IAR Bits and Bytes for Tuesday

MP3.com Introduces New Marketing Tool for Digital Artists

Music site MP3.com Tuesday revealed a new feature that allows the site’s digital artists to send opt-in announcements to consumers announcing the availability of new music or live performances.

The new version of the site’s “Notify Me!” service allows listeners to sign up to receive email notification when selected digital artists release a new CD, upload a new song to the site or schedule a performance at a venue in a specified region.

“We have always been dedicated to empowering digital artists to succeed by providing a broad array of marketing and promotional tools and services,” said MP3.com chairman and chief executive officer Michael Robertson. “That’s why we launched Notify Me! in the first place, and this enhancement gives digital artists an even more direct method to immediately reach their fans when they release new music or play live shows.”

iEntertainment to Launch Co-Branded Online Game Site for Juno Subscribers

Internet service provider Juno and online gaming content syndicator iEntertainment Network Tuesday announced that they will launch a co-branded online game site for Juno’s subscribers.

Juno is the nation’s third-largest provider of dial-up Internet services, behind America Online and EarthLink, with more than 3.38 million active subscribers.

Under the terms of the deal, iEntertainment will be the exclusive provider of online games for Juno, for which it will create and host a site with ad-supported games ranging from traditional to multiplayer online simulations.

The site will be a featured element on www.juno.com, at which Juno subscribers begin each Web session. The two partners will share ad revenue.

Stamps.com, Microsoft Join for Online Postage For Works

Internet postage provider Stamps.com continued its relationship with Microsoft by announcing that its Internet postage service will be integrated into Microsoft’s Works family of applications.

Last year, Microsoft began offering Stamps.com’s services as an optional online add-on to its popular Microsoft Office suite of business software.

Under terms of Tuesday’s agreement, Works users will be able to print postage from their computer through the application.

Stamps.com also provides special services for customers, including tools for pricing, tracking, shipping packages and ordering supplies online, and is additionally offering users of Works Suite a coupon for $30 worth of free postage.

Stamps.com currently offers its software with Intuit‘s Quicken financial software programs, America Online‘s online service and Hewlett-Packard printer products.