1. Chance the Rapper, with 'Acid Rap' Mixtape, Meets the Legal Black Hole Around Unsigned Artists (From the Magazine)

    August 14, 2013 12:08 PM EDT Nearly a decade after the mixtape wars of the mid-2000s, the format still resides in an awkward limbo for retailers, distributors, artists and labels. Many retailers stopped carrying mixtapes after the RIAA proved litigious against the sale of ...

  2. Dave Stewart Partners With Kobalt Label Services on New Album ‘Lucky Numbers’

    August 14, 2013 7:00 AM EDT Veteran British musician and entrepreneur Dave Stewart has teamed with Kobalt Label Services for the global release of his new album “Lucky Numbers,” which is due to arrive Sept. 30 through the artist’s own label Weapons of Mass Entertainment. K ...

  3. Dave Lombardi Appointed VP of Promotion for Caroline, CMG's Independent Services Division

    August 13, 2013 5:11 PM EDT Dave Lombardi has been ptomoted to VP of promotion for Caroline, the independent services division of Capitol Music Group. In his new position, Lombardi will be responsible for Caroline's promotion department, which includes conceiving and ...

  4. Former EMI Executive to Run Expanded Music Business for Germany's RTL

    August 13, 2013 10:12 AM EDT Germany's leading commercial broadcast group, RTL Deutschland, is expanding its music rights business with the launch of a new label, Music for Millions, and increasing its licensing and live events operations. Uli Mucke, a former vp new mu ...

  5. Lady Gaga vs. Katy Perry: Superstar Digital Song Sales Showdown

    August 12, 2013 7:14 PM EDT This week could be a historic one for digital song sales. New singles from Lady Gaga and Katy Perry are heading for big debuts on Billboard's Digital Songs chart next week -- and both should rack up major sales. Perry's new single &q ...

  6. Estelle Partners with BMG to Launch New London Records (Exclusive)

    August 12, 2013 1:50 PM EDT English R&B singer/songwriter Estelle has announced the launch of New London Records, an independent label in partnership with BMG, with whom she's worked as a writer since 2003. Estelle will release the second and third volumes of he ...

  7. Sub Pop Signs Shabazz Palaces' Ishmael Butler to A&R Team (Exclusive)

    August 12, 2013 12:45 PM EDT Ishmael Butler, the Grammy-winning rapper and producer of Digable Planets, Cherrywine and Shabazz Palaces fame, is now a member of Sub Pop’s A&R team. The venerable Seattle indie began a relationship with Butler in 2011 with the release o ...

  8. Jonas Nachsin, Former President of Roadrunner Records, Appointed GM of UMG's Spinefarm Records

    August 12, 2013 11:21 AM EDT Jonas Nachsin, who enjoyed a 13-year stint as president of Roadrunner Records, has been appointed the worldwide GM of Universal Music’s hard rock and metal label, Spinefarm Records. Under Nachsin’s leadership, Spinefarm will increase investment ...

  9. Jody Payne, Willie Nelson Guitarist, Dies at 77

    August 10, 2013 10:52 PM EDT Jody Payne, a guitarist who toured with Willie Nelson for more than three decades, has died. He was 77. Baldwin County Coroner Stan Zinson says Payne died at 5:12 a.m. Saturday (August 10) at a hospital from cardiac problems. He says Payne got u ...

  10. Singer Eydie Gorme Dead at 84

    August 10, 2013 10:49 PM EDT Eydie Gorme, a popular nightclub and television singer as a solo act and as a team with her husband, Steve Lawrence, has died. She was 84. Gorme, who also had a huge solo hit in 1963 with "Blame it on the Bossa Nova," died Saturday ( ...

  11. Asking Alexandria, Tye Tribbett Heading for Top 10 on Billboard 200

    August 09, 2013 8:53 PM EDT As previously reported, folk-rock duo the Civil Wars seem to be set for its first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart week with its new self-titled release. Industry sources suggest the album might bow with 105,000 copies sold through the wee ...

  12. Coldplay's First Soundtrack-Specific Song, 'Atlas,' to Debut on Republic's 'Hunger Games: Catching Fire' Soundtrack

    August 09, 2013 2:00 PM EDT Coldplay are ready to show off their first new music since 2011's chart-sweeping album "Mylo Xyloto." The British alt-rock band recorded a song for the "Hunger Games: Catching Fire" soundtrack, titled "Atlas," ...

  13. Sony, Columbia Records Next In Line for Internship Lawsuit

    August 09, 2013 1:32 PM EDT And the intern lawsuits continue. The latest targets? Sony and Columbia Records, hit Tuesday with a class-action lawsuit by a former intern who claims she -- and over 500 other interns -- were unfairly unpaid. The complaint by Britt’ni Fields, f ...

  14. Chart Moves: Buddy Guy's Best Week Ever, Imagine Dragons' Sales Stay Steady, Bruno Mars' Top 20 Streak

    August 09, 2013 9:30 AM EDT This week on the Billboard 200, Robin Thicke nabbed his first No. 1 album -- a little over a decade after his debut. "Blurred Lines," led by the smash single of the same name, opened at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with 177,000 cop ...

  15. Chart Moves: Robin Thicke's Rare Double No. 1 Achievement, Maroon 5's New Top 10 Hit on Hot 100

    August 09, 2013 9:15 AM EDT As previously reported , Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" is No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a whopping ninth week. The song also earns the largest airplay audience ever on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, racking up 219.8 million in a ...

  16. Universal Music Launches Caroline International, Michael Roe, Jim Chancellor To Head-Up

    August 08, 2013 8:56 AM EDT The Universal Music Group has launched Caroline International, an independent distributor and label services provider; and has named Michael Roe and Jim Chancellor to head the London-based operation. Roe, who founded the international arm of EMI ...

  17. Warner Music Group's Revenues Up Slightly While Net Losses Nearly Double

    August 08, 2013 8:36 AM EDT Warner Music Group's red ink doubled in its latest quarterly earnings as the company posted a $63 million net loss on revenues of $663 million for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2013. That compares with the $32 million in net loss accu ...

  18. The Civil Wars Heading for No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart

    August 07, 2013 8:23 PM EDT Folk-rock duo the Civil Wars is heading for its first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart next week. Industry sources suggest the act's self-titled second album may sell around 100,000 copies by the end of the tracking week on Aug. 11. ...

  19. Backbeat Byte: Dream Theater Take Their New Album to New York's Germano Studios

    August 07, 2013 2:13 PM EDT (Ross Anderson) Progressive rock titans Dream Theater held an intimate album listening party for its new self-titled record (arriving Sept. 24 on Roadrunner Records) on July 30 at Germano Studios in downtown New York. Guests enjoyed mini tacos a ...

  20. Business Matters: Google-Backed Group's Report Says Search Results Not a Major Driver of Piracy

    August 06, 2013 8:56 PM EDT The Computer & Communications Industry Association has released a paper that aims to refute the RIAA's arguments that search engines play a major role in music piracy. "The Search Fixation: Infringement, Search Results and Online C ...

  21. Sony Music Appoints Celine Joshua SVP Digital Sales, Scott Van Horn SVP Sales

    August 05, 2013 7:15 AM EDT Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99" LatentStyleCount="267"> UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Norma ...

  22. Black Flag Co-Founder Sues Ex-Bandmates Over Use of Punk Group's Logo, Name

    August 04, 2013 10:28 PM EDT One of punk’s most iconic band names has provoked a new lawsuit. Fans may be confused to see two different groups performing this year under the name of Hermosa Beach punk outfit Black Flag -- one fronted by founding guitarist Greg Ginn, and an ...

  23. Business Matters: ABI's Optimistic Forecast Says Music Subscriptions Will Exceed $46 Billion by 2018 (Corrected)

    August 02, 2013 10:44 PM EDT Update: ABI Research reached out to Billboard to explain that its revenue forecast for 2018 was cumulative. In other words, ABI believes subscription services will generate $46 billion of consumer spending and about $32 billion of trade value ...

  24. Five Finger Death Punch, Backstreet Boys Heading for Top 10 on Billboard 200

    August 02, 2013 8:43 PM EDT Robin Thicke is seemingly a lock to earn his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart next week, industry sources say. His latest set, "Blurred Lines," was released on July 30 and might sell between 135,000 and 140,000 copies by th ...

  25. One Direction Returns to No. 1 on Social 50; Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande Hit Top 10

    August 02, 2013 12:30 PM EDT One Direction reaches the No. 1 spot for the fourth time on the Social 50 chart,  thanks to excitement generated by the debut of the group's "Best Song Ever." The Social 50 ranks the most popular artists on YouTube, Vevo, Facebook ...

  26. Chart Moves: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' Top 40 Airplay Feat, Swift and Sheeran Return

    August 02, 2013 9:15 AM EDT As previously reported, Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" holds down the No. 1 slot on the Billboard Hot 100 for an eighth week and One Direction scores its highest charting single ever, as its "Best Song Ever" debuts at No ...

  27. Chart Moves: Guns N' Roses 'Hits' Longevity Milestone, 'Pitch Perfect' Still Selling Strong

    August 02, 2013 9:00 AM EDT This week on the Billboard 200 albums chart, Selena Gomez triumphed with her first No. 1 album , as "Stars Dance" started atop the list with 97,000 sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Last week's leader, Jay Z's "Magna ...

  28. U.S. Album Sales Hit Historic Lows

    August 02, 2013 7:44 AM EDT U.S. album sales have hit new historic lows over the last five weeks marking the longest consecutive stretch in the SoundScan era that the industry has gone without scanning more than 5 million units. And, over the last two weeks, album s ...

  29. Omnivore, Rhino to Release 'CBGB' Soundtrack

    August 02, 2013 3:00 AM EDT Talking Heads, Television, Richard Hell & the Voidoids, the Dictators and other bands that played significant roles in the New York rock ‘n’ roll scene of the mid-1970s will appear on “CBGB: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack” that Omnivore ...

  30. Biz Poll: Should Sony Entertainment and Universal Music Leave Their Parent Companies?

    August 01, 2013 7:16 PM EDT Over the last several months, financial propositions were made to cleave Sony Entertainment and Universal Music Group -- the world's two largest music companies  – away from their parent companies. If these proposals were ever to come to f ...

  31. Sony Returns To Quarterly Profit

    August 01, 2013 7:09 AM EDT As a slew of big-name Japanese companies report improved quarterly earnings, one theme is taking the sheen off their rosy numbers: mainstay businesses are still struggling despite the perk from a weaker yen. The latest example came Thursday from ...

  32. Robin Thicke Aiming for First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart

    July 31, 2013 8:08 PM EDT After scoring his first No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with "Blurred Lines," Robin Thicke now has his sights set on the top slot of the Billboard 200 albums chart. The new Billboard 200 chart's top 10 will be revealed ...

  33. Backbeat: Solange Makes the 'Boring Brilliant' at Brooklyn Laundromat Performance with Help from vitaminwater, The Fader

    July 31, 2013 4:20 PM EDT The concept of “nontraditional” concert venues has grown a bit specious in recent years, as spaces like Los Angeles’ Hollywood Forever cemetery , New York’s Angel Orensanz synagogue and Philadelphia’s Union Transfer (located in the former site o ...

  34. Business Matters: Spotify's 2012 Revenues More Than Double, Net Losses Increase Indicating Workable Business Model

    July 31, 2013 1:28 PM EDT Spotify, the world's largest music subscription service, more than doubled revenue in 2012 to over $573 million. Although the company lost slightly more money than it did in 2011, there are signs its business model can be sustainable. Num ...

  35. Radio Free Song Club Helps Artists, Amasses Fans with Free Music and Performances

    July 31, 2013 1:20 PM EDT It's not a revolution – not quite yet anyway. SiriusXM has no reason to sleep with one eye open, but if things keep evolving the way they have been, Radio Free Song Club  could be one of the many spark plugs that helps restart the clunking ...

  36. Selena Gomez Knocks Jay Z From Top of Billboard 200 With First No. 1 Album

    July 31, 2013 9:40 AM EDT This week, Selena Gomez collects her first No. 1 title on the Billboard 200 with the arrival of "Stars Dance." The Hollywood Records release sold 97,000 copies in its first week -- a career-high frame for the singer, according to Ni ...

  37. Radio & Records: David 'Kidd' Kraddick 1959-2013 — The Story Of Radio’s Biggest ‘Kidd’

    July 30, 2013 12:40 PM EDT The loss of one of radio’s most visible personalities, syndicated morning host David “Kidd” Kraddick, shocked the industry and millions of fans of the “Kidd Kraddick in the Morning” show. The immediate outpouring of love for Kraddick—who died ...

  38. Business Matters: Misinterpreting The Size, Shape and Momentum of the Digital Music Marketplace

    July 29, 2013 7:01 PM EDT The data should create the narrative, not the other way around. A number of journalists have ignored this rule in recent weeks. If you stay current on music industry news, you may have read some articles that will give you the wrong impression a ...

  39. Jack White Donates $200,000 To National Recording Preservation Foundation

    July 29, 2013 7:03 AM EDT Jack White is playing the “White Knight” role to perfection. The rocker has donated $200,000 to the National Recording Preservation Foundation , a contribution which Executive Director Gerald Seligman describes as a “game changer.” The NRPF is a ...

  40. Biz Stock Ticks: This Week's Entertainment Indices

    July 26, 2013 8:51 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, Sirius, TransWorld and Sony -- many of which this week reacted to the quarterly earnings re ...

  41. Marc Anthony, Rich Gang Aiming for Top 10 on Billboard 200 Chart

    July 26, 2013 7:54 PM EDT As previously reported, Selena Gomez is heading for her first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart next week. Industry sources suggest her new release, "Stars Dance," could sell between 90,000 and 100,000 copies by the end of the t ...

  42. Rep. Mel Watt To Introduce Broadcast Radio Performance Rights Bill To Compensate Labels, Artists For Airplay

    July 26, 2013 2:39 PM EDT Rep. Mel Watt plans to introduce legislation that will establish a performance right that would compensate record labels and artists for airplay on broadcast radio. Watt made the announcement on Thursday during the latest hearing on copyright is ...

  43. Chart Moves: Pet Shop Boys Score Highest Charting Album In Nearly 20 Years

    July 26, 2013 9:00 AM EDT This week on the Billboard 200 albums chart, Jay Z held at No. 1 for a second week as "Magna Carta… Holy Grail" sold another 129,000 copies (down 76%). He easily barred the arriving Sara Bareilles from a second No. 1 album as her &qu ...

  44. Diane Warren to Be Honored at Musexpo 2014

    July 25, 2013 10:17 PM EDT Award-winning songwriter Diane Warren will be honored as the International Music Person of the Year Award at the 2014 Musexpo. The industry confab takes place at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel from April 6-9. Warren, the founder of Reals ...

  45. One Direction's 'Best Song Ever' Heading for Top Five on Billboard Hot 100

    July 25, 2013 5:36 PM EDT One Direction's new single "Best Song Ever" is red-hot and heading for a huge debut on the Billboard Hot 100 chart next week.   Released on Monday (July 22), the cut is on course for a top five start on the chart -- based on earl ...

  46. ThinkSay Records Signs to Caroline Distribution

    July 25, 2013 2:51 PM EDT Caroline Distribution has announced the addition of ThinkSay Records to its roster. ThinkSay is an independent music company founded in 2012 by industry executives Brad Davidson and Ben Singer, who have helped launch the careers of such artists ...

  47. Dan Kruchkow Promoted to CMO and Head of Digital Strategy at Crush Management

    July 25, 2013 12:26 PM EDT Crush Management announced in a statement today (Jul. 25) that longtime Head of Digital, Dan Kruchkow has been promoted to CMO of the company and will take on the new position in addition to keeping up with his duties as Head of Digital Strategy ...

  48. James Murphy On His New (McIntosh) Sound System, Producing Arcade Fire, a Music Industry 'That Makes Zero Sense'

    July 24, 2013 12:41 AM EDT James Murphy finally has his own very own (LCD) sound system. The DFA Records co-founder has teamed up with home entertainment company McIntosh Laboratory for Despacio, a custom-built sound system that he debuted at the U.K.’s Manchester Inter ...

  49. Former Employees File Lawsuit Against Nacional Records' Tomas Cookman

    July 23, 2013 11:39 PM EDT Two former female employees of the Los Angeles-based indie Latin label Nacional Records filed a lawsuit yesterday (July 22) against its founder Tomas Cookman. The complaint contained 15 charges against Cookman that included sexual harassment, wr ...

  50. Vivendi Focusing on Entertainment, Media Portfolios as It Sells Maroc Telecom

    July 23, 2013 7:32 AM EDT LONDON – French media and telecom conglomerate Vivendi on Tuesday took a key step towards focusing its asset portfolio more on its media and entertainment businesses as management has said it plans to do. The company said that it has entered int ...

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