For the last several years, Swedish music company Epidemic Sound has been building a vast library of tracks for producers to use in soundtracks on television shows and online video, amassing 20,000 pieces from more than 100 composers.

Now, the company is launching in the United States through a partnership with Maker Studios, which operates some of the biggest video channels on YouTube.

“We really want to be the kings of background music," Epidemic Chief Executive Oscar Höglund said. "We’re super-nerdy about that.”   

The new agreement gives producers for Maker unlimited...

YouTube is poised to launch a subscription music service as soon as December, positioning it to compete with Spotify, Rdio and other digital offerings, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Internet's dominant online video already is the most popular on-demand music offering in the world.  YouTube even has surpassed radio as the leading way teens and young adults listen to songs. 

A subscription service would seek to build YouTube's strength in digital music. 

YouTube users already can watch an unlimited number of music videos through an application on their mobile devices, as well...

A coalition of studios and theaters chains announced the launch of a digital and satellite delivery system to beam movies, as well promotional content and live events, directly into theaters.

The coalition said it plans to distribute 31 films over its network this year, including "The Hunger Games: Catching...

The Directors Guild of America and the group representing the major Hollywood studios have agreed to begin contract negotiations next month, nearly seven months before the expiration of the current agreement.

The DGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers announced Wednesday that they have agreed to begin negotiating new film and TV contracts Nov. 4. The talks will be held at the alliance's  headquarters in Sherman Oaks.

"The DGA and the AMPTP have also agreed that neither organization will comment to the press regarding negotiations until negotiations have concluded," the...

In a bid to spur digital movie purchases, Sony Pictures has struck a deal with Wal-Mart's Vudu video streaming service to add video sharing and other features to new releases including "This Is the End" and "After Earth" as well as forthcoming titles such as "Smurfs 2" and "One Direction."

The feature, dubbed Vudu Extras+, will enable consumers who've bought a movie through the online service — or deposited a copy in their digital storage locker — to search for scenes or lines of dialogue, or clip and share a film vignette on Facebook or Twitter. These features are intended to...

Fox is hoping history repeats itself when the Boston Red Sox face off against the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series, which starts tonight.

Of course, there were some extenuating circumstances that helped boost the ratings for the 2004 World Series into the stratosphere. The Red Sox hadn't played...

"The Voice" and "The Biggest Loser" made NBC Tuesday's winner again, but by a slim margin. 

NBC was the top network in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 age demographic, garnering a 2.7 rating, according to early numbers from Nielsen, while CBS came in at a close second with a 2.6. A ratings point equals roughly 1.3 million viewers. CBS was the most-watched network of the night, with an average of about 15.5 million in the audience.

"The Biggest Loser," the 8 p.m. weight loss-themed show, scored a 2.0 in the key demo, down 13% week-to-week, and drew an average of 6.64 million viewers. 

PHOTOS:...

In the upcoming movie "Ender's Game," boy warrior Ender Wiggin faces a series of challenges as he embarks on a journey to battle insect-like creatures that threaten to destroy the planet.

The movie also is a test for the film's co-producer, Digital Domain, the pioneering visual effects house co-founded by director James Cameron in 1993. The Venice studio is co-producing "Ender's Game" with OddLot Entertainment and Summit Entertainment.

Taking such a major role in a live-action movie, which opens Nov. 1, is both rare for a visual effects company and a big gamble for Digital Domain, known for...

After the coffee. Before deciding who to root for in the World Series.

The Skinny: If I don't have a personal rooting interest in the World Series, I tend to go with the American League. This year is tougher since the Red Sox beat the Tigers and I hate those stupid beards. It will be a gut decision made with the opening pitch tonight. Today's roundup includes Carl Icahn's Netflix stock sale and George Clooney's "The Monuments Men" pushed to next year. Also, a look at NBC's "Dracula."

Daily Dose: Although most of Ryan Seacrest's work is for NBCUniversal, which owns E! and NBC, he will continue...

Which actor can possibly live up to the mental image readers have of Christian Trevelyan Grey, the billionaire bondage aficionado in “Fifty Shades of Grey,” the hugely successful erotic novel that is soon to become a movie?

In the book by British author E.L. James, Grey is described as “not merely good looking — he is the epitome of male beauty, breathtaking.” There are probably male models who could come close to that standard, but what about men who can actually act? Is there anyone gorgeous enough?

PHOTOS: Horsey on Hollywood

Charlie Hunnam had been slated for...

Activist investor Carl Icahn said he sold nearly 3 million shares in Netflix, noting he reaped a substantial windfall from his investment in the online video service.

Icahn said he decided it was time to cash out, after the rapid appreciation of the company's stock, which rose to $323 a share, from his initial investment of $58 a share.

"As a veteran of seven bear markets, I have learned that when you are lucky and/or smart enough to have made a total return of 457% in only 14 months, it is time to take some chips off the table," Icahn said in a statement.

After the sale, Icahn retains a stake...