DoclerMusic: Interest is high for music tools that are friendly to independent musicians. One of the latest entries in this space is DoclerMusic, a livestreaming platform combined with direct fan communication and music lessons. The service seems to prohibit its artists from advertising competitive platforms, such as behemoth YouTube, so it will be interesting to watch if/how this makes a mark on the indie scene. [Hypebot]