1. Universal Music, Disney Music Strike Global Commercial, Creative Pact

    March 20, 2013 3:35 PM EDT The Walt Disney Co.'s Disney Music Group and Vivendi's Universal Music Group have expanded and deepened an ongoing relationship via a long-term global commercial and creative agreement, the companies said Wednesday. The deal, announced ...

  2. Carlos Vives, Don Omar, Gerardo Ortiz to Perform at Billboard Latin Music Awards

    March 19, 2013 6:17 PM EDT Some of the biggest names in Latin music including Don Omar, Gerardo Ortiz, Michel Telo, Lucero and Carlos Vives arescheduled to perform at the 2013 Billboard Latin Music Awards during an April 25 broadcast on Telemundo.   Presented by State Far ...

  3. YouTube, Partners Needs to Work Harder to Pay Songwriters, Publishers Fairly: Guest Post by Matt Pincus

    March 19, 2013 3:09 PM EDT From Billboard’s groundbreaking decision to factor YouTube views into the charts, to the “Harlem Shake,” to the historic agreements covering UGC content and Vevo videos, YouTube is becoming the mainstream music business. Yet, the ugly truth is t ...

  4. Warner/Chappell Names Jake Ottmann SVP of A&R

    March 19, 2013 12:43 PM EDT Warner Music Group's publishing wing, Warner/Chappell Music, has named Jake Ottmann its new senior vice president of A&R, charged with finding, signing and guiding new artists as well as bringing established artists into WMG's fold ...

  5. Q&A: Sean Parker and Shawn Fanning on 'Downloaded,' The Napster Revolution

    March 19, 2013 10:50 AM EDT They were wiry teenagers when they ignited the digital revolution, altering the music landscape forever with a little program called Napster in 1999. Now, 14 years later, Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker are older and wiser, but no less passionate ...

  6. Business Matters: European Study on Piracy Conflicts With Conventional Wisdom

    March 18, 2013 8:49 PM EDT A new European Commission study based on Nielsen data from five European countries found that online music piracy did not hurt digital music purchases. In fact, the study found a slight, positive relationship between visits to illegal download s ...

  7. Could Pop Radio’s Next Hit Be A Cover Of A... 1930s Appalachian Folk Song?!

    March 18, 2013 2:04 PM EDT Although it’s spent 11 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold almost half a million (498,000) downloads, according to Nielsen SoundScan, Anna Kendrick’s quirky single "Cups" (UME/Republic) is just now adding a new element to its succe ...

  8. Universal Music UK Announces Launch of Virgin EMI Records

    March 18, 2013 11:15 AM EDT 14 11 0 0 Universal Music UK's chairman and CEO David Joseph has announced the launch of Virgin EMI, an amalgamation of Universal Music subsidiary Mercury Records and Virgin Records, one of the many labels acquired by Universal in its takeover of E ...

  9. Mexican Star Paulina Rubio to Coach ‘La Voz Kids’

    March 18, 2013 8:00 AM EDT Mexican pop star Paulina Rubio has signed on as the first of three musician coaches for “La Voz Kids,” the singing competition for kids 7-14 that will air this Spring on the Telemundo Network. “La Voz Kids” will be the first Spanish-language ver ...

  10. Universal’s Per Sundin Rises To Senior VP – Nordic Region

    March 18, 2013 7:19 AM EDT 1 2 25 0 0 Veteran major label record exec Per Sundin has been promoted to senior VP – Nordic Region, a new role. With immediate effect, he’ll take on additional duties for Universal’s operations in Denmark, Finland and Norway. He continues in the role as ...

  11. Justin Timberlake Wows at SXSW Myspace Show

    March 17, 2013 1:17 PM EDT 3 48 42 0 0 After wowing the nation through an early stream of his upcoming album,  The 20/20 Experience , and several televised performances, it's safe to say that Justin Timberlake doesn't have anything to prove. But at last night's SXSW ...

  12. #SXSW Instagr.am: Check Out the Photos You Sent Us!

    March 17, 2013 5:15 AM EDT 2 14 0 0 HEAD HERE TO SEE ALL OUR INSTAGRAM GALLERIES: Our new audience-generated Instagr.am gallery got a bumper crop of photos from #SXSW this year -- check out pics of Scooter Braun, Kendrick Lamar, Dave Grohl, Raekwon, Usher Pharrell, the Flaming Li ...

  13. Richard Thompson Discusses Songwriting, New Album at SXSW

    March 17, 2013 12:29 AM EDT Richard Thompson sat down with Grammy Foundation VP Scott Goldman to discuss songwriting, his fine new album, "Electric," and how he developed his guitar style in a Songwriter Session at the Austin Convention Center on Friday. He playe ...

  14. SXSW Backbeat: SPIN and Solange at Stubb's, Earl Sweatshirt at Green Label Sound's Barbecue

    March 16, 2013 1:34 PM EDT 1 2 23 0 0 After the headlining act at MySpace's Saturday showcase was revealed to be Justin Timberlake , the next surprise guest to be unveiled would join the Afghan Whigs at FADER Fort on Friday night. Like most secrets this one wasn't kept lo ...

  15. Couch By Couchwest: An Alternative To SXSW 'Where the Beer Is Cheap and the Only Hipster is You' (Q&A)

    March 16, 2013 1:33 PM EDT 1 0 Too broke, ambivalent, couch-potato-like to make it down to this year’s SXSW? Don’t worry, in this age of niche affinity groups there’s a community of like-minded individuals willing to accept and entertain you without judgment, $500 hotel rooms ...

  16. SXSW: David Lowery and Co. Lash out Against Industry 'Pimps'

    March 16, 2013 11:16 AM EDT 3 336 68 3 0 Passions ran high Friday evening at what was described by its organizers as “an artists’ panel” in the Austin Convention Center for SXSW. The distinction was deliberate -- too many panels and presentations at this conference had failed to rep ...

  17. SXSW Q&A: Merlin CEO Charles Caldas on Distribution, Streaming, BBQ and Music

    March 15, 2013 5:20 PM EDT =A gathering of thousands of musicians is a good place to find the CEO of a global rights agency that represents independent music companies in over 25 countries. Charles Caldas is CEO of Merlin, the nearly five-year-old network that represents ...

  18. Justin Timberlake's Promotional Run-Up to 'The 20/20 Experience': A Timeline

    March 15, 2013 4:53 PM EDT 18 78 115 0 0 They say hindsight is 20/20, but when it comes to Justin Timberlake's comeback, they're not taking any chances. Next week's release of Timberlake's beyond-highly-anticipated new album The 20/20 Experience is riding on one ...

  19. A Day in the Busy Life: Kendrick Lamar and Top Dawg Entertainment Go to Austin

    March 15, 2013 11:29 AM EDT Not just anyone would get a call from Alicia Keys to perform alongside her; so when Kendrick Lamar did, he went with it. The night before hopping on a red-eye to this year's SXSW festival, Kendrick Lamar performed two songs ("Swimming ...

  20. New Doc Premiering at SXSW Explores the Tumultuous Life of Legendary New Orleans Pianist James Booker

    March 14, 2013 11:03 AM EDT Harry Connick Jr. deciphers the work of his piano mentor James Booker in Lily Keber's film "Bayou Maharajah: The Tragic Genius of James Booker," that receives its world premiere today at SXSW. He explains in the film that Booker&# ...

  21. Mixed Music Biz Response for Australia’s National Cultural Policy

    March 14, 2013 4:14 AM EDT Australia’s federal arts minister Simon Crean has unveiled its awaited National Cultural Policy, the most significant overview of this country’s cultural activities and its support framework in almost 20 years. It's carried in “Creative Aus ...

  22. Early Iron Maiden Drummer Clive Burr Dies

    March 13, 2013 7:34 PM EDT Clive Burr (pictured above, bottom left), the former drummer for heavy metal band Iron Maiden, died in his sleep on the evening of March 12 at age 56. Burr had been battling poor health for years, according to the band’s official site, and had b ...

  23. Robyn Hitchcock's SXSW Journal, Entry #1: Shifting Genres, Circular Fashion

    March 13, 2013 6:56 PM EDT Robyn Hitchcock, co-founder of the highly regarded Soft Boys and prolific solo artist (among other things), will be writing about his experiences down in Austin for Billboard.biz each day of SXSW. The Austin dawn is raked by merciless sunlight a ...

  24. Universal Launches Pan-African Mobile Streaming Service Kleek

    March 13, 2013 1:01 PM EDT Universal Music Group has teamed with Samsung to launch a pan-African mobile music service entitled the Kleek, which was officially unveiled today (Mar. 13) at the Samsung Africa Forum in Cape Town, South Africa. The free to access service is to ...

  25. Deadmau5 and Richie Hawtin Talk 'Digi-Gritty' of Electronic Music in Austin

    March 13, 2013 10:22 AM EDT Surely there were major gearheads and big electronica fans who found the discussion between superproducers Richard Hawtin and Joel Zimmerman -- aka Deadmau5 -- at SXSW today fascinating, but for most first-day music-conference attendees and thos ...

  26. Exclusive: Marquee Launches Compilation Series

    March 13, 2013 7:05 AM EDT The Marquee nightlife brand is teaming up with venerable Dutch imprint Black Hole Recordings to release a series of music compilations. It’s the first foray into music for the three-venue nightclub chain, which has its eye on international expan ...

  27. 'Good Vibrations' Revisits the Irish Punk Explosion Via Its Belfast 'Godfather'

    March 12, 2013 9:29 PM EDT 1 1 20 0 0 "Good Vibrations" is the story of the Belfast record shop that begat the label of the same name, releasing crucial 45s and LPs from the Undertones and other Irish punk bands in the 1970s. Based on the memories of founder Terri Hooley, ...

  28. Gloria Estefan to Speak at Billboard Latin Conference

    March 12, 2013 5:31 PM EDT Superstar Gloria Estefan has been confirmed for a Superstar Q&A session during the 2013 Billboard Latin Music Conference & Awards, taking place April 22 to 25 at the JW Marriott Marquis in Miami. Estefan, perhaps the most iconic Latin di ...

  29. Vevo Launches Lean-Back TV Experience

    March 12, 2013 12:48 PM EDT The company that brought back music videos to a new generation of on-demand viewers on Tuesday is launching Vevo TV, a traditionally programmed, linear broadcast that harkens back to the era of appointment television. Like broadcast TV, Vevo’s n ...

  30. Weak Release Schedule Blamed For 12% Drop In U.K. Entertainment Market; Music Sales Fell $90 Million In 2012

    March 12, 2013 10:53 AM EDT Combined sales of music, video and games products in the United Kingdom fell 12% in 2012 to £4.21 billion ($6.26 billion), with music sales declining by £59 million ($87.8 million) from the previous year, according to the annual Entertainment Re ...

  31. Ben Watt’s Buzzin’ Fly ‘Closing a Significant Door’

    March 12, 2013 5:52 AM EDT 4 3 26 0 0 Ben Watt’s electronic music company Buzzin’ Fly is scaling-back its operations to essentially become an “archive label," with no plans to sign new artists or release new works. Buzzin’ Fly should be celebrating its 10th year in business. I ...

  32. !K7 Brings Seminal Electronic Label R&S to the U.S. (Exclusive)

    March 11, 2013 9:35 PM EDT The !K7 Label Group has announced a North American partnership with 30-year-old R&S/Apollo Records, a pivotal imprint in electronic music’s history. “The aim of our label to create synergy with like-minded labels and we think R&S is a pe ...

  33. Kim Dotcom at SXSW: Megabox Online Music Service Could Launch in Next Six Months

    March 11, 2013 9:18 PM EDT Kim Dotcom joined SXSW Interactive via Skype on Monday to talk about Hollywood's outdated business model and the U.S. government's role in the attack in his cyberlocker site, Megaupload. The Internet entrepreneur turned folk hero was a ...

  34. Anti-Piracy Critics Lash Out at Congress, Entertainment Industry During SXSWi Panel

    March 11, 2013 10:15 AM EDT Academics, an attorney and an Internet entrepreneur gave the SXSW Interactive audience an earful on the problems caused by U.S. copyright law during the panel "Copyright & Disruptive Technologies" at the Austin Convention Center Su ...

  35. Cirque's Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour Tops Hot Tours

    March 08, 2013 1:12 PM EST Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour, Cirque du Soleil's touring production that has been playing arenas in North America and Europe since October 2011, owns the No. 1 ranking on this week's Hot Tours tally with grosses reported fro ...

  36. Florence + The Machine Ink Deal With WME

    March 07, 2013 5:02 PM EST Florence + the Machine has signed with WME for North American personal appearances and Worldwide representation in all other areas, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. The award-winning British band has released two critically-acclaimed albums, ...

  37. Canadian singer Stompin' Tom Connors dies at 77

    March 07, 2013 10:45 AM EST Canadian music icon Stompin’ Tom Connors, whose songs about every nook and cranny of Canada, its people and favorite pastime included “The Hockey Song,” “Sudbury Saturday Night,” “Bud The Spud,” “Tillsonburg” and “Big Joe Mufferaw,”  died Wednes ...

  38. Hermitude Win The 2013 Australian Music Prize

    March 07, 2013 6:30 AM EST Sydney hip hoppers Hermitude today won the 8th annual Australian Music Prize (AMP) during a ceremony at Sydney’s The Basement venue. Hermitude’s fourth album “HyperParadise” beat a shortlist which included sets by Flume, Tame Impala, The Presets ...

  39. Analysis: With Warner, Beats and More, Is Len Blavatnik Building a New Media Empire?

    March 06, 2013 7:32 PM EST 15 10 59 0 0 Len Blavatnik’s Tuesday announcement of his $60 million investment in Beats Electronics’ forthcoming music service Daisy is just the latest in a string of deals that are starting to fill in a bigger picture around the billionaire’s broader am ...

  40. The GIF-t Of Video: How Simple Moving Images Are Driving Fan Engagement

    March 06, 2013 6:18 PM EST 2 11 32 1 0 If a One Direction picture is worth a thousand words, a three-second looped animated GIF of the pop band is probably worth millions of fan shares. On Jan. 7, One Direction released the video for "Kiss You," the third single from the ...

  41. Alvin Lee of Ten Years After Dead at 68

    March 06, 2013 5:00 PM EST British blues rock great Alvin Lee, a guitarist and singer whose scorching performance at Woodstock propelled his band Ten Years After to wide fame, died on Wednesday of "unforeseen complications" from a routine surgery, family members ...

  42. Questlove, Chromeo to DJ Annual Seeds of Peace Fundraiser

    March 06, 2013 3:00 AM EST 8 0 0 Seeds of Peace, the 20-year-old organization which seeks to foster peace through youth training programs, announced its 8th annual Peace Market fundraising event yesterday, via a release. Chromeo's Dave 1 and Questlove will be DJ'ing t ...

  43. Bruce Springsteen to Return to London Festival After Interrupted 2012 Gig

    March 05, 2013 8:02 PM EST LONDON - Live Nation said Tuesday that Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band will return to the Hard Rock Calling festival here as a headline act this summer after their performance was cut short by the city's noise curfew last year. Spri ...

  44. Terra Firma’s Guy Hands Breaks Silence on EMI: ‘We Learned Some Very Expensive Lessons' (Video)

    March 05, 2013 2:48 PM EST 5 0 23 0 Guy Hands, founder and chairman of private equity firm Terra Firma, spoke rather candidly on the missteps he and his firm made in its management of EMI in a video interview posted today on Bloomberg (below). Terra Firma purchased the music compan ...

  45. Pandora Opens Up Audience Data to Media Buyers

    March 05, 2013 11:03 AM EST In yet another sign of the changing media landscape, Pandora announced today that it will make what is perhaps their biggest resource other than music, their audience data, available to two media buying platforms, STRATA and Mediaocean's &quo ...

  46. Kobalt Strikes Australasian Sub-Pub Deal With Disney

    March 05, 2013 2:12 AM EST Kobalt Music Publishing’s Australian affiliate has reached an exclusive agreement to serve as the official sub-publisher Down Under for Disney Music Group.  The new deal, unveiled today, covers Australia, New Zealand and associated APRA territorie ...

  47. A2IM's Trade Mission to Brazil - Applications for Travel Subsidy Due Tomorrow

    March 04, 2013 1:52 PM EST The American Association of Independent Music is heading to Brazil in mid-April as part of its Market Development Cooperator Program, and today is the last day to have your costs halved. This is the second trip planned by A2IM through the MDCP, wh ...

  48. Demi Lovato's 'Heart Attack' Hashtag Becomes Worldwide Trending Topic

    March 04, 2013 11:56 AM EST On Friday March 1, Demi Lovato debuted the release of the video for her new single “Heart Attack,” via an interactive online campaign where fans unlocked the video by tweeting the song’s lyrics, along with the hashtag “ #UnlockHeartAttack .” The c ...

  49. Video: Amanda Palmer’s TED Talk: ‘How Do We Let People Pay for Music?’

    March 01, 2013 6:22 PM EST 12 198 92 0 0   Amanda Palmer’s pioneering efforts in the field of crowd-funding have been covered at great length in these pages, most recently in an excellent two-part interview with Glenn Peoples earlier this year, not to mention a widely read intervie ...

  50. Social 50 Chart Alert: Wiz Khalifa's Baby Bump, One Direction's Comic Relief

    March 01, 2013 5:40 PM EST Wiz Khalifa shoots up the ranks of Billboard’s Social 50 chart , leaping 42-6 as online buzz stirred around the highly publicized birth of his and Amber Rose’s baby, Sebastian, who was born on Feb. 22. “Daddy time,” reads a pre-delivery photo of K ...

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