1. HMV To Shed 400 Staff: Reports

    April 15, 2013 8:40 AM EDT 3 14 0 0 Retail restructuring specialist Hilco is reportedly close to cutting 400 jobs from HMV. Hilco bought HMV out of administration earlier this month . The rescue package, reportedly worth £50 million, initially saved 141 stores and more than 2,500 ...

  2. Anti-Thatcher Song ‘Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead’ Beat By Duke Dumont’s ‘Need U (100%)’ on UK Singles Chart

    April 14, 2013 2:50 PM EDT The highly controversial campaign to get “Ding! Dong! The Witch Is Dead,” by the “Wizard of Oz” Film Cast to No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart has ended in narrow defeat. As BBC Radio 1 announced the Official Charts Company’s new sales data on Sun ...

  3. Brad Paisley Headed For Eighth Top 10 Album On Billboard 200 Chart

    April 12, 2013 6:58 PM EDT Country super star Brad Paisley is aiming for his eighth top 10 album on the Billboard 200 chart next week. The singer's new Wheelhouse could bow at either No. 2 or No. 3, depending on how the rest of the week shakes out. Industry sources s ...

  4. Rick Ross Issues Official Apology For 'U.O.E.N.O.' Rape Lyrics

    April 12, 2013 3:17 PM EDT Rick Ross has issued an official statement in which he task fault for his pro-rape lyrics on Rocko's "U.O.E.N.O." song. "Before I am an artist, I am a father, a son, and a brother to some of the most cherished women in the wo ...

  5. Business Matters: How Sagging PC Sales Will Impact the Music Business

    April 11, 2013 7:53 PM EDT The PC is taking a beating this week. IDC reported that worldwide PC shipments fell nearly 14% in the first quarter and posted the fourth-straight year-over-year decline. Gartner released similarly gloomy numbers for PC shipments. Three equity a ...

  6. Chart Moves: Jonas Brothers Return To Hot 100; Little Wings Fly to New U.S. Heights; Anna Kendrick's 'Pitch Perfect' Song Wins Over Radio

    April 11, 2013 5:42 PM EDT As previously reported , Bruno mars' "When I Was Your Man" (2-1) becomes just the second all-piano-and-vocal ballad to top the Billboard Hot 100, following Adele's "Someone Like You" in 2011. Who else makes notable ...

  7. Reebok Drops Rick Ross Over 'U.O.E.N.O.' Rape Lyrics

    April 11, 2013 5:07 PM EDT 2 28 0 0 After stirring up controversy with lyrics deemed pro-rape, Reebok has decided to end their partnership with Rick Ross. “Reebok holds our partners to a high standard, and we expect them to live up to the values of our brand. Unfortunately, Rick ...

  8. Pub Briefs: Nelly Signs With SONGS Music, Warner/Chappell Inks With THIS Music, The Who Get Into Apparel Biz, More

    April 11, 2013 11:20 AM EDT -- SONGS Music Publishing signed Nelly to a worldwide co-publishing deal, beginning with his most recent album, 5.0, and future releases, including his next album M.O. , which is slated to come out later this year. “Nelly has proven time and tim ...

  9. Billboard Expands Streaming Charts With Seven Genre-Specific Rankings

    April 11, 2013 9:00 AM EDT Less than two months after launching the Streaming Songs chart, which blends data from a variety of streaming services into one ranking, Billboard today unveils seven genre-specific charts utilizing the same methodology.   Rankings for country, ...

  10. Fender's Sergio Villanueva Previews Upcoming Panel at Billboard Latin Conference & Awards (Q&A)

    April 11, 2013 8:50 AM EDT Instruments like guitars have helped artists from Eric Clapton to Jimi Hendrix find their voice in music. During the Billboard Latin Conference & Awards, presented by State Farm, this theme will be explored during the panel "The Essenti ...

  11. Indie Beat: Sub Pop’s Jubilee, Caroline Sponsors the Libbys, and CocoRosie Teams with Redeye

    April 10, 2013 8:11 PM EDT Sub Pop’s Jubilee Sub Pop is turning 25 this year, so naturally it’s time for a big blowout party in honor of fading youth. The legendary Seattle label announced its Silver Jubilee on Wednesday, a one-day festival to take place July 13 in the Se ...

  12. Paramore Aiming for First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart

    April 10, 2013 7:36 PM EDT Rock band Paramore is aiming for its first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart, as its new self-titled set should bow atop the list next week. Industry sources project that the album, the group's first since 2009, may sell around 110,000 ...

  13. Bruno Mars Lands Fifth Hot 100 No. 1, Fastest Male Artist Since Elvis To Reach Milestone

    April 10, 2013 2:25 PM EDT Bruno Mars' "When I Was Your Man" advances 2-1 on the Billboard Hot 100, granting the pop singer/songwriter his fifth leading title. It also marks just the second No. 1 in the chart's more than five-decade history for a song ...

  14. Business Matters: Looking for a Link Between Subscription and Download Sales

    April 09, 2013 7:48 PM EDT Countries with greater adoption of subscription services had lower rates of growth in digital download sales in 2012. This doesn't necessarily indicate subscription services cannibalized digital sales, but it does show that different countr ...

  15. Anti-Margaret Thatcher Campaign Drives Judy Garland's 'Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead' Up UK's Charts

    April 09, 2013 2:22 PM EDT Margaret Thatcher, the divisive former Prime Minister who died of a stroke on Monday afternoon, may have another musical footnote to her legacy next week: chart catalyst. A macabre Facebook campaign , titled "Make 'Ding dong the witch ...

  16. 'Alabama & Friends' Tribute to Feature Luke Bryan, Toby Keith & More (Exclusive)

    April 08, 2013 9:15 PM EDT 1 12 14 0 0 Luke Bryan, Toby Keith, Jason Aldean and Kenny Chesney are among the artists paying tribute to Alabama on the legendary country group’s “Alabama & Friends.” The album, which will feature members of Alabama duetting with the acts on some of ...

  17. Business Matters: Did Anti-Piracy Laws Improve Revenue in New Zealand or Japan?

    April 08, 2013 9:00 PM EDT 1 12 1 0 The two newest countries to the anti-piracy law club, New Zealand and Japan, had mixed results in 2012, according to data in the IFPI’s new Recording Industry in Numbers 2013 report that was released Monday. Whether or not the laws had an impac ...

  18. IFPI 2013 Recording Industry in Numbers: Global Revenue, Emerging Markets Rise; U.S., U.K., Germany Drop

    April 08, 2013 5:00 AM EDT An increase in digital, performance rights and sync revenues, combined with the rise of rapidly growing emerging markets, contributed to a 0.2% rise in global trade revenue generated by the recorded music industry in 2012, according to the Inter ...

  19. The Band Perry and Tyler, the Creator Aiming for Top Three on Billboard 200 Chart

    April 05, 2013 8:22 PM EDT While Justin Timberlake's "The 20/20 Experience" is set for a third straight week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart next week, a number of new arrivals should grace the top 10. The Band Perry's sophomore album, " ...

  20. Bruno Mars' 'Man' Gunning For No. 1 On Hot 100 Chart Next Week

    April 05, 2013 5:29 PM EDT Bruno Mars' "When I Was Your Man" is aiming for the No. 1 slot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart next week, thanks to continued growth in airplay, streaming and a new discounted price in the iTunes Store.   Mars' piano ballad ha ...

  21. Business Matters: Lack of Hits Not Behind 2013's Track Sales Decline

    April 05, 2013 3:14 PM EDT US digital track sales were down 1% in the first quarter, but a lack of hits wasn't the problem. Current tracks were up 3% and the top 10 tracks were also up 3% while catalog tracks were down 4% through March 31st, according to Nielsen Soun ...

  22. Chart Moves: Thompson Square's Best Week Yet, Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side' Soars

    April 05, 2013 11:35 AM EDT This week on the Billboard 200 albums chart, Justin Timberlake's  The 20/20 Experience held firm at No. 1 for a second week. It sold 318,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan -- down a moderate 67% from its 968,000 start. Justin Timberl ...

  23. Morning Fix: Hilco Buys HMV; YouTube, UMPG's Multi-National Pub Deal; Anthony, Santos, Tapia To Play Billboard Latin Music Awards

    April 05, 2013 9:18 AM EDT Get the Morning Fix Delivered Directly To Your Inbox HERE . HILCO BUYS HMV HMV has been handed a lifeline. Retail restructuring specialist Hilco has swooped in with a rescue package for the British chain -- reportedly worth some £50 million ($76 ...

  24. Hilco Buys HMV, Saves 141 Stores and 2,500 Jobs

    April 05, 2013 5:00 AM EDT HMV has been handed a lifeline. Retail restructuring specialist Hilco has swooped in with a rescue package for the British chain -- reportedly worth some £50 million ($76 million). The arrangement all-but secures the future for the once-great mu ...

  25. Facebook Reveals New 'Home' For Android Phones

    April 04, 2013 4:21 PM EDT MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) -- With its new "Home" on Android gadgets, Facebook aims to put its social network at the center of people's mobile experiences. If users choose to download Facebook's Home software starting on April 1 ...

  26. Pepsi's Rishi Daing Talks New Beyonce Ad, What's Next

    April 04, 2013 11:13 AM EDT 11 10 0 0 Pepsi premiered its latest commercial with Beyonce on Thursday, “Mirrors,” as part of its renewed creative partnership with the singer, valued at $50 million in media spend for the global ad campaign and a special fund designed for content co- ...

  27. Justin Timberlake Heading for Third Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart

    April 03, 2013 8:52 PM EDT It looks like Justin Timberlake's "The 20/20 Experience" will spend a third consecutive week atop the Billboard 200 chart next week. The set could sell in the range of 150,000 to 170,000, Billboard estimates, based on the sales pa ...

  28. SoundScan Q1: Track and Album Sales Down, Digital Album Sales Jump

    April 03, 2013 8:41 PM EDT For the second time since SoundScan started counting downloads in 2003, track sales suffered a sales decline, something that occurred in the first three quarters of 2010. So far this year, track sales are down 1.3% as of March 31, according to N ...

  29. Justin Timberlake's '20/20' Spends Second Week At No. 1 on Billboard 200, Lil Wayne Enters at No. 2

    April 03, 2013 10:44 AM EDT Justin Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience easily spends a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 318,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It's more than 100,000 ahead of the No. 2 album, the debuting I Am Not a Human ...

  30. Business Matters: Reports of the CD's Death Were Greatly Exaggerated

    April 01, 2013 3:18 PM EDT 5 24 28 7 0 Even though CD revenues have fallen sharply over the last ten years, most predictions about the format have been wrong. The CD's decline, while painful to companies, has been far more gradual than precipitous. Over the last four years, CD ...

  31. The 'First Sale Doctrine' and Its Impact on the Music Biz, Guest Post by John Villasenor

    April 01, 2013 11:40 AM EDT On March 19, the Supreme Court issued its decision in Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons , a landmark copyright case examining the reach of the “first sale” doctrine. Under that doctrine, the owner of a copy of a work that was “lawfully made” in ...

  32. Phil Ramone's Top 50 Billboard Albums: From '52nd Street' to 'Album 1700'

    April 01, 2013 10:40 AM EDT In a career that spanned 50 years, Phil Ramone’s credit graced some of the rock era’s most celebrated albums, from Glass Houses to Graceland and from A Star Is Born to Flashdance . Ramone, who died Saturday at age 79, was an engineer in the 1960 ...

  33. Blake Shelton Set for Best Sales Week Ever on Billboard 200 Chart

    March 29, 2013 7:47 PM EDT Led by Lil Wayne's "I Am Not a Human Being II," the Billboard 200 chart's top 10 should welcome six new entries next week. The rap star's latest release is on course to sell around 200,000 copies by the end of the tracki ...

  34. Chart Moves: will.i.am, Justin Bieber 'Power' Onto Hot 100; Imagine Dragons Fly To Top Of Hot Rock Songs; Drake Extends Rap Record

    March 29, 2013 12:48 PM EDT As previously reported , Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' "Thrift Shop," featuring Wanz, returns to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a fifth cumulative week, narrowly edging out Baauer's "Harlem Shake" after the latte ...

  35. Charles Caldas, Merlin CEO, Talks Market Complexities, UMG's 'Hubris' (Q&A)

    March 29, 2013 11:01 AM EDT Charles Caldas, CEO of Merlin, the global digital-rights champion for indie labels, received the prestigious IMPALA Outstanding Contribution Award this week, in recognition of his relentless work chasing royalties due to indie companies and arti ...

  36. Lil Wayne Set for Top Debut Next Week on Billboard 200 Chart

    March 27, 2013 7:39 PM EDT Lil Wayne should earn the highest debut on next week's Billboard 200 chart, as the rapper's new album, "I Am Not a Human Being II," is on course to arrive at No. 2. Industry sources suggest the set could sell between 190,000 ...

  37. Justin Timberlake Debuts At No. 1 On Billboard 200, Earns Third-Largest Digital Week Ever

    March 27, 2013 10:57 AM EDT As reported yesterday (March 26), Justin Timberlake comes roaring in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 968,000 copies of The 20/20 Experience , according to Nielsen SoundScan. It's the singer's best sales week ever and the 19th-la ...

  38. It's Official: Justin Timberlake's '20/20' Sells 968,000, Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart

    March 26, 2013 7:01 PM EDT 4 133 66 0 0 It's official: Justin Timberlake's new album, "The 20/20 Experience," debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 968,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. "20/20," released on Mar ...

  39. Justin Timberlake's '20/20' Heading to 950,000-Plus

    March 24, 2013 12:30 PM EDT 2 36 61 0 0 If another day has gone by, that must mean the sales forecast for Justin Timberlake's blockbuster The 20/20 Experience album have grown by at least another 50,000-100,000. Today (March 24), industry sources forecast that the pop star' ...

  40. Daft Punk Announce New Album ‘Random Access Memories,’ Release Date, Pre-Sale

    March 24, 2013 3:29 AM EDT After several weeks of teasing their new album, French electronic duo Daft Punk have announced the name of their fourth studio album Random Access Memories , as well as a pre-sale and an approximate release date.  The band's rep sent out a ...

  41. Chart Moves: Ed Sheeran Hits Half-Million Sales Mark

    March 22, 2013 9:00 PM EDT This past week on the Billboard 200, it was all about the not-quite showdown between Bon Jovi and David Bowie. Bon Jovi logged its fifth No. 1 with the debut of "What About Now," while Bowie notched his highest charting album ever as & ...

  42. Backbeat: Capitol Music Group Executives Unveil 2013 Release Schedule With Aloe Blacc, Jhene Aiko, More

    March 22, 2013 6:06 PM EDT So the Universal Music Group held a showcase, and to insure that Retail Track attended, they held it practically across the street from Billboard's office at Joe's Pub . Oh yeah, they threw in a sweetener too -- an open bar -- and they ...

  43. Justin Timberlake's '20/20' First-Week Sales Getting Even Bigger: 850-900,000 Debut Projected

    March 22, 2013 4:37 PM EDT  "20/20 Experience?" More like "850/900 Experience." Industry sources now forecast that Justin Timberlake's "The 20/20 Experience" could sell between 850,000 and 900,000 by the end of the tracking week on Sunda ...

  44. Simple Plan, Ralph James, Graham Henderson Among Canadian Music & Broadcast Industry Award Honorees

    March 22, 2013 12:35 PM EDT The Canadian music industry was out full force last night (March 22), jammed into a room at Toronto’s Kool Haus to honor three Hall of Fame inductees, a humanitarian and an assortment of companies and individuals from labels, managers, agents, r ...

  45. Justin Timberlake's '20/20' Now Heading for 800,000-Plus Debut

    March 21, 2013 7:17 PM EDT As the days go by, the sales forecast for Justin Timberlake's "The 20/20 Experience" continues to grow at an alarming rate. Industry sources are now projecting that the pop star's album will sell over 800,000 copies by the en ...

  46. Business Matters: Track Sales Down 2% in 2013, Not the First Deficit of the Digital Age

    March 21, 2013 6:54 PM EDT Track sales are down 2% through March 15, according to Nielsen SoundScan, suggesting the product has reached a mature stage as consumers are changing their behaviors. Digital albums are still growing, however, although their 9% year-over-year gr ...

  47. Eagle Rock Entertainment Drops List and Wholesale Prices In Bid to Drive Sales Volume

    March 21, 2013 5:30 PM EDT Eagle Rock Entertainment, a leading music video label, is lowering prices in an attempt to get more shelf space and boost sales. On April 1, the company will lower its list price from $14.98 to $9.98 and bring wholesale down from $9.51 to $7.25. ...

  48. Baauer Tops Hot 100 For Fifth Week, Despite Continued Streaming Slide

    March 20, 2013 2:44 PM EDT Baauer leads the Billboard Hot 100 for a fifth week with "Harlem Shake," although the viral smash registers a fourth consecutive week of declines in YouTube streaming. As a result, the song's lead shrinks considerably over the cha ...

  49. Justin Timberlake's '20/20' Sales Forecast Rises: 750,000-Plus Debut Likely

    March 20, 2013 12:19 PM EDT 1 8 71 0 0 Justin Timberlake's new The 20/20 Experience album is selling at an extraordinary rate in the U.S. Industry sources are forecasting that the pop super star's set could sell as many as 750,000 copies by the end of the tracking week on ...

  50. Bon Jovi, David Bowie Among Six Debuts To Hit Top 10 On Billboard 200

    March 20, 2013 11:37 AM EDT It's the most top 10 debuts appearing on the chart in four months. The last time there were more in a week was the Dec. 1, 2012, chart, when seven albums arrived in the region. That week, One Direction's Take Me Home led the debut pack ...

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