U2 manager Paul McGuinness may this year have become one of the music industry’s biggest advocates of action against ISPs and social networks, but not all of his comments have been supported by the band he represents. Earlier this month, McGuinness told BBC 6Music Radiohead’s pay-what-you-like In Rainbows release had “to some extent backfired” because “60 to 70 per cent of the people who downloaded the record stole it anyway even though it was available for free”.

But Bono wrote a letter to this week’s NME to say “we disagree with Paul’s assessment”: “We think they were courageous and imaginative in trying to figure out some new relationship with their audience. Such imagination and courage are in short supply right now.” Which doesn’t suggest U2 are about to go the same way, however. Bono backed the rest of his manager’s view: “It is disturbing to see internet service providers and technology companies profit from the so-called ‘disintermediation’ of the music business when so many music lovers are losing their jobs.”

Staci adds: Bono is also a co-founder of AIDS nonprofit (RED), which the NYT reports is about to launch its own online music service. Starting this September, the as-yet-unbranded service plans to deliver three new pieces of “exclusive content” a week for a $5 monthly subscription with half of the proceeds going to (RED) and half to the artists and their labels. The content mix sounds intriguing—one original song a week from the likes of U2, Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello and Elton John; one from “less established” artists; and one song, video or short story. The songs will be MP3s.  (Some of the music will come from Costello’s upcoming new show on Sundance Channel.) The president for content is Don MacKinnon, formerly responsible for Starbucks’ music products.

-- The software—of course, is yet another way to download or deal with music separate from all the others—will provide updates on how the proceeds are being used. It also is supposed to include a way for the community to choose images shown with songs.