1. Allegro Media Group to Acquire Canadian Label Somerset Entertainment

    May 09, 2013 10:15 AM EDT The Allegro Media Group has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Mood Media's Somerset Entertainment label, a publicly-traded Canadian company. While terms of the deal were not disclosed, Billboard estimates Somerset has about $40 milli ...

  2. Taylor Swift Confirms Red Tour Will Play Stadiums Down Under

    May 09, 2013 1:54 AM EDT Taylor Swift is big in Australia. So big, she’s poised to become the first solo female artist to undertake a stadium tour in this country since Madonna’s “Girly Show” tour 20 years. Swift’s The Red Tour, dates for which were announced today, wil ...

  3. Miguel Bosé to Be Honored as Latin Grammy Person of the Year

    May 08, 2013 7:00 AM EDT Spanish singer/songwriter Miguel Bosé will be honored as the 2013 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year and will be feted in a tribute gala held on Nov. 20, one day before the 14th annual awards show at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in ...

  4. Creation Records Founder Alan McGee Starts New Label

    May 08, 2013 6:53 AM EDT Alan McGee, the legendary Scottish entrepreneur who discovered Oasis and founded the celebrated British label Creation Records, is back in the game. McGee has teamed with British independent music firm Cherry Red Records to launch the new label, ...

  5. Live Nation Revenue Up 6% in First Quarter

    May 07, 2013 5:02 PM EDT Live Nation posted good first-quarter gains in its concerts division and is betting electronic dance music will help it have a strong 2013. Total first-quarter revenue grew 6.4% to $923.7 million and adjusted operating income rose 9.8% in the qu ...

  6. 'La Voz Kids,' New Spanish-Language 'Voice' Iteration, Debuts to Strong Ratings

    May 07, 2013 4:15 PM EDT The May 5 premiere of "La Voz Kids," the first Spanish-language version of the successful "The Voice" franchise to air in the United States, delivered the highest ratings ever for a reality show on the Telemundo network. The ...

  7. Business Matters: How Netflix Reduces Piracy

    May 06, 2013 5:15 PM EDT There has long been three opinions about how to beat piracy; through legislation and enforcement, through better legal services, or both. Although piracy continues to exist as numerous new music services have launched, there’s no doubt consumers ...

  8. Greg Quill, Australian-Born Musician and Toronto-Based Music Journalist, Dies Aged 66

    May 06, 2013 11:54 AM EDT Esteemed journalist and musician Greg Quill, one-time Toronto Star music critic and a '70s music icon in Australia, died Sunday afternoon in his sleep due to pneumonia and a recently diagnosed case of sleep apnea, his family said in a messa ...

  9. YouTube Close to Launching Paid Channel Subscriptions (Report)

    May 06, 2013 11:28 AM EDT The new a la carte subscription plans for some of its professional video channels could be announced as early as this week, the Financial Times has reported. Charging subscription fees will allow the online video provider to add a second revenue ...

  10. Rudimental Claims U.K. Albums Chart Crown, Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky’ Reigns Again On Singles Chart

    May 06, 2013 6:23 AM EDT London drum & bass group Rudimental followed their two U.K. No. 1 singles yesterday by landing the top spot with their debut album “Home” (Asylum/Warner Music). On the singles chart, “Get Lucky” (Columbia/Sony Music Entertainment) featuring ...

  11. Warner Music Group to Lower Its Debt Repayments

    May 03, 2013 7:34 PM EDT The Warner Music Group will not only get lower rates than previously thought for the $820 million term loan it will take on to pay for the Parlophone Label Group, but the deal will also allow WMG to reduce the rate the company is paying on its e ...

  12. Spotify Acquires Music Discovery Service Tunigo

    May 03, 2013 12:08 PM EDT Spotify has acquired music recommendation service Tunigo for an undisclosed sum. The Swedish startup helps listeners find playlists, provides music news and editorial, and offers lists of new releases. The Tunigo app for Spotify has been a Top 1 ...

  13. André Rieu Tops Hot Tours Chart Followed by Michael Jackson, The Cure, Black Sabbath, Prince

    May 03, 2013 11:55 AM EDT Violinist and orchestra conductor André Rieu makes his second No. 1 appearance of the year at on the weekly Hot Tours ranking with box office grosses reported from tour dates during March and April.  Rieu, who also earned the top tour ranking on ...

  14. Live Nation to Purchase 50% Stake in Insomniac Events (Report)

    May 02, 2013 10:03 PM EDT Live Nation is close to finalizing a deal to buy a 50% stake in EDM promoter Insomniac Events, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal, which cited people familiar with the deal. This information, including the speculative numbers (whic ...

  15. Billboard Taps SonicBids for Music Awards Post-Party Talent Search

    May 02, 2013 9:28 PM EDT After a night including performances from Prince, Taylor Swift and Lil Wayne, Billboard is looking for one act to take the Billboard Music Awards from the party to the after-party. One group will get to follow the evening of superstar acts with ...

  16. George Jones Memorial Evokes Tears, Tributes From Fans and Friends

    May 02, 2013 5:38 PM EDT In the lyrics of George Jones' signature song, "He Stopped Loving Her Today," a wreath is placed upon the door of a heartbroken man at a funeral. And when Jones' time came, they placed not just a wreath but a gargantuan spray ...

  17. How Reggae Meets EDM in Jamaica’s 'Rootstronic' Courtney John Project

    May 02, 2013 3:09 PM EDT On an April afternoon inside the rehearsal room at Kingston’s Big Yard Studios, singer Courtney John is working out the live rendition of his current single “Black Cinderella”, an audacious interpretation of Jamaican singer Errol Dunkley’s 1972 ...

  18. Jennifer Lopez, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj & Chris Brown Join Billboard Music Awards Lineup

    May 02, 2013 11:10 AM EDT There's nothing small about the Billboard Music Awards -- but it will have Lil Wayne. Weezy will join a number of new additions to the May 19 event, including label mate Nicki Minaj and stars including Jennifer Lopez, Chris Brown, Ed Sheera ...

  19. Songza Surpasses 6 Million App Installs, Debuts Version 3.0

    May 02, 2013 7:00 AM EDT 15 13 34 0 0 With Pandora dominating and Apple looming, Songza is adding listeners and introducing features that change the way people use Internet radio. The service had 4.7 million active users in March, up from 2 million active monthly users at the end ...

  20. 'Unprecedented' Demand Sees Splendour in the Grass Sell-Out Fast

    May 02, 2013 5:58 AM EDT Australia’s Splendour in the Grass festival did some serious business this morning, selling-out its entire allocation of tickets within an hour of going on sale. The mid-winter fest in Byron Bay shifted all its three-day, camping and single-day ...

  21. Facebook Posts $1.5 Billion in First-Quarter Revenue

    May 01, 2013 6:38 PM EDT Facebook posted quarterly earnings that neither thrilled or depressed investors, who were reacting by bidding shares a few pennies higher in the after-hours session on Wall Street. During the first quarter, the world's dominant social netwo ...

  22. Ontario Government Announces Formation of $45 Million Ontario Music Fund

    May 01, 2013 4:16 PM EDT The day before the Liberals present the 2013 budget to the Ontario Legislative Assembly May 2, Finance Minister Charles Sousa and Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport Michael Chan announced the creation of the Ontario Music Fund. The proposed ...

  23. Robbie Lear Appointed GM for WMG Artist Service Co. Get In Latin America

    April 30, 2013 10:57 AM EDT Robbie Lear, the former Managing director of EMI Mexico, has been appointed GM of Get In Latin America, the Warner Music Group-owned artist-service company. Lear will be based out of Mexico reporting directly to Iñigo Zabala, president of Warner ...

  24. Neutral Milk Hotel Reunites, Announces Tour Dates

    April 29, 2013 7:38 PM EDT Neutral Milk Hotel, the beloved indie rock band that has been on hiatus for a decade and a half, is finally getting back together for a brief tour later this year. The reunited group -- featuring Jeff Mangum, Scott Spillane, Julian Koster and Je ...

  25. Justin Timberlake Teams With MasterCard For Two-Year Partnership, NYC Show May 5

    April 29, 2013 12:00 PM EDT 43 33 59 3 0 Justin Timberlake announced a new long-term partnership with MasterCard on Monday that will kick off Sunday, May 5, with an exclusive cardmember concert at New York’s Roseland Ballroom. Tickets for the show will be available through MasterCar ...

  26. Q&A: A2IM President Rich Bengloff Talks Export Mission to Brazil

    April 29, 2013 11:58 AM EDT With an eye toward nurturing new revenue streams and increasing their share of the global music market, representatives from 11 independent record labels headed to beautiful Brazil last week to meet with their South American counterparts. The tr ...

  27. Beastie Boys Sign Deal for ‘Multidimensional’ Biography

    April 29, 2013 11:05 AM EDT A year out from losing one their three founders, the Beastie Boys are ready to tell their story. The surviving Beastie Boys are penning a book -- but it won't be your formulaic memoir. Michael "Mike D" Diamond and Adam "Ad-Ro ...

  28. Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky’ Hits No. 1 in UK With Year-Best Sales; Emeli Sande Tops Beatles

    April 29, 2013 7:05 AM EDT Tastemaker French act Daft Punk racked up the U.K.’s biggest weekly singles sales total for any act in 2013, with 155,000 downloads, to get their first No. 1 in the territory yesterday (April 28) with “Get Lucky” (Columbia/Sony Music Entertainme ...

  29. Shazam Names Rich Riley New CEO, Aiming For Eventual IPO

    April 29, 2013 5:30 AM EDT Shazam has hired longtime Yahoo! executive Rich Riley as its new CEO, promoting longtime chief Andrew Fisher to the newly-created position of Executive Chairman, according to a press release. The company's former Chairman of the Board, John ...

  30. 10 Members of Mexico’s La Reyna de Monterrey Die in Car Crash

    April 28, 2013 11:40 PM EDT Police say that 10 members of the musical group La Reyna de Monterrey have been killed and five injured in a road accident in northern Mexico. A police official says the driver of the vehicle that was carrying the band dozed off Saturday morning ...

  31. The Evolution of iTunes: The Birth of a Colossus

    April 26, 2013 3:01 PM EDT This is an excerpt from an article that first appeared in the May 4, 2013 issue of Billboard magazine, which also features our cover story on Rod Stewart's return to rock, an in-depth look at the 10th anniversary of the iTunes Music Store, ...

  32. Olga Tañón, Carla Morrison, Kany Garcia, America Sierra: Latin's Leading Ladies Discuss Success On Their Own Terms

    April 25, 2013 12:23 PM EDT Panel: Latin's Leading Ladies Moderator: Justino Aguila, Associate Editor for Latin Music, Billboard Speakers: Kany Garcia Carla Morrison America Sierra Olga Tañón Outspoken, confident and charming, the four woemn who comprised the “Latin L ...

  33. Backbeat: Plan B, Grupo Treo, mun2 and UMPG Execs Hit Billboard Bash at Latin Music Conference

    April 25, 2013 11:49 AM EDT It's rare to see a tuba or an accordion onstage at a trendy South Beach nightclub, but such was the beauty of Wednesday night's Billboard Bash , a pre-party the night before the Billboard Latin Music Awards in Miami. Held at the sprawl ...

  34. Warner Music Group Outlines Parlophone Integration Process, Expects $70 Million in Annual Cost Savings

    April 25, 2013 10:26 AM EDT 2 8 13 1 0 In a memo to the Warner Music Group staff today, CEO Stephen Cooper has laid out the procedure by which the Parlophone Label Group will be integrated into the company. Warner acquired Parlophone from Universal Music Group in February as part of ...

  35. Capitol Records U.K. Launches, Nick Raphael Named President

    April 25, 2013 8:05 AM EDT Universal Music has announced the launch of Capitol Records U.K., marking the first time that the historic Capitol label has had a stand-alone presence in the U.K. Nick Raphael, who currently holds the position as president of Universal imprint ...

  36. Billboard Latin Music Conference: Telemundo Head Emilio Romano on the Wide Inroads His Network Offers Artists

    April 24, 2013 6:55 PM EDT This past Tuesday, April 16, Telemundo scored a rare coup for a Hispanic television network. Thanks to its original novela, "El Señor de los Cielos," the station took the top ratings spot at 10 p.m. on Friday for all adults age 18 to 3 ...

  37. Gloria Estefan Talks Career, Internet, Advice for Young Musicians at Billboard Latin Music Conference

    April 24, 2013 6:50 PM EDT It takes a lot of hard work to keep the crown as queen of all Latina musical artists. But Gloria Estefan makes it look easy. Latin music's premier female artist -- with seven Latin Grammys and more than 100 million albums sold -- has a new ...

  38. Billboard Latin Music Conference: Viva for VEVO Panel Addresses the Nascent Company's Growth

    April 24, 2013 3:03 PM EDT Panel: "Viva for VEVO" – Maximizing your presence and revenue in the world’s leading all-premium music video and entertainment platform. Moderator: Bill Werde , editorial director, Billboard Speakers: Gustavo Lopez , EVP, Brand Partner ...

  39. Jenni Rivera Remembered: 1969-2012

    April 24, 2013 2:35 PM EDT Jenni Rivera: 1969-2012 Jenni Rivera On the Charts: 7 Top Ten Latin Albums, 8 Top Ten Regional Mexican Singles, More Jenni Rivera's Legacy: From Her Music Empire to her Upcoming Film Debut in 'Filly Brown' Jenni Rivera Discusses H ...

  40. Garand Wu Appointed Managing Director of Universal Music China

    April 24, 2013 2:22 PM EDT Universal Music Group has appointed Garand Wu Managing Director of Universal Music China. The appointment, effective immediately, was announced today by Sunny Chang, Managing Director, Universal Music Greater China. In his new role Mr. Wu will o ...

  41. Billboard Latin Music Conference: How Univision Leverages Its Massive Reach to Push Artists

    April 24, 2013 11:48 AM EDT Giving one of the last talks of the Billboard Latin Music Conference's first full day, Jose Valle, president of Univision Radio, made the promise that his lecture would be both brief and bold. The charismatic head of the immense chain of Sp ...

  42. Billboard Latin Music Conference: Pepsi Continues Its Journey with Latin Artists via 'Vive Hoy' and 3Ball MTY

    April 24, 2013 10:59 AM EDT While plenty of major brands are rushing to scoop up Latin artists for partnerships as that market segment explodes, Pepsi boasts a long history of doing so already. The soda giant enjoyed center stage late Tuesday afternoon at the Billboard Lat ...

  43. Splendour in the Grass 2013 Lineup: Mumford & Sons, Empire of the Sun, Frank Ocean Confirmed

    April 24, 2013 4:08 AM EDT Australia’s hugely popular mid-year Splendour in the Grass festival today revealed a line-up with something for every indie music fan – a bill that includes Mumford & Sons, Empire of the Sun, Frank Ocean, the National, Of Monsters and Men, T ...

  44. Why This Year’s Two Big Australian Hip-Hop Festivals Collapsed

    April 23, 2013 6:12 PM EDT 1 1 15 0 0 Right now, Australia should be bracing itself for its biggest-ever invasion of U.S. hip-hop and R&B stars. The likes of Nas, T.I., 50 Cent, Young Jeezy, J. Cole, Waka Flocka Flame, Joey Bada$$ and more should be preparing to headline not on ...

  45. Iggy Azalea Signs to Island Def Jam

    April 23, 2013 5:33 PM EDT 2 14 0 0 Iggy Azalea has had her fair share of label drama. The Australian-born rapper signed to Interscope last year but parted ways after she and the label didn't see eye-to-eye on her management deal with T.I.'s Grand Hustle imprint.   All ...

  46. Billboard Latin Conference Panels: Mana's Sergio Vallin On His Guitars; Top 5 Moves To Make or Break Your Career

    April 23, 2013 3:58 PM EDT 1 34 9 0 0 Panel: The Essential Partnership: Artists & Their Instruments Moderator: Leila Cobo Executive Director, Latin Content & Programming, Billboard Speakers: Sergio Vallín, Guitarist, Maná Sergio Villanueva, SVP of Manufacturing, Fender   A ...

  47. Watch Natalia Jimenez Channel Janis Joplin at Billboard Latin Music Conference (Video)

    April 23, 2013 1:45 PM EDT 1 1 18 0 0 You never quite know what’s going to come out of the Billboard Latin Music Conference. Yesterday, for example, the Spanish singer/songwriter Natalia Jimenez was discussing her career at Billboard's annual Most Influential Women in Latin Mu ...

  48. NPR, Pandora, SiriusXM, Deezer, Spotify Execs Discuss Alternative Wavelengths At Latin Music Conference

    April 23, 2013 12:29 PM EDT 1 0 20 0 0 Panel: Alternative Wave Lengths: Digital, Satellite And Beyond Panel Speakers:  Bahigh Acuna, New Markets Lead, Spotify Latin America Trinity Colón Vice President of Programming, SiriusXM Anya Grundmann Director/Executive Producer, NPR Music Ma ...

  49. Backbeat at Billboard Latin Music Conference: Mas y Mas Música Showcase Highlights Burgeoning Crossover Hopefuls

    April 23, 2013 10:36 AM EDT 1 1 16 0 0 At the Billboard Latin Music Conference's Mas y Mas Música Showcase yesterday evening, hopeful performers aimed clearly for the top of the Latin Pop Songs charts -- or even the Hot 100. Held on the third-floor ballroom of the J.W. Marriott ...

  50. Calvin Harris Beats Michael Jackson To Set New U.K. Chart Record

    April 23, 2013 4:54 AM EDT 10 7 32 0 0 Calvin Harris has become a record-holder in the U.K. by clocking-up eight chart hits from the one album. The Scottish DJ and producer on Sunday saw his song “I Need Your Love” FT Ellie Goulding climb 11-7, in doing so becoming the eighth track ...

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