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Tickets To Go: How Tablets & Smartphones Affect Fans' Purchasing Behavior
May 16, 2013 7:35 PM EDT Live music fans are embracing mobile at a remarkable pace. According to Live Nation, 14% of Ticketmaster sales in North America were purchased on mobile platforms in 2012, double the number that did so in the previous 12 months. In March, Live N ...
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Activist Investor Dan Loeb Calls Sony Corp.: You're Breaking Up
May 16, 2013 7:35 PM EDT Sony Corp.'s entertainment assets, including the world's second-largest recorded-music group Sony Music Entertainment and half of No. 1 music publisher Sony/ATV, could be spun off from its corporate parent if the board heeds a call fro ...
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The Billboard Cover Story - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis: Shot Callers
May 16, 2013 7:20 PM EDT Macklemore & Ryan Lewis aren't just making records, they're setting them: biggest-selling download of 2013, the first duo to send first two singles to No. 1 on the Hot 100. And they've done it all their way--letting the indust ...
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Streaming War Breaks Out As Google Beats Apple to the Punch With Subscription Service
May 16, 2013 7:10 PM EDT Google, in its drive to conquer all Internet platforms, rolled out the latest piece of its plan: All Access, an on-demand music streaming service akin to Spotify and with a radio feature to rival Pandora. In debuting the service for U.S. listene ...
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Justin Bieber is King of Digital After RIAA Counts Streaming
May 16, 2013 7:10 PM EDT Justin Bieber's "Baby," featuring Ludacris, has become the highest-certified single in history now that the RIAA incorporates on-demand streaming numbers into its gold and platinum certifications for digital songs. Elton John' ...
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The May 2013 Publishers Quarterly: Unknown Songwriter Cathy Heller Writes Her Own Checks
May 16, 2013 7:05 PM EDT In the year prior to the April 30 release of her debut full-length album, Cathy Heller took home more than $100,000 from synch licenses of her songs. The rest of her ledger sheet was almost all goose eggs-little income from download sales, no gi ...
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The May 2013 Publishers Quarterly: SONGS Looks for Big Hits & The Long Term
May 16, 2013 7:05 PM EDT All music publishing firms live for big hits, but SONGS Music Publishing is also in it for the long term. For all SONGS founder Matt Pincus talks about his firm's top songwriters, he more often comes back to music publishing companies that ...
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The May 2013 Publishers Quarterly: Sony/ATV Rides High
May 16, 2013 7:05 PM EDT Sony/ATV Music Publishing stands firmly as king of the hill for both the publishing and country quarterly rankings. For the first quarter, Sony/ATV, which administers EMI Music Publishing, compiled a 22.4% share, which, while down from the previ ...
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The May 2013 Publishers Quarterly: Shane McAnally is the Prodigal Songwriter
May 16, 2013 7:05 PM EDT Songwriter/producer Shane McAnally, who recently scored two No. 1 country hits and a No. 1 entry on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart, is the textbook Nashville overnight sensation. "It only took me six months to get a record deal, ...
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Over the Counter: Lady A Is Tops; 'Gatsby' Starts Strong
May 16, 2013 6:40 PM EDT Lady Antebellum collects its third No. 1 on the Billboard 200 while 'The Great Gatsby' bows at No. 2 Country trio Lady Antebellum earns its third No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 as "Golden" debuts with 167,000 copies, accord ...
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Further Dealings: Parlophone & Warner, Third Man Records, Manatt Phelps & Phillips
May 16, 2013 5:05 PM EDT Entertainment law firm Manatt Phelps & Phillips announced that it is launching a digital media practice and an investment fund targeting early-stage startups. Manatt, whose legal clients include Sugarland, the Eagles, INgrooves and BMI Right ...
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Good Works: Donnie Wahlberg is Boston Strong
May 16, 2013 5:05 PM EDT Boston Strong Boston native Donnie Wahlberg attended high school not far from where two bombs went off during the Boston Marathon on April 15, killing three and injuring hundreds. Wahlberg, an actor and longtime member of New Kids on the Block ( ...
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The Deal: Jammin' With The Brand
May 16, 2013 5:05 PM EDT WHAT: As the 30th anniversary of Bob Marley's iconic "Legend" looms, new projects are rolling out to celebrate the milestone. On May 15, Hyundai began airing a commercial called "Signs" that premiered a remix of "Th ...
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Executive Turntable: Universal South East Asia, Roadrunner Records, Big Deal Music, Island Def Jam, SuperKollider
May 16, 2013 5:05 PM EDT RECORD COMPANIES Top 40 promotion veteran Tommy Nappi has been tapped as VP of promotion at Roadrunner Records. Most recently serving as VP of top 40/rhythm promotion at Warner Bros., he'll oversee pop promotion for Roadrunner, Fueled by Ra ...
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Happening Now: 'Fitz & the Tantrums' Major-Label Debut Pushes the Band to New sales & Chart Levels
May 15, 2013 8:30 PM EDT A change in schedule turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Fitz & the Tantrums' new album, "More Than Just a Dream," which debuts at No. 26 on the Billboard 200 with 15,000 copies sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Th ...
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Bubbling Under: Passenger, A Great Big World, Dakota Bradley, Chrystian
May 15, 2013 8:30 PM EDT Passenger On The Move "All the Little Lights" (Black Crow/Nettwerk), the third album from British folk-rocker Passenger (aka Mike Rosenberg), reached No. 7 on Billboard's Heatseekers Albums chart and No. 8 on Folk Albums earlier t ...
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Happening Now: 'The Great Gatsby' Soundtrack Scores No. 2 Debut Thanks to Targeted Strategy
May 15, 2013 8:30 PM EDT It wasn't a 99 cent download or a "Saturday Night Live" TV spot that drove "The Great Gatsby" to a No. 2 debut on this week's Billboard 200. According to Interscope VP of film and television marketing and soundtrack ...
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Retail Track: Bricks and Clicks
May 15, 2013 7:35 PM EDT NARM's Music Biz convention, held May 6-9 in Los Angeles, may not have had the sizzle that music industry events are known for, but it covered a lot of things that matter, if the industry is ever going to grow healthier. NARM has successful ...
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On The Road: The Long Game
May 15, 2013 7:35 PM EDT The aggressive and ambitious bid by a partnership led by Barclays Center developer Forest City to transform the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on New York's Long Island sends a clear message that developer Bruce Ratner and his team aren& ...
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Digital Domain: Getting Paid
May 15, 2013 7:35 PM EDT YouTube debuted its paid subscription model on May 9, reigniting a decades-old debate about just what types of content viewers would pay to see online. The simple answer is high-quality, exclusive content not available elsewhere, especially when ...
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Jason Isbell Goes His Own Way With New Label for Solo Album "Southeastern"
May 15, 2013 6:45 PM EDT If not for the Alabama Crimson Tide and Grimey's Records stickers on the back window of a well-traveled truck and the music-gear trailer in the driveway, nothing would suggest that one has arrived at the residence of Jason Isbell. In the Na ...
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Scouting Report: Rapper/Poet Watsky
May 15, 2013 6:35 PM EDT Rapper/poet Watsky is busy extending his fan base beyond the viral realm, having launched the international leg of his Cardboard Castles tour. Nearly 95% sold out, according to manager Kevin Morrow, the trek comes hot on the heels of Watsky sell ...
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Gear: Boi-1da is a Basement Beatmaster
May 15, 2013 6:35 PM EDT It's hard to imagine a more unassuming hit factory than Boi-1da's home studio in Whitby, Ontario, which is 45 minutes from downtown Toronto. On a well-kept block of identical, modest McMansions, in a house he shares with his daughter, ...
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Road Work: Savages, Matisyahu, John Mayer, Basement Jaxx
May 15, 2013 6:35 PM EDT Goth Howl: U.K. buzz rockers Savages have quickly risen through the touring ranks ahead of their debut LP, "Silence Yourself" (May 7, Pop Noire/Matador), earning them opening slots for Iggy & the Stooges and Portishead this summer. ...
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30 Seconds to Mars: Rebooted & Ready for Takeoff
May 15, 2013 6:35 PM EDT Bolstered by tech-savvy creative dynamo Jared Leto--who's launched his own social media platform and digital ticketing service--30 Seconds to Mars charts a comeback with its first full album of new material. Space may be the final frontier, ...
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Empire of the Sun Go Big for Second Album Campaign
May 15, 2013 6:35 PM EDT The first time Australians Nick Littlemore and Luke Steele made a record together as Empire of the Sun, it was as an experimental side project to their day jobs in other bands like Pnau and the Sleepy Jackson, respectively. But 2008's " ...
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ohn Fogerty Teams With Modern Superstars & ESPN to Cast Wide Net With New Duets Album
May 15, 2013 6:35 PM EDT John Fogerty's first album in four years is a collection of many of the classics the legendary rocker is known for, but with a modern twist: "Wrote a Song for Everyone," due May 28 on Vanguard, enlists many of today's top sta ...
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Go Time Travel Essentials: Aaron Bay-Schuck, Senior VP of A&R at Atlantic Records
May 15, 2013 6:25 PM EDT With headphones at the ready, Los Angeles-based Atlantic Records senior VP of A&R Aaron Bay-Schuck has his travel routine down to a T. That's a good thing, as the man who signed Grammy Award-winning performer/songwriter/producer Bruno M ...
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T&E Report: Porto, Portugal for Optimus Primavera Sound Festival
May 15, 2013 6:25 PM EDT BROWSE An offshoot of Barcelona's Primavera Sound, Porto's Optimus Primavera Sound (optimusprimaverasound.com) takes over the Portuguese city's Parque de Cidade for the second time this May 30-June 2. The 2013 lineup spans genera ...
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Questions Answered: Marc Geiger, Head of Music at William Morris Endeavour
May 15, 2013 6:25 PM EDT What did you wake up thinking about this morning? Where's my coffee, how many unread emails do I have, and can I work out or do I have to go straight to email and international phone calls? The result ended up being emails, coffee and runni ...
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My Day: Justin Shukat, President of Primary Wave Music Publishing
May 15, 2013 6:20 PM EDT Justin Shukat oversees a publishing repertoire that includes the catalogs of icons like Nirvana, John Lennon, Hall & Oates, Chicago and Steven Tyler; writers like Gregg Alexander, L.P. and Orange Factory Music; and opportunities in synch lic ...
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Single Reviews: Disclosure, Michael Franti, Sleeping With Sirens, Trace Adkins & Hustle Gang
May 14, 2013 4:50 PM EDT POP MICHAEL FRANTI "I'm Alive (Life Sounds Like)" (3:53) Producers: Adrian Newman, Michael Franti Writers: Michael Franti, Adrian Newman, Jason Bowman Publishers: various Capitol Records Not even Franti's sun-dappled island s ...
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R&B Single Review: "Q.U.E.E.N." Janelle Monae featuring Erykah Badu
May 14, 2013 4:50 PM EDT All hail Monae's "Q.U.E.E.N." "Categorize me, I defy every label," Monae raps on her ecstatic new single, "Q.U.E.E.N." She speaks the truth: The first track from her upcoming sophomore album, "The Electric ...
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App Review: Seeper's Remix App
May 14, 2013 4:50 PM EDT Angry Birds, eat your heart out. Jamming/mixing app Ninja Jamm, from U.K. label Ninja Tune and arts and technology collective Seeper, is a powerful remixing toy that offers a new way for fans to engage with songs, a new release format for labels ...
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Rock Album Review: "Love Lust Faith + Dreams" 30 Seconds to Mars
May 14, 2013 4:50 PM EDT Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman Jared Leto takes the production reins alongside Steve Lillywhite on the group's fourth album, infusing the act's epically charged rock anthems with an even fuller sense of grandeur than heard on past rel ...
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Rolling Stones Flex Their Tickets: Organizers Push Back at Suggestion Tickets Being Sold at Discount
May 09, 2013 7:50 PM EDT Some may view it as a matter of semantics, but promoters of the Rolling Stones' 50 & Counting tour insist ticket-price adjustments in Los Angeles and elsewhere reflect "flex pricing" (as opposed to "discounting") and ...
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BET Teams With AEG for 3-day LA Festival
May 09, 2013 7:50 PM EDT As BET Networks prepares to announce this year's slate of BET Awards nominees and special honorees on May 14, the countdown begins for its first BET Experience at L.A. Live. Moving to the Nokia Theatre in downtown Los Angeles after nine yea ...
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Over the Counter: Kenny Chesney's Lucky Seventh No. 1
May 09, 2013 7:40 PM EDT The superstar is second only to Garth Brooks among country acts with the most chart-toppers. Country king Kenny Chesney grabs his seventh No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 as "Life on a Rock" debuts atop the list. The set sold 153,000 c ...
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Brett Gurewitz's Fig Music + Lionel Conway's Jalma Music = Mothership Music
May 09, 2013 7:20 PM EDT Veteran music publisher Lionel Conway and Epitaph Records owner Brett Gurewitz have launched a new publishing company, Mothership Music, that will bring together the latter's Fig Music and the former's administered Jalma Music. Conway ...
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EDM Goes Major With Atlantic's Big Beat
May 09, 2013 7:20 PM EDT In 2010, it took Atlantic Records Group chairman/CEO Craig Kallman nearly three months to convince Liz Miller, now GM of his revived Big Beat imprint within Atlantic, to join the team. "I said 'no' immediately," says Miller, ...
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Sponsorship for Live Biz Up as Brands Tap Into Fans' Passions
May 09, 2013 6:55 PM EDT Brand sponsorship for festivals, tours and music venues keeps growing in the United States, and is projected to reach $1.28 billion in 2013, according to marketing analytics firm IEG Research. Music continues to capture an increasing share of do ...
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Rituals: Sasquatch! Festival
May 09, 2013 6:45 PM EDT The ins and outs of the Memorial Day weekend music blowout, where roots and rock join forces in the Pacific Northwest (Quincy, Wash., May 24-27). GETTING THERE Flying to Seattle and driving is probably the easiest way to get there. I have driven ...
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Gear: John Shanks' Arena-Ready Sound
May 09, 2013 5:20 PM EDT When Bon Jovi, Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton need to blast out the hits, they turn to super-producer John Shanks. "I came up from the other side of the glass," says John Shanks, perched in front of the massive Neve mixing board domi ...
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2013 Billboard Music Awards: Taylor Swift, PSY, Miguel, David Guetta & More Talk the Year on the Charts
May 09, 2013 5:20 PM EDT We caught up with 12 of the BBMA finalists and performers to help recount the incredible high points, new discoveries and memorable moments that caught their ears during the past 12 months. Tune in to ABC on May 19 at 8 p.m. EST to watch the act ...
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Tracy Morgan: The 2013 Billboard Music Awards Host Harbors Recording Dreams
May 09, 2013 5:20 PM EDT "I see treeeees of greeeeen, red roses tooooo..." Ten years after leaving "Saturday Night Live," Tracy Morgan's eyes still light up when he morphs his voice into a gravelly croon for a pitch-perfect Louis Armstrong impre ...
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Il Volo Cross Over to Latin Music Stardom
May 08, 2013 7:55 PM EDT The 2013 Billboard Latin Music Awards, which aired April 25 on Telemundo, had its share of uptempo reggaetonn and dance, regional Mexican music, daring duets and song premieres, most featuring major Latin stars. In the midst of that was Il Volo, ...
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Bubbling Under: Morgan Frazier, Wild Feathers, Mr. Little Jeans, A$AP Ferg
May 08, 2013 7:55 PM EDT Frazier Makes In-'Roads' With spins at 13 of the 129 stations monitored by Nielsen BDS for Billboard's Country Airplay chart, Morgan Frazier simmers just below the ranking with "Yellow Brick Road," her debut single for C ...
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Happening Now: T.I.'s Hustle Gang Works Charting Single & Free EP to Try to Land New Deal
May 08, 2013 7:55 PM EDT "Memories Back Then," the new single from T.I.'s label/crew Hustle Gang, is actually helping the act look forward. The introspective track--which features T.I., Grand Hustle/Atlantic signee B.o.B, Grand Hustle singer Kris Stephen ...
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Daft Punk's Robot Revolution: 'Random Access Memories' is Bold, High-End Effort to Make Everything Old New Again
May 08, 2013 7:50 PM EDT It started with a Facebook post: Two helmets, one gold and one silver, halved and fused down the center, set against plain black. Then came the 15-second ad, aired during the March 2 episode of "Saturday Night Live"; its first appearan ...
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Intelligence Report -- Metadata: The Path to Metadata Nirvana
May 08, 2013 7:45 PM EDT A guide to the standards and registries that can help simplify things for the music business. The Standards DDEX: The Digital Data Exchange, formed in 2006, is a standard for messaging in the digital supply chain. Originally focused on music, th ...