Napster Exec Joins iCAST

Away the lifeboats! As the cannon thunder of industry frigates like RIAA and multiple record companies and artists slowly reduce the floundering Napster hulk, wise officers continue to abandon ship, joining others who have followed a similar path.

Music industry expert Elizabeth Brooks has joined iCAST Music, the music channel of online entertainment company iCAST, as Senior Vice President of Artist Development and Marketing. The appointment was announced Tuesday by Joe Fleischer, CEO of iCAST Music.

Brooks joins iCAST Music from Napster, where she served as Vice President of Marketing. Brooks will report to and work closely with CEO Joe Fleischer, who recently rowed over to iCAST Music from MP3.com.

“Liz’s impressive and entirely unique skill set as an Internet music pioneer and as an A&R and marketing expert, make this a real coup for iCAST Music,” said Fleischer. “The opportunity to work with a great friend whom I’ve admired and trusted for many years, makes Liz’s choice to join the iCAST Music team all the more special.”

“We are thrilled to have these two talented pros who, separately, helped lead the evolution of digital music during its most explosive and innovative phase,” iCAST CEO Margaret Heffernan said, commenting on the hire. Their experience creating mutually beneficial business relationships between the music industry and the online world — for bands, labels and music fans — and their ability to develop and creatively promote artists online, will be instrumental in our efforts to make iCAST Music the number one destination on the Web for fans and artists.”

“Digital music and associated technologies are changing the entire face of the music industry, and yet a clear winner has not emerged in this space. iCAST gives me the opportunity to build something great and groundbreaking, and also to work alongside my longtime friend, Joe Fleischer,” said Brooks.

Comradeship formed in the heat of battle, albeit defeat, can yield powerful alliances.