1. FMC Summit Puts Spotlight On 'Orphan Works'

    September 19, 2007 12:00 AM EDT A panel at yesterday's Future of Music Coalition summit addressed the growing issue of "orphan works," defined as "unlocateable copyright works." These recordings are often old folk ballads whose copyright was always uncle ...

  2. Download Site Offers Variable Ringtone Pricing

    September 18, 2007 12:00 AM EDT Indie music download site AmieStreet is taking its variable pricing model for digital downloads to ringtones, through a partnership with ringtone software provider Myxer. Like the full-song downloads available on AmieStreet, all ringtones will sta ...

  3. Radio Issues Talk Of FOMC Confab

    September 17, 2007 12:00 AM EDT In his remarks to a crowded auditorium at the seventh annual Future of Music Coalition Summit, which began today (Sept. 17) on the campus of George Washington University in Washington, D.C., Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) reaffirmed his commitment to pr ...

  4. Epitaph Inks With ADA, Likely To Exit eMusic Deal

    September 12, 2007 12:00 AM EDT Epitah Records is shifting its worldwide digital distribution to Alternative Distribution Alliance (ADA) in October. Until now, ADA had been distributing mobile content for Epitaph. "We do digital distribution for a number of smaller independ ...

  5. NPR, WGBH Acquire NPB

    September 11, 2007 12:00 AM EDT National Public Radio and WGBH/Boston are acquiring National Public Broadcasting, LLC (NPB). The groups made an offer which was accepted in principle by Williams Communications, Inc., majority owner of NPB. The transaction is expected to be comple ...

  6. Gold Ent. Group Preps Label Launch

    September 10, 2007 12:00 AM EDT Gold Entertainment Group, which focuses on the creation and distribution of content for television, and the Web, is preparing to launch an independent record label. The venture will be in cooperation with Web site Reggae.com and the as-yet-unnamed ...

  7. Veteran Go-Go Group E.U. Offers 'The Mixture'

    September 08, 2007 12:00 AM EDT Known originally by its full name Experience Unlimited, E.U. was the top Washington, D.C., go-go group and jumped to the national stage after Spike Lee used its song "Da Butt" in his 1988 film "School Daze." Now, 20 years later ...

  8. Q&A: Teddy Bear Founders

    September 08, 2007 12:00 AM EDT Peter Dean and Ted Hopkins have been key players in the Washington, D.C., R&B music scene for more than two decades. Hopkins had worked with local labels and owned and managed the Club LeBaron nightspot before moving into management with D.C.& ...

  9. Teddy Bear's Return

    September 08, 2007 12:00 AM EDT When director Spike Lee picked E.U.'s dance tune "Da Butt" for the soundtrack to his 1988 film "School Daze," the song became a No. 1 hit and a national sensation. Some 20 years later, the anniversary of the film and song ...

  10. Indie Labels Venture Into Venue Business

    September 04, 2007 12:00 AM EDT While the majority of independent record labels are focusing on selling albums and developing their artists, others are seeking new ways to expand business. Since opening its doors in early June, Saddle Creek's Slowdown club in Omaha, Neb., h ...

  11. Redeye Inks Exclusive Distro Deals

    August 31, 2007 12:00 AM EDT Redeye Distribution has signed a number of new exclusive distribution deals, including agreements with Daptone Records and rock band Cake. World music imprint Luaka Bop has also inked a distribution deal with Redeye, with the first conjoined proje ...

  12. Illegal Art Continues To Challenge Copyright Restrictions

    August 30, 2007 12:00 AM EDT Indie label Illegal Art continues what they call their challenge to "the restrictions of copyright as perceived by the larger music industry," with sound collagist Realistic's new album, "Perpetual Memory Loss," due Oct. 2 ...

  13. Ween Inks With Rounder

    August 29, 2007 12:00 AM EDT Quirky, genre-spanning duo Ween has signed with Rounder Records and will release "La Cucaracha," their first studio album in over four years, October 23. La Cucaracha is Ween's ninth studio album; their previous album, 2005's & ...

  14. Rounder Teams With Publisher Beacon Street

    August 27, 2007 12:00 AM EDT Rounder Records, home of tween band Girl Authority, and publisher Beacon Street Girls have revealed a joint partnership that will focus on providing entertainment with a positive message for pre-teen girls. The two companies have completed an init ...

  15. eMusic Hits 150 Million Download Mark

    August 16, 2007 12:00 AM EDT Online indie music retailer eMusic announced that it has sold more than 150 million downloads, bucking the general slowing trend in paid download growth. The site, which sells music using a subscription model, is geared towards fans age 25 and old ...

  16. Appleseed Recordings Preps 10th Anniversary Releases

    August 14, 2007 12:00 AM EDT Indie label Appleseed Recordings is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a string of civic-minded compilation releases featuring new songs from such artists as Bruce Springsteen, Pete Seeger and Jon Bon Jovi. Former consumer advocate lawyer Jim M ...

  17. AT&T, eMusic Partner On Full-Song Mobile Downloads

    July 31, 2007 12:00 AM EDT AT&T Wireless unveiled its first over-the-air, full-song music download service today (July 31) through a partnership with eMusic. Unlike rival wireless operators Sprint and Verizon, AT&T is not launching its own branded services, keeping ...

  18. IODA Expands Reach

    July 17, 2007 12:00 AM EDT IODA is expanding into the video and film market. The indie music digital distributor says it will add independent film content to such online video outlets as Netflix, RealNetworks and EZTakes, as well as mobile content providers like Amp'd, ...

  19. Victory Extends, Expands Deal With Rise

    July 03, 2007 12:00 AM EDT Chicago-based rock label Victory Records has renewed its exclusive distribution agreement with Portland, Ore.-based Rise Records. Victory has been the exclusive distributor of Rise albums in North America since early 2005. Under the terms of the r ...

  20. Victory Re-Signs Thursday

    June 29, 2007 12:00 AM EDT Chicago-based independent Victory Records has realigned itself with hard rock band Thursday for the release of a retrospective-focused, as-yet-untitled CD/DVD package. The parting between the two in 2002 was not a pleasant one, as Thursday went so ...

  21. Sanctuary Promotion Department Closing

    June 26, 2007 12:00 AM EDT As a result of measures taken to reduce the frontline operations of Sanctuary Records Group, the company's entire radio promotions department will be shut down, with its employees exiting the company on June 30. Those exiting the company incl ...

  22. 6 Questions: Kork Agency's Christian Bernhardt

    June 22, 2007 12:00 AM EDT When Christian Bernhardt moved to the United States to finish his law degree, the German-born owner of Emeryville, Calif.-based Kork Agency admits, "I didn't even know what a booking agency was." But with the help of a friend in 199 ...

  23. Indie Rockers Midlake Ready Stateside Tour

    June 22, 2007 12:00 AM EDT Indie rock outfit Midlake is gearing up for a fall trek that will hit 270- to 1,400-capacity venues across the United States. The outing follows the Denton, Texas-based act's album "The Trials of Van Occupanther" (Bella Union/World& ...

  24. WMG Combines Cordless, Rykodisc

    June 20, 2007 12:00 AM EDT Warner Music Group is partnering its digital label Cordless with Rykodisc, a move intended to give Cordless artists access to Rykodisc's staff and distribution while enhancing the digital offerings of Rykodisc. As part of the restructuring, K ...

  25. Brooklyn Venue To Launch With Patti Smith

    June 19, 2007 12:00 AM EDT New York-based indie concert promoter the Bowery Presents has tapped Patti Smith and her band to help launch the Sept. 4 opening of its newest venue, the Music Hall of Williamsburg. The 550-capacity hall in Brooklyn, N.Y., will occupy the former s ...

  26. Green Light Labels

    June 15, 2007 12:00 AM EDT Earthology Recordings Craig Minowa's Alternative Distribution Alliance-distributed label and CD replication house sits on an organic farm in Minnesota, and is close to making an all-green CD package. Minowa promises that by the end of 2007, a ...

  27. Down To Earth Labels

    June 14, 2007 12:00 AM EDT There wasn't a CD manufacturing operation in the entire country that satisfied the eco-friendly needs of Cloud Cult leader Craig Minowa. So he built his own. Minowa started Earthology Recordings on a farm an hour north of the Twin Cities in M ...

  28. Silverstein Aims To Keep Climbing With New Album

    June 08, 2007 12:00 AM EDT When his hard rock band Silverstein was still in its infancy, singer Shane Told had a chance to take the easy way out. Just after the turn of the century, the suburban Toronto musician had been offered a gig to play bass in Avril Lavigne's ba ...

  29. Fontana Links With PIAS

    June 04, 2007 12:00 AM EDT Fontana, the indie music pipeline of Universal Music Group Distribution, has signed an exclusive U.S. distribution agreement with PIAS America. The label was previously with EMI-affiliated Caroline. The U.S. home of the PIAS Group and Vital Distri ...

  30. It's 'Digital First' For One Little Indian

    May 23, 2007 12:00 AM EDT San Francisco-based indie One Little Indian has launched a new online marketing division dubbed Digital First, in which albums will receive a heavy online marketing push before being released to physical retailers. Digital First releases will be s ...

  31. Successful Web Strategy Gives DIY Artist A Boost

    May 14, 2007 12:00 AM EDT A day in the life of DIY musician Jonathan Coulton is the subject of this New York Times article . Is he famous? No. But through savvy use of the Internet and an understanding of his fanbase, the artist is making a living. According to the story, ...

  32. Yahoo, USA To Cross-Promote Unsigned Acts

    May 09, 2007 12:00 AM EDT Yahoo! Music has inked a deal with NBC Universal's USA Networks to cross-promote music from unsigned artists. Under the agreement, Yahoo! will feed data on unsigned acts popular with its Launchcast streaming radio listeners to USA. The TV net ...

  33. eMusic CEO Defends Company On Blog

    May 08, 2007 12:00 AM EDT eMusic CEO David Pakman has posted his thoughts on the state of digital music pricing on the company's blog , defending the company's pricing model as one that inspires fans to actually buy music. "We want musicians to be fairly com ...

  34. Rhapsody, Dischord Ink Deal

    May 03, 2007 12:00 AM EDT Digital music subscription service Rhapsody has finalized a music licensing deal with indie label Dischord Records, marking the first time the company's catalog has been made available on a tethered download subscription service. Dischord is ...

  35. Fontana Inks Thievery Corp's ESL

    April 16, 2007 12:00 AM EDT The Universal Music Group Distribution's indie arm Fontana has signed the Thievery Corporation's ESL Music to an exclusive U.S. distribution agreement. ESL releases were previously distributed via Caroline. Founded by the Thievery Corpor ...

  36. Vagrant Launches Density Imprint

    April 13, 2007 12:00 AM EDT Los Angeles-based rock indie Vagrant Records has launched a new imprint in Density Records. Vagrant, which has worked with such acts as the Get Up Kids, Dashboard Confessional and From Autumn to Ashes, among others, is launching Density to delve i ...

  37. Victory Launches In-House Touring Division

    March 30, 2007 12:00 AM EDT In an effort to keep its roster "on the road at all times," Chicago-based indie Victory Records is launching an in-house touring division that will book shows for signed bands that don't have a proper booking agent, says label found ...

  38. SXSW Day II: Deerhunter, Besnard Lakes Steal The Night

    March 16, 2007 12:00 AM EDT The psychedelic rock of Deerhunter and the classic rock stylings of Besnard Lakes were centerpieces on the second night of music showcases at the South by Southwest (SXSW) music conference in Austin, Texas. As crowds descended upon Sixth Street -- ...

  39. SXSW: Byrne Asks Record Labels For Help

    March 15, 2007 12:00 AM EDT Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne called on record labels to remove DRM on digital files and shift from manufacturing and distribution companies to more closely resemble marketing firms in the face of increasing digital album sales. Byrne ...

  40. Digital Retail Focus Of SXSW Talk With MySpace President

    March 15, 2007 12:00 AM EDT Despite the announcement this morning (March 15) that online music seller Snocap would make available content from Sub Pop and Dangerbird via MySpace, president of the social networking site Tom Anderson said music retail is not a top priority for ...

  41. Townshend Reveals The 'Method' To His Madness At SXSW

    March 14, 2007 12:00 AM EDT Pete Townshend utilized his keynote address at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, tonight (March 14) to unveil a new music Web site dubbed the Method. The concept was first introduced in the early 1970s via music intended for " ...

  42. Buzz Bound

    March 09, 2007 12:00 AM EST Among the legions of acts booked for this year's South by Southwest Music and Media Conference and Festival March 14-18 in Austin, here are 10 that people will talk about, as profiled by Ayala Ben-Yehuda, Jonathan Cohen, Todd Martens and Mich ...

  43. Microsoft Calls On Unsigned Bands

    March 05, 2007 12:00 AM EST Microsoft is inviting unsigned artists to create music inspired by Xbox 360 videogames. Participating artists in the Xbox Soundtracks program will be able to download and score music to a variety of Xbox 360 videogame trailers this coming May. Com ...

  44. Music World Nabs Roots Indie Compadre

    February 27, 2007 12:00 AM EST Mathew Knowles' Music World Entertainment has acquired Houston-based independent roots label, Compadre Records. Brad Turcotte will maintain his role as president of Compadre, and the label will continue to exist as an imprint through Music Wo ...

  45. WMG-IMPALA Strike Pre-Merger Deal

    February 20, 2007 12:00 AM EST Warner Music Group struck a deal with European indie group IMPALA to overcome any objections the group may have to a WMG acquisition of EMI. Last year, IMPALA successfully challenged the European Commission's approval of the Sony and BMG Musi ...

  46. Interscope Geffen A&M Shifting To Octone

    February 20, 2007 12:00 AM EST Formerly affiliated with Sony BMG, New York-based Octone Records is shifting to the Universal Music Group and will be re-branded A&M/Octone. Octone is home to such acts as Maroon 5 and Flyleaf. Octone was formed in 2000 by J Records/RCA Music ...

  47. Train Wreck Inks With RED

    February 12, 2007 12:00 AM EST New upstart indie label Train Wreck Records has inked a national distribution with RED Distribution. The label, owned by singer/songwriter Chip Taylor, will release its first titles April 3; John Platania "Blues, Waltzes and Badland Borders&q ...

  48. EMI Reorganizes Caroline

    February 02, 2007 12:00 AM EST EMI Music has reorganized its Caroline distribution arm into three distinct units, focusing on repertoire, artist development and independent distribution. The move comes a week after the major merged its U.S. label operations, creating the Capito ...

  49. A Sales Explosion

    February 01, 2007 12:00 AM EST As recently as three years ago, Explosions in the Sky lacked so much as a manager. Thanks to instrumental rock compositions that run nearly double-digits in length, the band seemed destined for underground status. But one football movie later, and ...

  50. Knitting Factory Boosts Sound, Lighting

    January 31, 2007 12:00 AM EST As New York City's Knitting Factory celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, the 400-capacity venue has recently made enhancements to its sound and lighting equipment. "We just put in a brand new PA and lighting system in our main spac ...

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