1. Britney Spears' Las Vegas Residency: Full Details On the Pop Singer’s Two-Year Deal (Q&A)

    September 19, 2013 2:59 PM EDT Beginning in December, Las Vegas will be the only place on earth where you’ll be able to see Britney Spears perform over the next two years. After months of speculation, the pop superstar announced her two-year Las Vegas residency show, titl ...

  2. Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai Says Daniel Loeb Helped Put Spotlight on Entertainment Assets (Report)

    September 19, 2013 10:38 AM EDT In one of his first public comments since r ejecting a proposal by activist shareholder Dan Loeb to spin off part of Sony Corp.'s entertainment business, CEO Kazuo Hirai said Thursday that the initiative was "actually a good thing.&quo ...

  3. Jack Johnson, Justin Moore Vying for No. 1 on the Billboard 200

    September 18, 2013 7:52 PM EDT Singer/songwriter Jack Johnson and country singer Justin Moore are heading for the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart next week. At the present, industry sources forecast that Johnson's new album, "From Here to Now to You," mig ...

  4. Universal Music Group Win in Bob Marley Recording Rights Suit Reversed by Appeals Court

    September 18, 2013 3:07 PM EDT On Wednesday, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals set up a potential trial over rights to early recordings by Bob Marley and the Wailers. As the appeals court noted, when Marley recorded music in Jamaica in the 1960s, "record keeping was not a ...

  5. Keith Urban Edges Out the Weeknd for No. 1 Spot on Billboard 200 By Less Than 3K Copies

    September 18, 2013 11:32 AM EDT Last week's race for the No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 between Ariana Grande and Tamar Braxton was nothing compared to the showdown on this week's tally. Country star Keith Urban debuts at No. 1 with "Fuse," edging out t ...

  6. Grammy Nominations Concert Returning to L.A.

    September 18, 2013 10:02 AM EDT After shaking things up in Nashville last year, the Recording Academy is bringing the Grammy Nominations Concert Live!! back to Los Angeles. The hour-long CBS concert special will take place at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Friday, Dec. 6 at 10 ...

  7. Gallo's Film/TV Briefs: Diddy’s Revolt Goes Live Oct. 21; ‘Into the Woods’ Starts Filming; ‘Mad Men’ Pours a Holiday Mix

    September 17, 2013 5:40 PM EDT Sean Combs’ Cable Channel Revolt Goes Live Oct. 21 Sean Combs’ cable channel Revolt will go live Oct. 21 on Time Warner cable systems in New York and Los Angeles prior to a national launch in January. Revolt will be made available to customers w ...

  8. Britney Spears Announces 2-Year Las Vegas Residency Live on Good Morning America Following Helicopter Ride

    September 17, 2013 4:10 PM EDT After months of rumors and hint-dropping, pop icon Britney Spears revealed what she called her "(not-so-)secret" news - she's heading to Las Vegas. The 31-year-old pop star confirmed a two-year residency at Planet Hollywood Resort ...

  9. Alex Pham's Digital Notes: Madonna Leverages BitTorrent, Linkin Park Streams on Xbox, Brian Frank Exits Beats Music

    September 17, 2013 3:50 PM EDT Madonna Leverages BitTorrent The queen of pop is the latest established artist to use BitTorrent. In Madonna's case, she will be releasing a free BitTorrent Bundle containing a 17-minute film entitled "secretprohectrevolution" tha ...

  10. Betty Who Signs To RCA As Marriage Proposal Video Goes Viral (Exclusive)

    September 17, 2013 1:30 PM EDT 1 1.554 k 26 2 0 Betty Who, the Australian-born, New York-based pop singer, who released her debut EP "The Movement" last April (and which  premiered on Billboard.com ), has signed a U.S. label deal with RCA Records days after a YouTube video of ...

  11. Rough Trade Will Open Flagship U.S. Store Nov. 25 in New York (Exclusive)

    September 17, 2013 7:00 AM EDT Rough Trade, the iconic London music retailer that spawned Rough Trade Records and served as a cradle for post-punk music in the late 1970s, will open its first flagship store in the U.S. in New York on Monday, November 25. The store, a 15,00 ...

  12. Mexican Summer Label Announces 5-Year Anniversary Fest, Book

    September 16, 2013 1:00 PM EDT Brooklyn-based independent label Mexican Summer has announced a two-day festival in October and the release of a limited-edition commemorative book to celebrate its five-year anniversary in conjunction with longtime affiliates Software Records, ...

  13. Recording Academy's Neil Portnow Extends Contract Through 2019 (Exclusive)

    September 16, 2013 8:00 AM EDT Recording Academy president/CEO Neil Portnow has been contracted to remain in his post through 2019. The Academy’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously to extend Portnow’s contract, which was set to expire in 2015.   "Neil is a dynamic leade ...

  14. P!nk Named Billboard's 2013 Woman of the Year

    September 16, 2013 12:30 AM EDT P!nk has been named Billboard's Woman of the Year and will be honored at the 2013 Billboard Women in Music event on Dec. 10 in New York City sponsored by COVERGIRL and City National Bank. The award honors the achievements of a trailblazi ...

  15. Janelle Monae, Arctic Monkeys and Sheryl Crow Heading For Top 10 on Billboard 200

    September 13, 2013 9:33 PM EDT Here’s a look at next week’s Billboard 200 albms chart: Janelle Monae is set for her first top 10, Arctic Monkeys is making a strong return and Sheryl Crow's aiming for her ninth top 10 set. Monae's "The Electric Lady" should ...

  16. Biz Poll: Which Major News Story Will Most Impact the Music Business' Future?

    September 13, 2013 1:38 PM EDT This time of year, the news cycle seems to shift into a head-spinning hyperspeed. In the last few days alone, Apple launched iTunes Radio and new iPhones; Twitter filed for an IPO; WMG and Clear Channel announced a groundbreaking deal; Vivendi i ...

  17. Chart Moves: Bastille's 'Bad Blood' Debuts, Fleetwood Mac's 'Opus' Opens, Little Big Town's 'Tornado' Celebrates Anniversary

    September 13, 2013 9:30 AM EDT This week on the Billboard 200 albums chart, budding pop princess Ariana Grande claimed her first No. 1. Her debut album, "Yours Truly," has sold 138,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Behind Grande at No. 2, ...

  18. Legendary Sound Engineer Ray Dolby Dies at 80

    September 12, 2013 9:34 PM EDT Ray Dolby, the inventor and engineer whose surname became synonymous with high-quality cinema sound, died Sept. 12 at home in San Francisco at 80. "Today we lost a friend, mentor and true visionary," Kevin Yeaman, President and CEO of ...

  19. Yandel (of Reggaeton Duo Wisin & Yandel) Signs with Sony Music, Prepping Solo Album for November

    September 12, 2013 7:55 PM EDT Reggaeton artist Yandel has signed with Sony Music. Earlier this year, Yandel announced that he and his longtime collaborator, Wisin, were working on individual projects. Yandel, also known as the Puerto Rican-born Llandel Veguilla Malavé, has l ...

  20. Here's Why Warner Music's Deal with Clear Channel Could be Groundbreaking for the Future of the U.S. Music Biz (Analysis)

    September 12, 2013 7:32 PM EDT There's been a lot of confusion online about a groundbreaking new partnership between Clear Channel and Warner Music Group (WMG), but here's what you need to know: Clear Channel is paying artist performance royalties for terrestrial ...

  21. Backbeat: Priyanka Chopra on Her Thursday Night Football Theme Song, Competition With Carrie Underwood, New Album

    September 12, 2013 6:00 PM EDT “I learned all about special effects having worked on movies in India,” says Priyanka Chopra on the explosion-filled video (below) for her first single “In My City,” the theme song to the 2013 season of the NFL Network’s Thursday Night Footb ...

  22. Resolution’s Phil Casey on Chris Brown’s Upcoming World Tour, John Singleton Doc, Community Service, and More (Q&A)

    September 12, 2013 12:00 PM EDT Chris Brown is well on his way to becoming the new hardest-working man in show business. In the coming year, the Grammy-winning multiplatinum singer/songwriter will have his hands full with releasing a new studio album, embarking on a world ar ...

  23. Clear Channel, Warner Music Announce Strategic Music Partnership

    September 12, 2013 11:14 AM EDT Clear Channel and the Warner Music Group today announced a strategic partnership intended to align the two companies’ interests in driving digital growth, increasing radio listenership, breaking new music and creating new marketing opportunities ...

  24. Icona Pop Teams With Absolut For Music Video, Ad Campaign (Exclusive)

    September 12, 2013 8:00 AM EDT Icona Pop is about to host a “Paris Is Burning”-esque vogue-off in their latest video for “All Night,” which Billboard exclusively teases below. In the clip, which was filmed in New York and inspired by the city’s “house ballroom” culture, Icona ...

  25. Vivendi Split Could Have Little Impact On Universal Music (Analysis)

    September 11, 2013 10:24 PM EDT While shareholders and the business media regard as big news the Vivendi announcement that it will study a demerger plan and that activist shareholder Vincent Bollore has been appointed vice chairman of the company's supervisory board, the ...

  26. Ylvis' Viral Hit 'The Fox' Debuts On Hot 100

    September 11, 2013 6:13 PM EDT Norwegian comedy duo Ylvis' viral sensation "The Fox," which has taken the Internet by storm in recent days, debuts at No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100, fueled almost exclusively by its online traction. It's the highest-bowing ...

  27. Katy Perry's 'Roar' Rules Hot 100 For Second Week, Lorde Reaches Top 3

    September 11, 2013 2:27 PM EDT Once again, Katy Perry's "Roar" makes the loudest noise on the Billboard Hot 100, as the song rules the survey for a second week, fueled in large part by the premiere of its video last week. Meanwhile, Lorde and Lana Del Rey & ...

  28. Vivendi Considering Splitting Media and Telecom Companies

    September 11, 2013 12:28 PM EDT French conglomerate Vivendi, which owns Universal Music Group, today announced that its supervisory board has unanimously voted to launch a study to split into two separate companies – an international media group and the SFR telecom group.  V ...

  29. Village People's Victor Willis Wins Copyright Victory

    September 10, 2013 9:21 PM EDT Victor Willis, the Village People lyricist and performer of such songs as "Y.M.C.A." and "In the Navy," says he's reclaimed the rights to 33 songs he wrote. Under a copyright law from 1978, he told the New York Times he& ...

  30. Miley Cyrus' 'Wrecking Ball' Video Breaks Vevo Record

    September 10, 2013 6:42 PM EDT Miley Cyrus has swung her way to a new 24-hour record for views across Vevo, as her "Wrecking Ball" video racks up 19.3 million views, smashing previous champs One Direction and the 12.3 million views their "Best Song Ever" c ...

  31. Clear Channel Hires Greg Strassell as SVP of Programming Following CBS Radio Exit

    September 10, 2013 3:45 PM EDT Just one day after announcing his exit from CBS Radio following a 15-year stint, Greg Strassell has landed at Clear Channel. Clear Channel Media and Entertainment has appointed Strassell to senior VP of programming. He reports to CCM+E president ...

  32. Apple Debuts Upgraded iPhone 5S, Lower Cost 5C

    September 10, 2013 2:24 PM EDT For the first time since introducing the device that changed cellphones forever, Apple will offer two distinct versions of the latest iPhones -- a cheaper one made of plastic and another that aims to be "the gold standard of smartphones&quo ...

  33. 2013 CMA Awards: Full Nominations List

    September 10, 2013 9:29 AM EDT Sheryl Crow and Florida Georgia Line today announced nominees for the 47th Annual Country Music Association Awards. Kacey Musgraves and Taylor Swift led all nominees with six nominations each, including nods for Female Vocalist of the Year and A ...

  34. WME's John Marx on Bruno Mars' Super Bowl Gig, Sold-Out Arena Tour Strategy, Not Having Presales (Q&A)

    September 10, 2013 8:00 AM EDT Bruno Mars has not only proven to be a master at creating multiple hit songs, but he’s also solidified himself as one of today’s top live performers. In addition to being named the halftime performer at next year’s Super Bowl XLVIII, Mars re ...

  35. Michael Alexander Promoted to SVP of International, Island Def Jam, Motown and Republic Records

    September 09, 2013 3:57 PM EDT Universal Music Group (UMG) has promoted Michael Alexander to senior vice president of Island Def Jam, International, Motown, and Republic Records, announced chairman and CEO of the company's East Coast labels (which include all the aforeme ...

  36. SONGS Music Publishing Signs Worldwide Co-Publishing Deal with The Weeknd

    September 09, 2013 12:43 PM EDT SONGS Music Publishing has announced a worldwide co-publishing agreement with the Weeknd, a.k.a. Abel Tesfaye. The deal encompasses both past and future releases, including the Weeknd's upcoming sophomore album "Kiss Land" (Sept. ...

  37. Vivendi Chair, Investor Feud Over CEO Search

    September 09, 2013 11:20 AM EDT The chairman of French media and telecom conglomerate Vivendi and one of the company's other powerful board members are locked into a showdown over who should be the next CEO, a source confirmed Monday. Jean-Francois Dubos last year became ...

  38. Chart Moves: Imagine Dragons’ ‘Night Visions’ Celebrates One-Year Anniversary on Billboard 200

    September 06, 2013 8:55 PM EDT This week on the Billboard 200, rock band Avenged Sevenfold claimed its second No. 1 album as "Hail to the King" started atop the list with 159,000 sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It was one of four new arrivals into the top 10, ...

  39. Ariana Grande vs. Tamar Braxton In Battle for No. 1 on Billboard 200

    September 06, 2013 8:21 PM EDT New albums from Ariana Grande and Tamar Braxton are battling it out in a race for No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart next week. Industry sources suggest that Grande’s debut effort, "Yours Truly," may sell between 115,000 and 120,000 copi ...

  40. Biz Stock Ticks: This Week's Entertainment Indices 8/31 - 9/6

    September 06, 2013 7:24 PM EDT Biz Stock Ticks looks at publicly traded entertainment stock prices over the last week by Apple, Best Buy, Facebook, Google, Live Nation, Pandora, Sony, SiriusXM and Sony. Below each 5-day stock graph are relevant .Biz news stories from this pas ...

  41. Cassette Store Day: Indie Artist Shares Passion For the Forgotten Format (Q&A)

    September 06, 2013 6:22 PM EDT Cassette tapes aren't completely on the comeback trail, but the semi-forgotten format has recently been making inroads. This year alone, artists like She & Him, MGMT and Rilo Kiley have issued cassette releases -- albeit in very limited ...

  42. Op-Ed: Everything We Know About Fan Engagement And Sales Is About to Change

    September 05, 2013 7:16 PM EDT 11 1.425 k 49 3 0 As an industry, we've gotten pretty good at reaching our fans, engaging them and driving conversions. There is a general understanding of how to reach them on social networks, traditional online marketing and mailing lists. But now, ...

  43. Robin Thicke, Justin Timberlake Lead MTV VMA-Related Music Sales Up 37% In Week After Show

    September 05, 2013 6:44 PM EDT Get More: 2013 VMA , Artists.MTV , Music , Miley Cyrus   Now that a full week has passed since MTV's Video Music Awards (VMA), both the Hot Digital songs and Billboard 200 albums charts swell with gainers thanks to the show. In the week end ...

  44. Super D Acquires Alliance Entertainment, Creating Second Largest US Music Wholesaler (Sources)

    September 04, 2013 9:00 PM EDT Super D has acquired Alliance Entertainment in a move that will create the second largest U.S. wholesaler with revenues of about $920 million, sources tell Billboard. The deal closed earlier Wednesday (Sept. 4) and Super D principals Bruce Ogil ...

  45. Team 8 Founder Rich Cohen Joining Mick Artist Management as Partner

    September 04, 2013 4:07 PM EDT Rich Cohen, founder of Team 8 Management, is joining Mick Artist Management as a partner, joining Mick founder Michael McDonald and general manager Jonathan Eshak in the partnership, Billboard.biz has learned. Cohen founded Team 8 in 2007 and re ...

  46. Cassette Store Day Co-Founder Steve Rose on Top 5 Exclusive Tapes, 'Cassette Stores' (Q&A)

    September 04, 2013 3:27 PM EDT A month and some change ago, a small corner of the web was alight with the news of " Cassette Store Day ." It was something that, at the time, no one could be sure whether they were looking at a time-consuming troll or a promising, if ...

  47. Six Senior-Level Execs' Thoughts on the Fourth-Quarter Album Release (From the Magazine)

    September 04, 2013 11:39 AM EDT "Seasonality is important for us with our Latin artists. Yes, end-of-year sales are important. Yes, Valentine's Day sales are important. Yes, Mother's Day sales are important. But do you know what is more important? That you have ...

  48. Vevo Taps Jonathan Carson As First Chief Revenue Officer (Q&A)

    September 03, 2013 4:56 PM EDT Vevo has named Nielsen veteran Jonathan Carson as its first-ever chief revenue officer, a position that will see him leading Vevo’s global sales team across advertising and brand partnerships. Carson will effectively fill some of the duties prev ...

  49. Alternative Distribution Alliance Partners with Partisan, Knitting Factory

    September 03, 2013 2:00 PM EDT Alternative Distribution Alliance (ADA), Warner Music Group's indie music distributor, has announced a partnership with Brooklyn record labels Partisan and Knitting Factory, with ADA contributing its physical and distribution services to re ...

  50. Cash Money, Chase Announce Partnership for Austin Mahone Release

    September 03, 2013 10:05 AM EDT Austin Mahone is getting a boost for his debut album when it drops next month, as his current label, Chase Records, has announced a partnership with Cash Money Records to release Mahone's album. The Universal Republic-affiliated Cash Money ...

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