Idolator
Universal Ditches Its iTunes Contract
Universal Music Group is ready to rain on Apple's iPhone parade—the company has refused to renew its iTunes contract:
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Posts Tagged “record labels”
the biz
sonyconnect
Sony Connect—the Sony-powered download store that was Windows-only and Internet Explorer-only, and that trafficked in the Sony-developed standard ATRAC—will close over the next few months, and 20 people will be laid off. The service's hookup with the PlayStation Portable didn't quite serve as the catalyst that Sony executives thought it did, and we're guessing that its early hostility toward the MP3 format also turned off users. (Hands up if you thought it was even selling MP3s now.)
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Download Service You Probably Never Used Finally Decides To Cut Its Losses
Sony Connect—the Sony-powered download store that was Windows-only and Internet Explorer-only, and that trafficked in the Sony-developed standard ATRAC—will close over the next few months, and 20 people will be laid off. The service's hookup with the PlayStation Portable didn't quite serve as the catalyst that Sony executives thought it did, and we're guessing that its early hostility toward the MP3 format also turned off users. (Hands up if you thought it was even selling MP3s now.)
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record labels
Linkin Park has sold a lot of copies of its latest album, Minutes To Midnight, and all those people who bought it have recieved a special "thank you" from Warner Music Group: a really hard time getting it on their computers, thanks to some copy protection. A blogger explains the three-machine procedure he went through in order to rip the album:
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There May Be Some Sort Of Copy Protection Crawling Around In The New Linkin Park CD
Linkin Park has sold a lot of copies of its latest album, Minutes To Midnight, and all those people who bought it have recieved a special "thank you" from Warner Music Group: a really hard time getting it on their computers, thanks to some copy protection. A blogger explains the three-machine procedure he went through in order to rip the album:
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record labels
Downtown Records, the home to Gnarls Barkley, Art Brut, and the Cold War Kids, is planning on launching a new label with a slightly different, slightly bloggy business model later this year:
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Downtown Records Comes Up With A Business Model That May Be A Little "Crazy"
Downtown Records, the home to Gnarls Barkley, Art Brut, and the Cold War Kids, is planning on launching a new label with a slightly different, slightly bloggy business model later this year:
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breaking
The long mystery of who, exactly, would pony up for the EMI Group may finally be solved. The BBC is reporting that the label has agreed to be bought by a European equity firm, Terra Firma, in a deal valued at $6.3 billion (£3.2 billion), including debts. The buyout still has to be approved by the company's shareholders; if it is, Terra Firma could have the keys to EMI's executive washroom in as soon as a few months.
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EMI Accepts British Equity Firm's Buyout Offer
The long mystery of who, exactly, would pony up for the EMI Group may finally be solved. The BBC is reporting that the label has agreed to be bought by a European equity firm, Terra Firma, in a deal valued at $6.3 billion (£3.2 billion), including debts. The buyout still has to be approved by the company's shareholders; if it is, Terra Firma could have the keys to EMI's executive washroom in as soon as a few months.
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record labels
Warner Music Group will allegedly be shedding 400 jobs soon, news that inspired a "state of the union"-type post on Hypebot. The post, which was helpfully subtitled "Is The End Of The Major Label Near?", runs down a few potential reasons as to how the big four got into their current mess:
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Warner Music Group Readies Axe, Inspiring Some To Double-Check Whether Sky Is Falling
Warner Music Group will allegedly be shedding 400 jobs soon, news that inspired a "state of the union"-type post on Hypebot. The post, which was helpfully subtitled "Is The End Of The Major Label Near?", runs down a few potential reasons as to how the big four got into their current mess:
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custom cds
Music buyers of a certain age may remember Personics, the record-store kiosks that allowed you to create customized mix tapes from licensed songs (one of your Idolators crafted one for the sole purpose of being able to hear XYZ's "Inside Out" on demand). While the idea wasn't long for the Record World, it may be elevated to "ahead of its time" status—because its current iteration, Mix & Burn, is being floated as an idea to help salvage the physical-goods business:
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Record Stores Want To Make You Like Them By Selling You Mix CDs
Music buyers of a certain age may remember Personics, the record-store kiosks that allowed you to create customized mix tapes from licensed songs (one of your Idolators crafted one for the sole purpose of being able to hear XYZ's "Inside Out" on demand). While the idea wasn't long for the Record World, it may be elevated to "ahead of its time" status—because its current iteration, Mix & Burn, is being floated as an idea to help salvage the physical-goods business:
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is dualdisc ii on the horizon?
The record business will have a very important meeting on May 11, when the RIAA hosts a meeting for record labels to figure out the future of their business. Will the discussion focus on innovations in DRM? No. Antipiracy initiatives? Nyet. It will instead focus on a new physical medium to "replace" the CD on record stores' ever-shrinking shelves:
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Record Labels Looking For New Way To Stop The Bleeding
The record business will have a very important meeting on May 11, when the RIAA hosts a meeting for record labels to figure out the future of their business. Will the discussion focus on innovations in DRM? No. Antipiracy initiatives? Nyet. It will instead focus on a new physical medium to "replace" the CD on record stores' ever-shrinking shelves:
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drm
Universal Sticking Its Toe Into The DRM-Free Water
While Warner Music Group has sort-of decided that it doesn't want to sell MP3s, the Universal Music Group is planning on entering the digital-rights-management-free space with some of its classical offerings. From
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record labels
On Tuesday, we posted an item on the bleak outlook for the music industry, as foreseen by the research company Enders Analysis; Forbes' summary of Enders' report said that the stormy forecast was the result of "the continuing effects of digital technology, which allows consumers to store large quantities of music on computers, and to cherry-pick tracks, rather than buying albums." We got cranky about the "downloading is killing the industry" saw being trotted out again, but according to Listening Post, it turns out, the report actually blamed—at least in part—labels' dragging their feet during the transition to digital distribution, and backing losing gambits like Pressplay, in addition to the digital-music world's inadvertent revival of the singles market. So, Enders, we apologize (and we hope that this little mishap encourages you to put us on your press list for these sorts of reports, hint hint), and we thank you for actually noting that this whole predicament labels are in isn't solely the fault of file-grubbing consumers.
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Good News: The Sky May Be Falling, But Not As Hard As You Think
On Tuesday, we posted an item on the bleak outlook for the music industry, as foreseen by the research company Enders Analysis; Forbes' summary of Enders' report said that the stormy forecast was the result of "the continuing effects of digital technology, which allows consumers to store large quantities of music on computers, and to cherry-pick tracks, rather than buying albums." We got cranky about the "downloading is killing the industry" saw being trotted out again, but according to Listening Post, it turns out, the report actually blamed—at least in part—labels' dragging their feet during the transition to digital distribution, and backing losing gambits like Pressplay, in addition to the digital-music world's inadvertent revival of the singles market. So, Enders, we apologize (and we hope that this little mishap encourages you to put us on your press list for these sorts of reports, hint hint), and we thank you for actually noting that this whole predicament labels are in isn't solely the fault of file-grubbing consumers.
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record labels
- "Major label expands" has become the music-business equivalent of "man bites dog" during these lean times, so the news that Universal Music Group's Island Def Jam division would be reviving the Mercury Records imprint in the US piqued our interest. The reasons for this rebirth are unclear, but here's hoping that the first move is a re-signing of Ugly Kid Joe. [Reuters]
- Doug "The Thug" Morris now has a top enforcer, as Larry Kenswil has been promoted to the position of Executive Vice President of Business Strategy at Universal Music Group. According to reports, he'll mostly focus on antipiracy measures and new ways to keep those rotten kids from swapping music. [Digital Music News]
- Thanks to the settlement of a royalty dispute, the Beatles catalog is inching ever-so-closer to going online, for real. We think. [Variety]
Today In Somewhat Interesting Music-Business News
- "Major label expands" has become the music-business equivalent of "man bites dog" during these lean times, so the news that Universal Music Group's Island Def Jam division would be reviving the Mercury Records imprint in the US piqued our interest. The reasons for this rebirth are unclear, but here's hoping that the first move is a re-signing of Ugly Kid Joe. [Reuters]- Doug "The Thug" Morris now has a top enforcer, as Larry Kenswil has been promoted to the position of Executive Vice President of Business Strategy at Universal Music Group. According to reports, he'll mostly focus on antipiracy measures and new ways to keep those rotten kids from swapping music. [Digital Music News]
- Thanks to the settlement of a royalty dispute, the Beatles catalog is inching ever-so-closer to going online, for real. We think. [Variety]
record labels
According to an Entertainment Weekly report, a few independent labels—including Vice, Matador, and Sub Pop—are planning to court the Wal-Mart crowd with compilations designed to reel in people who aren't refreshing the Hype Machine hourly. Indie has gone the K-Tel route before, but this time, the focus will be on newer songs:
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Indie Labels Plan Their Big-Box Assault
According to an Entertainment Weekly report, a few independent labels—including Vice, Matador, and Sub Pop—are planning to court the Wal-Mart crowd with compilations designed to reel in people who aren't refreshing the Hype Machine hourly. Indie has gone the K-Tel route before, but this time, the focus will be on newer songs:
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record labels
Today's New York Times takes a look at the apparently waning appeal of the record album, and how the record industry is trying to adjust because of the shift. The story looks at the R & B trio Candy Hill, which has been signed to a two-song deal:
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Musicians May Now Be Hunting For Two-Ringtone Deals
Today's New York Times takes a look at the apparently waning appeal of the record album, and how the record industry is trying to adjust because of the shift. The story looks at the R & B trio Candy Hill, which has been signed to a two-song deal:
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Talks between EMI and major digital-music retailers about making the beleaguered label's catalog available free of digital-rights management restrictions have broken down, according to
emi
Warner Sweet-Talks Indie Label Group Into Accepting Possible EMI Merger
The possibility of a merger between EMI and Warner Music Group grew stronger yesterday, as a consortium of independent labels that had been opposed to the deal softened its stance:
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