A group of big music stores has mothballed a plan to join forces on the Internet to fight online services such as Apple Computer’s iTunes, a move that highlights painful choices brought on by a digital shakeout. Echo, a joint effort launched with a splash of publicity in early 2003, was supposed to give the big brick-and-mortar retailers such as …

Talks have begun that could finally make the songs of The Beatles available for sale online, sources familiar with the situation said. Representatives for The Beatles have spoken with numerous online music providers, ranging from small companies to Microsoft, which is planning to open an Internet music store this year. The Beatles’ side is asking for a considerable sum in …

The average retail price of full-length CDs fell to $13.29 in the first quarter of 2004–a decline of 4 percent from the same period a year ago, according to a new study. The top 50 CD sellers nationwide sold discs for an average price of $13.36, a drop of 3.1 percent versus a year ago, said a survey released Thursday …