1. Q&A: Glassnote Records' Daniel Glass on Mumford & Sons’ Big Grammy Win

    February 11, 2013 2:30 PM EST 13 12 0 Glassnote Records act Mumford & Sons won the album of the year award for "Babel," which registered the biggest sales week for an album in the first 10 months of 2012, selling 600,000 copies. It has sold 1.7 million total. Mumford&# ...

  2. Chart Alert: 'Les Mis' Soundtrack Takes Top Album Spot in the U.K., Jake Bugg Upends Biffy Clyro

    February 11, 2013 10:25 AM EST 3 19 0 As the “Les Miserables” score album (Polydor/Universal) moved back to the top of the U.K. album chart yesterday,  Macklemore’s current Hot 100 No. 1 “Thrift Shop” (Macklemore), featuring Ryan Lewis and Wanz, mirrored that feat across the Atlantic ...

  3. Backbeat: Annual Cash Money Party Brings Big Names, Big Plans and Blunt Smoke with Pre-Grammy Revelry

    February 10, 2013 5:43 PM EST 52 20 0 Above: Entertainment attorney Vernon Brown (far left, black tie), recent Cash Money signee Aziatix (center), Cash Money CEO Ronald "Slim" Williams (far right, black hat) If there was any question that Young Money Cash Money Billionaire ...

  4. Business Matters: Why Did Bjork's Kickstarter Project Fail?

    February 08, 2013 8:47 PM EST 41 91 0 Internationally famous Icelandic artist Bjork may have been the most high-profile musician to undertake a project on Kickstarter, the platform that allows artists to raise money from fans for their projects. Her project most likely became the bi ...

  5. Backbeat: Grammy Week's Friends N Family Dinner Brings Out Paul Oakenfold, Corson & Edge, Willard Ahdritz, Jon Platt, Many More

    February 08, 2013 5:25 PM EST 18 7 0 Above, L-R: Publisher of Billboard magazine Tommy Page, Paul Oakenfold, founder co-CEO of AAM Andy Kipnes and Editorial Director of Billboard magazine Bill Werde Grammy predictions and Warner Music's acquisition of Parlophone Records were am ...

  6. Grammy Museum in Mississippi Set to Break Ground Next Month, Open in 2015

    February 08, 2013 2:02 PM EST 5 362 51 0 The Grammy Museum is heading to the crossroads in 2015. A second Grammy Museum slated to open in Cleveland, Miss., adjacent to Delta State University, is getting closer to reality. Grammy Museum executive director Bob Santelli, Patrick Gallaghe ...

  7. State Department Officer Admits to Taking Bribes From Dancehall Star Mavado For U.S Visa

    February 08, 2013 11:59 AM EST 37 24 0 According to a February 7 report by Scott McCabe , staff writer for the Washington Examiner, a U.S. State Department law enforcement officer has pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from popular dancehall artist Mavado, (born David Constantine Bro ...

  8. Billboard Unveils Power 100 List at L.A. Event, Honors UMG’s Lucian Grainge, Sony Music’s Clive Davis

    February 08, 2013 12:03 AM EST 1 45 31 0 Above:  Universal Music Group chairman Lucian Grainge (left) and Sony Music chief creative officer Clive Davis (Photo credit: Phil McCarten) Billboard honored Universal Music Group chairman Lucian Grainge and Sony Music chief creative officer Cl ...

  9. Parlophone Purchase: What It Means For Warner Music and Universal

    February 07, 2013 2:20 PM EST 7 45 73 0 In an unexpected and strong move, the Warner Music Group has won the auction for the Parlophone Label Group assets with a £487 million ($762 million) bid. The deal is expected to close mid-2013. The deal will give the Warner Music Group, the sma ...

  10. Beatport’s Matthew Adell on Shazam Deal, Why Music Biz Is a ‘Disaster Model’

    February 07, 2013 12:03 PM EST 14 169 136 0 Yesterday morning, two of electronic music-media’s biggest names -- the online dance retailer Beatport and the multi-format name-that-tune app Shazam -- announced a new partnership, allowing Shazam access to the “imprints” of 1.5 million EDM ...

  11. Warner Music Group Acquires Parlophone

    February 07, 2013 11:40 AM EST 2 161 132 0 Warner Music Group announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Parlophone Label Group from Universal Music Group for £487 million (around $765 million) in an all-cash transaction. A source told Billboard.biz that t ...

  12. HMV to Close 66 Stores

    February 07, 2013 8:40 AM EST 26 32 0 The first wave of HMV store closures has been announced with 66 brick and mortar outlets across the United Kingdom due to cease trading at an unspecified date over the next two months, administrators Deloitte have confirmed. Loss-making HMV stor ...

  13. French Music Market Continues Decline

    February 06, 2013 10:27 AM EST 8 34 0 The French wholesale music market dropped 4.4% to 589.7 million in 2012, according to initial figures released by record label trade body SNEP during last week's MIDEM conference in Cannes, France. Physical sales dropped 11.9% to 363.7 milli ...

  14. Spotify to Pay Rights Holders $500 million in 2013, Chief Exec Daniel Ek Says at Founders Forum Event

    February 05, 2013 9:13 PM EST 16 72 105 0 Above, L-R: Universal Music Group president of global digital business Rob Wells and Spotify chief executive Daniel Ek (Photo credit: Phil McCarten)   Spotify chief executive Daniel Ek on Tuesday said his company expects to pay rights holders ...

  15. Business Matters: Digital Revenues Up, But French Recorded Music Market Down 4% in 2012

    February 05, 2013 7:46 PM EST 1 8 13 0 There is no single way for recorded music markets to recover from their decline over the last decade. The digital-led growth seen in Sweden and Norway, driven by early and widespread adoption of subscription services, may look different in other ...

  16. Sirius XM Posts Record Revenue, Talks About Upcoming Internet Radio Service

    February 05, 2013 10:29 AM EST 81 33 0 Sirius XM Satellite Radio reported record revenue and earnings Tuesday as it opened the door on a new product: Internet radio. The company's 2012 revenue grew 13% to a record $3.4 billion while adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depr ...

  17. Don Omar, Romeo Santos, Wisin & Yandel, Jenni Rivera Top Finalists for 2013 Billboard Latin Music Awards

    February 05, 2013 10:00 AM EST 3 265 19 0 Don Omar has done it again. After leading the 2012 list of finalists for the Billboard Latin Music Awards with 16 finalist nods, he returns in 2013 with 18 nods, including Artist of the Year; Social Artist of the Year and Streaming Artist of th ...

  18. AXS Ticketing Launches in LA's Staples Center, Other AEG Venues

    February 04, 2013 3:36 PM EST 23 32 9 0 AXS Ticketing, AEG's new ticketing platform, has officially launched in Los Angeles. On Monday, AXS Ticketing replaced Ticketmaster as the platform for AEG-owned venues Staples Center, Nokia Theatre L.A. Live and Club Nokia. The first event ...

  19. Q&A: Charlie Walk, Republic's New EVP, on Returning to a Major, Long-Term Strategy

    February 04, 2013 2:40 PM EST 2 13 11 0 One of the first trips Charlie Walk is taking in his new job as executive vice president of Republic Records is to Hollywood to talk soundtracks. The second "Hunger Games" is 10 months away but already deep into planning stages; " ...

  20. What the Music Business Can Learn From the Gaming and Gambling Industries

    February 04, 2013 10:22 AM EST 81 339 168 0 Hany Nada is founding partner of GGV Capital, a global, expansion–stage venture firm based in Silicon Valley and Shanghai with $1.6B under management. Billboard.biz welcomes responsible content – contact jem.aswad@billboard.com with ideas. Wh ...

  21. Will Beyonce Beat Madonna's Super Bowl Halftime Record?

    February 02, 2013 8:00 AM EST 50 89 0 At this point, we're wondering whether there was actually more upside to Beyonce's recent national-anthem controversy than downside. Not only did she handle the situation with hater-flattening aplomb , her promise of a live performance ...

  22. TuneCore Paid Out $102 Million to Artists Last Year, Company Claims

    February 01, 2013 5:14 PM EST 5 17 39 0 While some Jeff Price fans might question TuneCore's future  business prospects, the company's management tells Billboard that the company enjoyed robust growth last year, hitting revenues of $101.8 million for its artists through sale ...

  23. Justin Bieber's 'Believe' Tour Tops $50 Million Gross

    February 01, 2013 12:29 PM EST 1 218 0 Justin Bieber takes his fifth turn at No. 1 on the weekly Hot Tours recap since launching the North American leg of the "Believe" tour in late September. This week's chart-topping gross of $9.2 million comes from the nine sold out ...

  24. Bubbling Under: Could Kristina Maria Be The Next Carly Rae Jepsen?

    February 01, 2013 10:58 AM EST 15 0 Each Friday, Billboard presents "Bubbling Under," a weekly look at new and noteworthy acts making their way toward Billboard chart success. Up this week: Kristina Maria, Tom Odell, Blackberry Smoke and T.Rone Kristina Maria Could Kristi ...

  25. Video: Super Bowl Ad Preview With Usher, Fleetwood Mac, Flaming Lips and More

    January 31, 2013 2:16 PM EST 2 26 28 0 Advertisers shelled out new record dollar amounts for 30-second spots at this year's Super Bowl, but as more ads feature current hits and emerging singles as their soundtrack, the Super Bowl has also grown into a top hit-making destination ...

  26. HMV Announces First Wave of Layoffs

    January 31, 2013 1:11 PM EST 1 1 16 0 190 staff redundancies have been made across HMV's head office and distribution network, administrators have announced. Deloitte LLP - who were appointed administrators on Jan. 15, following HMV's poorer-than-expected trading over the h ...

  27. Howell Llewellyn, Longtime Spain Correspondent for Billboard, Dies

    January 31, 2013 11:11 AM EST 1 22 8 0 Howell Llewellyn, who covered the music industry in Spain for Billboard for more than two decades, has died in Madrid. He was 60. Widely known and respected within the Spanish music business, Llewellyn covered the companies and creativity of that ...

  28. Business Matters: The Jury is Still Out on The Future of Music

    January 30, 2013 8:49 PM EST 8 15 45 0 The news from the annual MIDEM conference indicated streaming is the future of music. Deezer expanded to new countries. Rdio launched free tiers in new countries. Online video is a growing portion of revenue for record labels and music publisher ...

  29. Exclusive: Mixify Signs Red Light Management, Ultra Music, Others for Virtual Music Festival

    January 30, 2013 5:32 PM EST 24 280 35 0 Mixify, a three-month-old New York start-up that streams live audio, has signed up a number of major electronic dance labels and promoters for an upcoming virtual music festival called Rise. Among the presenters of next month's online-onl ...

  30. Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis Sign With Universal Publishing

    January 30, 2013 3:11 PM EST 67 26 0 The long-running songwriting and production team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis have signed an exclusive worldwide publishing administration agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group, the company announced today. The deal will encompass all ...

  31. HMV Troubles Help Lift U.K. Music Sales

    January 30, 2013 1:29 PM EST 2 12 0 With the U.K. music industry still reeling from HMV entering administration Jan. 15, new figures from the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) suggests that there may be a silver lining to the retailer’s financial woes.   According to the ER ...

  32. Ontario Government Forms Live Music Working Group

    January 30, 2013 11:52 AM EST 79 43 0 Above, from L-R: Michael Hollett, President/Managing Director, NXNE; Stuart Johnston, President, Canadian Independent Music Association and MusicOntario; the Honourable Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport for Ontario; Graham Hen ...

  33. Exclusive: Ultra Music Signs Distribution Deal with Machinima

    January 30, 2013 11:00 AM EST 95 283 95 0 Ultra Music, an independent electronic music label that over the years has represented Deadmau5, Kaskade, Steve Aoki, Calvin Harris and numerous other EDM artists, on Wednesday announced a strategic deal with Machinima, one of the largest netw ...

  34. Biz Q&A: BPI Chief Geoff Taylor On Google's Search Problem, HMV's Future, Moribund Digital Economy Act

    January 30, 2013 7:55 AM EST The United Kingdom may only have a population of 60 million, but when it comes to generating music artists that resonate around the globe the U.K. consistently punches well above its weight. According to labels trade body the BPI, U.K. artists acc ...

  35. American Express CMO John Hayes on 'Unstaged,' Social Media, and Their Vast Amount of Data on Concertgoers

    January 29, 2013 5:19 PM EST 28 20 23 0 John Hayes, chief marketing officer of American Express, has access to more data on the average concertgoer than perhaps any other company. Not only does Hayes know that 40% of AmEx's 102 million cardmembers spend money on music every year ...

  36. Biz Q&A: SACEM CEO Jean Noel Tronc on Managing the World's Second-Largest Rights Society

    January 29, 2013 3:45 PM EST 7 4 12 0 Jean Noel Tronc is CEO of France's authors, composers and publishers collections society SACEM -- a job he's only held since June 2012.  Coming from the IT and television sectors, Tronc has had a steep learning curve but already under h ...

  37. Worldwide Independent Network Announces 'Independent Manifesto'

    January 29, 2013 2:55 PM EST 3 4 0 Yesterday at MIDEM, the Worldwide Independent Network (WIN) introduced its Independent Manifesto and the formation of a global council. The document (below) sets out the organization’s core principles to guide the global independent music sector. ...

  38. Universal Music Latin Entertainment Announces Key Senior Appointments in Mexico, Latin America

    January 29, 2013 1:48 PM EST 6 6 8 0 Universal Music Latin Entertainment has announced key senior management appointments to its Latin American operation following its integration with EMI. Chief among them is the appointment of Alfredo Delgadillo as general manager, Universal Music ...

  39. Blink-182's Mark Hoppus Talks Piracy, Pros and Cons of Digital at MIDEM

    January 29, 2013 1:34 PM EST 4 101 313 0 Always play your hits live. Make music you love. Drive beats talent. And it's ok to blow money if it means you don't compromise your art. Those are just some of the life lessons learned and shared by Blink-182 bass player Mark Hoppus ...

  40. MIDEM Attendance Down, Organizers Remain Upbeat

    January 29, 2013 10:24 AM EST 13 0 MIDEM has experienced another drop in numbers, with organizers blaming the effects of a tricky financial climate. The four-day event drew about 6,400 attendees this time, down about 7% from the 2012 edition, organizers Reed Midem confirmed on the ...

  41. Exclusive: Kobalt, STIM Form Aggregated Rights Arm to Accelerate European Licensing, Client Payments

    January 29, 2013 12:00 AM EST 1 16 21 0 Kobalt Music Group and STIM, a Swedish copyright management organization, have partnered to launch Kobalt STIM Aggregated Rights AB to effectively create a one-stop shop to Kobalt’s European rights for digital music services. The division will b ...

  42. Business Matters: Where Were CD Revenues Up in 2012? Japan

    January 28, 2013 8:55 PM EST 2 74 17 0 Subscription services are helping music industry rebounds in countries around the world -- except in Japan. But the market still has good news to share. Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) figures show the country’s CD shipments rose ...

  43. Kombo Kolombia, Victims of Violence in Mexico, Had Regional Following

    January 28, 2013 7:24 PM EST 2 59 11 0 El Poderoso Kombo Kolombia was a young band that over the past three years had made their name known around Monterrey, Mexico, and the surrounding state of Nuevo León. Possessing a seemingly endless wardrobe of band t-shirts, proclaiming themsel ...

  44. Taylor Swift Scores ‘Long Term Partnership’ With Diet Coke

    January 28, 2013 6:09 PM EST 1 17 22 0 Coca-Cola confirmed Monday reports that Diet Coke has committed to "long-term partnership with" Taylor Swift. As part of Diet Coke’s Stay Extraordinary campaign, Swift will be featured in television, print and digital advertising sched ...

  45. 5 Questions at MIDEM With YouTube’s Patrick Walker: Vevo, 'Gangnam Style,' And More

    January 28, 2013 5:20 PM EST 4 0 5 0 Google and YouTube made a big splash at MIDEM this year, from speaking on multiple panels to hosting a 2-hour partner workshop to throwing an all-night bash at the Palais de Festival. Anchoring the company’s presence this year was Patrick Walker, ...

  46. Members of Latin Group Kombo Kolombia Feared Amongst Dead Discovered in Northern Mexico

    January 28, 2013 4:08 PM EST 1 3 5 0 At least eight bodies have been pulled from a well in northern Mexico, near the site where 20 people went missing late last week, including 16 members of a Colombian-style band, a state forensic official said today. The official said the Nuevo Leo ...

  47. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' 'Thrift Shop' Named 2012's Biggest Hit in Australian Poll

    January 28, 2013 1:01 PM EST 4 0 It’s official. “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis was the biggest hit with Australian youths last year. On Australia Day, the global smash took out the Australian state-funded network Triple J’s Hottest 100 list, now regarded as the bigges ...

  48. Band Members, Venue Owner Arrested In Connection with Deadly Club Fire in Brazil

    January 28, 2013 12:03 PM EST 1 3 9 0 Brazilian police say they’ve made three arrests and are seeking a fourth person in connection with a nightclub fire that killed more than 230 people. Inspector Ranolfo Vieira Junior said at a Monday press conference that the arrests are for invest ...

  49. MIDEM Q&A: Pledge Music's Benji Rogers on 'Making Destinations'

    January 28, 2013 11:47 AM EST 2 10 10 0 Benji Rogers has arrived as one of the music industry’s new breed of innovators. Rogers is founder and CEO of PledgeMusic, a fundraising platform that works with artists to develop a way to engage their fans early in a project, a strategy which ...

  50. European Commissioner Michel Barnier's MIDEM Speech Targets Digital Infrastructure, Google

    January 28, 2013 11:20 AM EST 1 1 8 0 European Commissioner Michel Barnier used the platform of Midem on day two made a pledge to remove barriers and build a better pan-European digital infrastructure. And he wants – needs – the wider-music biz to support his mission. Words and the pr ...

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