1. Nielsen Study: Music Industry Could Add $450 Million to $2.6 Billion in Incremental Revenue With Premium Content

    March 12, 2013 8:07 PM EDT The music industry has lost billions of dollars in revenue over the last decade. Nielsen says the industry can use generated at least a half billion in incremental revenue by allowing fans to better connect with artists.   Nielsen's study w ...

  2. Arhoolie Records' 50 Years of Roots Music Celebrated in Film at SXSW

    March 12, 2013 5:58 PM EDT Arhoolie Records founder Chris Strachwitz built his label by recording blues, conjunto, Cajun music, zydeco and New Orleans brass bands in places where other producers would not go -- so it only made sense to celebrate the film about Strachwitz ...

  3. 'Wild Ones:' Rockabilly Label Waves the White Flag to Digital at Doc Screening in Austin

    March 12, 2013 4:59 PM EDT "I hate iTunes," Wild Records owner Reb Kennedy said after a Tuesday screening of the film about his label and artists, "Los Wild Ones." "And I hate to compromise. But we lost to iTunes," Kenndy continued. Wild Reco ...

  4. !K7 Brings Seminal Electronic Label R&S to the U.S. (Exclusive)

    March 11, 2013 9:35 PM EDT The !K7 Label Group has announced a North American partnership with 30-year-old R&S/Apollo Records, a pivotal imprint in electronic music’s history. “The aim of our label to create synergy with like-minded labels and we think R&S is a pe ...

  5. Justin Timberlake's 'The 20/20 Experience' Eyeing Half-Million Debut Sales Week

    March 11, 2013 8:25 PM EDT 1 4 32 0 0 Justin Timberlake's long-awaited album "The 20/20 Experience" doesn't go on sale for another week, but industry sources say it's going to have a blockbuster debut on the Billboard charts. Those in the know suggest the a ...

  6. Backbeat: Guy Oseary, Ashton Kutcher, Scooter Braun And Many More At A-GRade’s Power-Packed SXSW Party

    March 11, 2013 3:50 PM EDT 4 15 41 2 0 There are moments when South By Southwest Interactive becomes a lot like Hollywood, where crowds of people huddle outside an exclusive party and everyone is on the phone, calling favors to anyone who can let them in. Spotify and Path’s 120 Clu ...

  7. Anti-Piracy Critics Lash Out at Congress, Entertainment Industry During SXSWi Panel

    March 11, 2013 10:15 AM EDT Academics, an attorney and an Internet entrepreneur gave the SXSW Interactive audience an earful on the problems caused by U.S. copyright law during the panel "Copyright & Disruptive Technologies" at the Austin Convention Center Su ...

  8. Jimi Hendrix Set For Highest-Charting Album on Billboard 200 in 44 Years

    March 08, 2013 9:57 PM EST Rock legend Jimi Hendrix's new archival album, "People, Hell and Angels," is set to debut at No. 2 on next week's Billboard 200 chart, according to industry sources. The album might sell around 70,000 copies by the end of the ...

  9. Chart Moves: Bruno Mars' Slow Climb to No. 1, Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side' Turns 40

    March 08, 2013 9:48 PM EST This past week on the Billboard 200 , Bruno Mars' "Unorthodox Jukebox" jumped to No. 1, thanks largely to sale pricing by Amazon MP3. The move gave Mars his first No. 1, and an unusual achievement: It was the slowest climb to No. ...

  10. Miley Cyrus Signs With Larry Rudolph for Management

    March 08, 2013 7:16 PM EST Miley Cyrus is readying a big return to the music world, not only with her fourth studio album, which is currently being recorded, but also by signing with a new manager. Larry Rudolph, best known for guiding the career of Britney Spears, has ta ...

  11. Bubbling Under: B. Smyth Build's 'Leggo' At R&B Radio

    March 08, 2013 10:00 AM EST Each Friday, Billboard presents "Bubbling Under," a weekly look at new and noteworthy acts making their way toward Billboard chart success. Up this week: B. Smyth, Boy, Del Marquis and Brian Weaver . B. Smyth With his debut single &quo ...

  12. Trans World Profits Up in 2012, Company Plans to Open 20 New Stores

    March 07, 2013 8:31 PM EST For the second year in a row, Trans World Entertainment has produced black ink. More importantly, the company says it will return to growth mode, with plans to open 20 stores in the fiscal year. For the fourth quarter ending Feb. 2, 2013, Trans ...

  13. Oscars Send Adele Flying Back Up Charts

    March 07, 2013 5:02 PM EST Thanks to the Academy Awards, Adele is flying high on the Billboard charts this week. Her "21" album jumps four slots to No. 10 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, selling 27,000 with a gain of 17% in the week ending March 3. While the ...

  14. Chart Moves: Demi Lovato 'Attacks' With New Hit; AWOLNATION 'Sail's Into Top 40 At Last; Michael Buble Bows

    March 07, 2013 4:36 PM EST As previously reported, "Harlem Shake," the viral smash from Baauer, spends a third week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, although its massive streaming totals weaken almost by half. Who else shakes things up this week on the Hot 100 ...

  15. Apple Is Pitching Labels Half of Pandora's Royalty Rate for Upcoming Internet Radio Service

    March 07, 2013 3:41 PM EST Apple has pitched record labels a per-stream royalty of 0.06 cents per stream, or half of what pure-play webcasters like Pandora currently pay for performing sound recordings, for its upcoming Internet radio service, according to a record label ...

  16. CBS Radio Debuts ‘Amplify,’ New Plans for Label Partnerships

    March 07, 2013 2:56 PM EST Billboard has confirmed that CBS Radio is rolling out several new programs under the umbrella name “Amplify” designed to more closely align their entire platform of stations with the music industry. The three biggest elements of the new program ...

  17. Analysis: With Warner, Beats and More, Is Len Blavatnik Building a New Media Empire?

    March 06, 2013 7:32 PM EST 15 10 59 0 0 Len Blavatnik’s Tuesday announcement of his $60 million investment in Beats Electronics’ forthcoming music service Daisy is just the latest in a string of deals that are starting to fill in a bigger picture around the billionaire’s broader am ...

  18. The GIF-t Of Video: How Simple Moving Images Are Driving Fan Engagement

    March 06, 2013 6:18 PM EST 2 11 32 1 0 If a One Direction picture is worth a thousand words, a three-second looped animated GIF of the pop band is probably worth millions of fan shares. On Jan. 7, One Direction released the video for "Kiss You," the third single from the ...

  19. Jason Aldean, Songwriters Ben Hayslip David Lee Murphy Celebrate 'The Only Way I Know' No. 1 with ASCAP

    March 06, 2013 6:10 PM EST Songwriters David Lee Murphy and Ben Hayslip were hoping for a Jason Aldean cut when they wrote "The Only Way I Know." Little did they know they would get a triple cut, because when Aldean hard the song he knew it was exactly the tune ...

  20. Bruno Mars Scores First No. 1 Album On Billboard 200, Atoms For Peace at No. 2

    March 06, 2013 10:18 AM EST As forecasted last week, Bruno Mars claims his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, as Unorthodox Jukebox jumps one slot to the top of the tally. The set, largely fueled by Amazon MP3 sale pricing, sold 95,000 copies in the week ending March ...

  21. Warner Music’s Blavatnik Leads $60 Million Funding of Beats' Daisy Music Subscription Service

    March 06, 2013 7:23 AM EST Beats Electronics’ “Daisy” music service has secured $60 million in funding from a consortium led by Access Industries, Len Blavatnik’s investment group, which owns Warner Music Group. Marc Rowan, James Packer and parties affiliated with Lee M. ...

  22. Steve Angello, Junior Sanchez Launch New Size Imprint: Exclusive

    March 05, 2013 5:27 PM EST 17 0 Swedish House Mafia might be through, but its members’ solo careers are moving right along. Today, Steve Angello’s Size Records rolls out its newest project, an alliance with Brobot--the latest label from prolific dance veteran Junior Sanchez. &q ...

  23. Terra Firma’s Guy Hands Breaks Silence on EMI: ‘We Learned Some Very Expensive Lessons' (Video)

    March 05, 2013 2:48 PM EST 5 0 23 0 Guy Hands, founder and chairman of private equity firm Terra Firma, spoke rather candidly on the missteps he and his firm made in its management of EMI in a video interview posted today on Bloomberg (below). Terra Firma purchased the music compan ...

  24. Exclusive: Jay Sean Announces New Album, Entertainment Company

    March 05, 2013 7:00 AM EST 25 0 0 Jay Sean will release his next album, "Neon," on May 21. “Where You Are” will be the first single from his Cash Money/Republic sophomore project, impacting radio and iTunes on March 19. The multi-platinum-selling, international pop/R& ...

  25. Warner Sound Showcase at SXSW: Full Schedule

    March 04, 2013 8:00 PM EST A full schedule has been announced for the Warner Sound showcase at SXSW in Austin this month, with daytime performances by Fitz & the Tantrums and Lianne La Havas, plus headline sets by the Flaming Lips, Paramore and others. The three-day War ...

  26. 2:30 Publicity and Grandstand Media Merge

    March 04, 2013 1:06 PM EST Long-established publicity firm 2:30, founded in 1997, and relative newcomer Grandstand Media & Management, founded in 2012, have merged, it was announced today in a statement. "With a combined 50 years of experience…" begins the int ...

  27. DFA Records Sues Co-Founder Tim Goldsworthy

    March 04, 2013 11:24 AM EST DFA Records, the New York-based, scene-defining record label founded by Jonathan Galkin, Tim Goldsworthy and LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy in 2001, is suing Goldsworthy in Mahattan Civil Supreme Court. The news was first reported by DNAinfo ...

  28. Video: Amanda Palmer’s TED Talk: ‘How Do We Let People Pay for Music?’

    March 01, 2013 6:22 PM EST 12 198 92 0 0   Amanda Palmer’s pioneering efforts in the field of crowd-funding have been covered at great length in these pages, most recently in an excellent two-part interview with Glenn Peoples earlier this year, not to mention a widely read intervie ...

  29. Country Radio Seminar: Do Dollars for Record Promotions Make Sense?

    March 01, 2013 4:24 PM EST 1 2 25 0 0 Above: From Left: Scott Mahalick of Portland, Oregon’s KUPL; Chris Stacey, Senior Vice President of Promotion at Warner Music Nashville; Nate Deaton of San Jose’s KRTY; Damon Moberly, Vice President of Promotion at Mercury Nashville; and John S ...

  30. Country Radio Seminar: Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, Pistol Annies and REO Speedwagon Rock the Boat

    March 01, 2013 2:05 PM EST Above, L-R: Ashley Monroe, Pistol Annies; Kelly Clarkson; Angaleena Presley, Pistol Annies; Miranda Lambert The General Jackson river boat was rockin’ last night as Brad Paisley welcomed surprise guests REO Speedwagon on Sony Music Nashville’s 27t ...

  31. BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch On Buying Out KKR: 'We No Longer Need The Old Label System'

    March 01, 2013 8:08 AM EST   On the day that Bertelsmann announced it had bought out Kohlberg Krvis Roberts & Co. (KKR), its partner in BMG Rights Management, at a price-tag estimated at well-over a quarter billion dollars, Billboard.biz caught up with one of the deal&# ...

  32. David Bowie Streams 'The Next Day': Listen

    February 28, 2013 8:58 PM EST David Bowie's "The Next Day" is here already. The March 12th-due album, the music legend's first in 10 years, is streaming on iTunes. Touching on Bowie's long musical history, the 14-track set ranges from "The Next Da ...

  33. Chart Moves: Nick Cave Scores Highest Charting Album, Eagles Fly Back Onto Billboard 200

    February 28, 2013 8:17 PM EST It was a slow week on the Billboard 200, where not a single album debuted in the top 10. That said, Mumford & Sons' "Babel" held on to the No. 1 slot for a fifth non-consecutive week, making it the longest-running No. 1 album by ...

  34. RZA On the Offensive Over Sampling Infringement Allegations

    February 28, 2013 2:32 PM EST RZA, the acclaimed Wu Tang Clan member, record producer and budding filmmaker, is attempting a new offensive tack against those who accuse him of sampling theft. This week, he filed a lawsuit against JVC Kenwood Holdings, a multinational company w ...

  35. Capitol Music Raises Dennis Reese to Head of Promotion

    February 28, 2013 12:59 PM EST Capitol Music Group announced yet another executive hire today, elevating Dennis Reese from SVP of promotion to head of promotion. “Dennis is a passionate music executive who possesses an unmatched knowledge of the ever-changing landscape of radio ...

  36. Country Radio Seminar: Thomas Rhett, Warren Brothers Play BMI's WCRS Live Show

    February 28, 2013 10:46 AM EST Above, Thomas Rhett performs The Nashville Songwriters Association International has a motto: “It All Begins With A Song.” That bond between writer and song was celebrated Wednesday afternoon at the Country Radio Seminar with the annual WCRS Live! ...

  37. Country Radio Seminar Closes Day One at Grand Ole Opry with Dustin Lynch, Darius Rucker, Little Big Town

    February 28, 2013 10:31 AM EST In the 87-year history of the Grand Ole Opry, the show has only gone on the road on a few occasions, with Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center being among the exceptions for the historic WSM-AM radio show, which broadcasts every Friday and Saturda ...

  38. Backbeat: Lady A, George Strait, Eric Church, Mickey Guyton Blow The Roof Off UMG Nashville's Luncheon at Ryman

    February 28, 2013 8:45 AM EST Above: UMG Nashville promotion staffers and artists take a photo on the steps of the historic Ryman Auditorium after the show. Hosted by SVP promotion Royce Risser, the event featured performances by artists including Billy Currington, Brothers Os ...

  39. Can Radio Capture Country Music’s Emotional Connection with Listeners? Study at CRS Searches for Answers

    February 27, 2013 8:51 PM EST 1 1 20 0 Above: Edison Research' Larry Rosin and Prosperity Productions’ Lori Hamilton Country music listeners connect deeply and emotionally with the songs they hear on country radio. But these listeners don’t always connect as deeply and emotionall ...

  40. Bruno Mars Eyeing First No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart

    February 27, 2013 8:08 PM EST Bruno Mars could notch his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 next week, thanks to Amazon MP3. On Feb. 26, the digital retailer offered a bevy of albums for just $1.99, including Bruno Mars' latest, "Unorthodox Jukebox." Sources ...

  41. Exclusive: Taco Bell Teams With Passion Pit, Twitter For SXSW Showcase, 'Rockumentary'

    February 27, 2013 7:53 PM EST Taco Bell is teaming up with Twitter and filmmaker Sam Jones (Wilco’s “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart”) for a first-of-its-kind “Rockumentary,” “Feed The Beat: SXSW 2013,” at South By Southwest on March 11. The project will feature performances b ...

  42. Is Kacey Musgraves' 'Follow Your Arrow' Too Racey for Country Radio? Programmers Weigh In

    February 27, 2013 6:58 PM EST 1 54 69 0 Is country radio ready to accept a clever new song from up-and-comer Kacey Musgraves that advocates same-sex love and smoking a joint, "if you're into that?" The country music industry audience cheered for Musgraves, an ACM Female ...

  43. Baauer's 'Harlem Shake' Tops Hot 100 For Second Week

    February 27, 2013 3:07 PM EST The viral sensation stays at the summit, fueled heavily by another week of stratospheric YouTube streaming totals. Plus, Lil Wayne reaches the top 10. Baauer leads the Billboard Hot 100 for a second week with "Harlem Shake," the Brooklyn ...

  44. Universal Completes EMI Divestments, Sells Last Two Assets

    February 27, 2013 1:32 PM EST Universal Music Group has sold off its last two remaining EMI assets it was required to divest of as part of its acquisition of EMI’s recorded-music properties, a source close to the situation told Billboard.biz today.   The assets are EMI’s Europ ...

  45. Chart Alert: Mumford & Sons' 'Babel' No. 1 For Fifth Week On Billboard 200

    February 27, 2013 10:57 AM EST While there was a lot of excitement on last week's Billboard 200 thanks to the impact from the Grammy Awards, things get back to a (dreary) normal on this week's tally. Mumford & Sons' Babel remains at No. 1 for a fifth nonconse ...

  46. ASCAP President Paul Williams, Songwriters Josh Kear, Dan Wilson Make Royalty Case to Congress

    February 27, 2013 10:35 AM EST Above, L-R: Songwriter Josh Kear, co-chair of the Congressional Songwriters Caucus Rep. Martha Blackburn, songwriter Dan Wilson and ASCAP president Paul Williams Yesterday, at the Rayburn House Office Building on Washington D.C.'s Independenc ...

  47. Baauer’s ‘Harlem Shake’: Warner Bros. Strikes Deal With Mad Decent for Distribution, Services

    February 26, 2013 8:48 PM EST Mad Decent, the label helmed by Diplo, has partnered with Warner Bros. Records for a worldwide distribution and services arrangement for Baauer’s “Harlem Shake,” a Warner Bros. rep confirmed to Billboard.biz today. The single was serviced to radio ...

  48. Business Matters: Inside the IFPI's Digital Music Report 2013

    February 26, 2013 8:41 PM EST 6 7 30 0 The 2013 edition of the IFPI's annual Digital Music Report has 31 pages of informative reading. Two things came to mind when reading it. I wondered how much digital revenue is coming from big, developed markets and I wondered how much revenu ...

  49. Francis Keeling, Universal Music’s Global Head of Digital Business: Google Streaming Service ‘Is the Biggest Funnel We Can Have’

    February 26, 2013 3:53 PM EST 1 12 31 0 Google’s entrance into the music streaming market would provide the music industry with “arguably the biggest funnel we can have” with regards to turning music consumers onto legal licensed services, says Francis Keeling, Universal Music’s globa ...

  50. Morning Fix: New U.S. Copyright Alert System; IFPI's 2013 Digital Music Report; How INDMusic Monetizes 'Harlem Shake'

    February 26, 2013 7:39 AM EST IFPI DIGITAL MUSIC REPORT 2013: GLOBAL RECORDED MUSIC REVENUES CLIMB FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 1999 It’s been a long time coming, but the global recorded music industry is finally “well on the road to recovery,” declared Frances Moore, chief executive, ...

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