1. Grammy Awards Send Sales Surging on Billboard Charts

    February 13, 2013 12:01 PM EST 4 12 107 0 Though Nielsen SoundScan's latest sales tracking week ended at the close of business on Sunday night, Feb. 10 -- the same day as the Grammy Awards -- the Billboard charts still feel the force of music's biggest night. While we will se ...

  2. Josh Groban Earns Third No. 1 Album on Billboard 200

    February 13, 2013 10:29 AM EST 1 23 26 0 Tim McGraw, Red and Coheed & Cambria also earn Top 10 debuts Josh Groban’s All That Echoes arrives at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 this week, selling 145,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It’s the singer’s third No. 1 album, following 2003’ ...

  3. Slacker Relaunches Simpler Service to Appeal to More People

    February 12, 2013 10:42 PM EST 3 26 0 Above: Slacker chief executive Jim Cady Slacker Inc., which counts more than half-a-million paying subscribers, on Wednesday announced an overhaul of the digital music service that is designed to appeal to mainstream users as opposed to the music ...

  4. Beats Electronics to Launch Its Curation-Focused Music Service this Summer

    February 12, 2013 9:52 PM EST 34 64 0 Beats Electronics, the maker of high-end headphones, will launch its own on-demand music streaming service this summer, Jimmy Iovine, the chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M and Beats’ co-founder, announced Tuesday at the AllThingsD Dive Into ...

  5. Intel Jumps Into Living Room with Internet TV Device

    February 12, 2013 6:03 PM EST 11 0 Intel Corp., known more for its semiconductors than its media prowess, on Tuesday confirmed that it will be jumping into the crowded Internet television business later this year with a device that will allow users to stream live and on-demand con ...

  6. Grammys Spur Early Sales Gains for Mumford & Sons, Lumineers, Frank Ocean

    February 11, 2013 9:40 PM EST 7 14 0 While official numbers aren't in yet, sources suggest that some of the biggest sales winners from the Grammy Awards on Feb. 10 include Mumford & Sons, the Lumineers, Frank Ocean, Rihanna and fun. Music sales for the week ending Feb. 10, ...

  7. Jack White, Frank Ocean, More Get Big Grammy Boost on iTunes, Amazon

    February 11, 2013 3:26 PM EST 19 23 0 Nothing sells music like national TV exposure. An examination of iTunes and Amazon sales ranks during the Grammy broadcast shows the immediate impact the event had on the sales of titles nominated for Album of the Year. See All of Our Grammy Cov ...

  8. Q&A: Glassnote Records' Daniel Glass on Mumford & Sons’ Big Grammy Win

    February 11, 2013 2:30 PM EST 13 12 0 Glassnote Records act Mumford & Sons won the album of the year award for "Babel," which registered the biggest sales week for an album in the first 10 months of 2012, selling 600,000 copies. It has sold 1.7 million total. Mumford&# ...

  9. Concord, Warner Bros. Lead Record Labels With Most Grammy Awards at 2013 Ceremony

    February 11, 2013 3:34 AM EST 2 266 37 0 Concord Records artists scored the most Grammy Awards, picking up eight, followed closely by Warner Bros. Records, which won seven, thanks to the six awards picked up by Nonesuch Records. Concord winners -- either on its label or distributed la ...

  10. Grammy Album of the Year: How Much Does Being a Billboard No. 1 Help? Mumford Are the 37th

    February 11, 2013 12:50 AM EST 1 2 39 0 The Grammys are based on quality, not quantity. So artistic merit trumps sales and fan popularity. That’s the way it’s supposed to be, but is it possible to make an informed prediction of who will triumph at the annual awards ceremony by looking ...

  11. Jay-Z, Beyonce, Rihanna, Star Execs at Roc Nation Pre-Grammy Brunch; Michael ‘Blue’ Williams Event Honors Chris Lighty

    February 09, 2013 11:13 PM EST 31 4 0 0 Above: Kylie Minogue and Roc Nation president Jay Brown “Managing You First” was the theme of Family Tree Entertainment’s third annual pre-Grammy Managers Brunch at Boa Steakhouse in West Hollywood this morning (Feb. 9). Noting the event and th ...

  12. Backbeat: Warner/Chappell’s Jon Platt, Singer Jill Scott Celebrate Grammy Week at ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Brunch

    February 09, 2013 8:22 PM EST 1 22 0 0 Above, L-R: ASCAP's Rhythm & Soul Team. Jennifer Drake, director; Jay Sloan, senior director; Nicole George, VP; and Jonathan Jones, associate director. (Photo: Mitchell Peters) It was a warm, sunny afternoon on the the rooftop of the ...

  13. Recording Academy Links with Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda to Extend Grammy Experience With Social Campaign

    February 08, 2013 10:35 PM EST 2 17 38 0 Left to Right: Evan Greene, chief marketing officer of the Recording Academy; Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park; Steve Shannon, VP of marketing for Hyundai Motor America. Looking to extend the Grammy experience beyond Sunday’s extravaganza awards show ...

  14. T-Boz, Om’Mas Keith, Others On Pluses, Minuses of Social Media at Grammy Week Event

    February 08, 2013 10:24 PM EST 7 79 33 0 Left to right: Nic Adler, owner of the Roxy Theatre; Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins; music producer/songwriter Om’Mas Keith; Dorothy Hui, VP of digital at Roc Nation; Bill Werde, editorial director of Billboard; Alex Ljung, founder of SoundCloud. Tionne ...

  15. Grammy Sales Bumps: Retailers Banking on Mumford, Black Keys, Frank Ocean, Sheeran

    February 08, 2013 10:20 PM EST 51 26 0   While retail's money is still riding on Mumford & Sons to get the biggest sales gain after Sunday night’s Grammy Awards, now that the lineup is more complete than when we last checked in a couple of weeks ago, they see a slew of other ...

  16. Tim McGraw Heading for 15th Top 10 Album on Next Week’s Billboard 200 Chart

    February 08, 2013 8:20 PM EST 2 14 0 Country superstar Tim McGraw is on course for his 15th top 10 album on the Billboard 200 chart with his new set, "Two Lanes of Freedom." Industry sources say the effort is set for a No. 2 bow and could sell 100,000 copies by the end of ...

  17. Billboard Unveils Power 100 List at L.A. Event, Honors UMG’s Lucian Grainge, Sony Music’s Clive Davis

    February 08, 2013 12:03 AM EST 1 45 31 0 Above:  Universal Music Group chairman Lucian Grainge (left) and Sony Music chief creative officer Clive Davis (Photo credit: Phil McCarten) Billboard honored Universal Music Group chairman Lucian Grainge and Sony Music chief creative officer Cl ...

  18. Beatport’s Matthew Adell on Shazam Deal, Why Music Biz Is a ‘Disaster Model’

    February 07, 2013 12:03 PM EST 14 169 136 0 Yesterday morning, two of electronic music-media’s biggest names -- the online dance retailer Beatport and the multi-format name-that-tune app Shazam -- announced a new partnership, allowing Shazam access to the “imprints” of 1.5 million EDM ...

  19. HMV to Close 66 Stores

    February 07, 2013 8:40 AM EST 26 32 0 The first wave of HMV store closures has been announced with 66 brick and mortar outlets across the United Kingdom due to cease trading at an unspecified date over the next two months, administrators Deloitte have confirmed. Loss-making HMV stor ...

  20. Justin Timberlake Shares 'The 20/20 Experience' Album Cover, Track List

    February 06, 2013 9:33 PM EST 17 30 0 Justin Timberlake's vision is stronger than ever. The pop star shared his "The 20/20 Experience" album cover and track list on Wednesday. In a nod to the title, the Tom Munro-shot image pictures Timberlake looking through an optom ...

  21. Josh Groban's 'All That Echoes' Eyeing No. 1 on Next Week’s Billboard 200 Chart

    February 06, 2013 9:21 PM EST 1 8 24 0 For the moment, it seems as if Josh Groban will collect his third No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 next week with his latest release, "All That Echoes." It would follow his chart-toppers "Closer" (2004) and "Noel" (2 ...

  22. iTunes Crosses 25 Billion Songs Sold, Now Sells 21 Million Songs a Day

    February 06, 2013 7:47 PM EST 2 26 53 0 Nearly a decade after Apple Inc. launched its iTunes music store, the company surpassed 25 billion songs sold. The online store, which has expanded its offerings in recent years to include digital books, games, applications, magazines, movies an ...

  23. Justin Bieber Becomes First Artist With Five No. 1 Albums Before 19th Birthday

    February 06, 2013 10:57 AM EST 182 159 0 As expected, Justin Bieber achieves his fifth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 as "Believe Acoustic" debuts atop the list with 211,000 sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. With the arrival, he becomes the only artist to have notched ...

  24. French Music Market Continues Decline

    February 06, 2013 10:27 AM EST 8 34 0 The French wholesale music market dropped 4.4% to 589.7 million in 2012, according to initial figures released by record label trade body SNEP during last week's MIDEM conference in Cannes, France. Physical sales dropped 11.9% to 363.7 milli ...

  25. Exclusive: Sylvia Rhone Talks New Label Vested in Culture

    February 05, 2013 10:04 PM EST 4 36 61 0 Last week, Epic officially announced its joint venture with Sylvia Rhone: Vested in Culture. Reporting to Epic chairman/CEO L.A. Reid, VIC chairman/CEO Rhone has already hit the ground running with a roster that includes Latin pop star Kat Dahli ...

  26. Spotify to Pay Rights Holders $500 million in 2013, Chief Exec Daniel Ek Says at Founders Forum Event

    February 05, 2013 9:13 PM EST 16 72 105 0 Above, L-R: Universal Music Group president of global digital business Rob Wells and Spotify chief executive Daniel Ek (Photo credit: Phil McCarten)   Spotify chief executive Daniel Ek on Tuesday said his company expects to pay rights holders ...

  27. Business Matters: Digital Revenues Up, But French Recorded Music Market Down 4% in 2012

    February 05, 2013 7:46 PM EST 1 8 13 0 There is no single way for recorded music markets to recover from their decline over the last decade. The digital-led growth seen in Sweden and Norway, driven by early and widespread adoption of subscription services, may look different in other ...

  28. Don Omar, Romeo Santos, Wisin & Yandel, Jenni Rivera Top Finalists for 2013 Billboard Latin Music Awards

    February 05, 2013 10:00 AM EST 3 265 19 0 Don Omar has done it again. After leading the 2012 list of finalists for the Billboard Latin Music Awards with 16 finalist nods, he returns in 2013 with 18 nods, including Artist of the Year; Social Artist of the Year and Streaming Artist of th ...

  29. Postal Service Shipping-Rate Hike Forces Indie Labels to Change Tactics

    February 05, 2013 7:05 AM EST 1 8 27 0 When he started The End Records in the sepia-toned days of 1998, Andreas Katsambas would often ship albums to fans free of charge. He says shipping rates were so low at the time that he didn’t bother to pass the fee on to consumers. “When I start ...

  30. Business Matters: MP3 Stores Harder to Find as Google Search Removal Requests Accumulate

    February 04, 2013 8:07 PM EST 19 43 0 Legitimate MP3 links are becoming harder to find even as the RIAA has sent more than 3,400 removal requests to Google relating to approximately 10 million specific URLs from its search results. Legal stores like Amazon and Myxer, as well as lega ...

  31. Beyonce's Super Bowl Performance Boosts Her Album Sales 230% – Destiny's Child's 600%

    February 04, 2013 4:43 PM EST 13 54 89 0 Beyonce's Super Bowl halftime show has, predictably, sent sales of her music skyrocketing. The diva headlined the Super Bowl XLVII halftime festivities in New Orleans last night (Feb. 3), where she performed eight songs and reunited with D ...

  32. What the Music Business Can Learn From the Gaming and Gambling Industries

    February 04, 2013 10:22 AM EST 81 339 168 0 Hany Nada is founding partner of GGV Capital, a global, expansion–stage venture firm based in Silicon Valley and Shanghai with $1.6B under management. Billboard.biz welcomes responsible content – contact jem.aswad@billboard.com with ideas. Wh ...

  33. Will Beyonce Beat Madonna's Super Bowl Halftime Record?

    February 02, 2013 8:00 AM EST 50 89 0 At this point, we're wondering whether there was actually more upside to Beyonce's recent national-anthem controversy than downside. Not only did she handle the situation with hater-flattening aplomb , her promise of a live performance ...

  34. Beyonce's World Tour: The Mrs. Carter Show?

    February 01, 2013 9:21 PM EST 2 16 19 0 Beyonce's next world tour looks to be a family affair. Per an image on Live Nation's UK website , the pop star's upcoming tour will be dubbed The Mrs. Carter Show -- a reference to her marriage to Jay-Z, A.K.A. Sean Carter. Dates ...

  35. Andrea Bocelli, Tegan and Sara Top 10 Bound on Billboard 200 Chart

    February 01, 2013 8:53 PM EST 3 3 0 While Justin Bieber's "Believe Acoustic" seems a lock for a No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200 albums chart next week, there should be a number of other high entries from a range of performers. "Believe Acoustic" should ente ...

  36. Chart Moves: Randy Houser Debuts in Top 20 on Billboard 200 Chart, '12-12-12' Album Returns

    February 01, 2013 8:22 PM EST 3 0 0 After a 16-year wait, country singer Gary Allan nabbed his first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart this past week, as his "Set You Free" debuted atop the list with 106,000 sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Only two albums bowed in the ...

  37. TuneCore Paid Out $102 Million to Artists Last Year, Company Claims

    February 01, 2013 5:14 PM EST 5 17 39 0 While some Jeff Price fans might question TuneCore's future  business prospects, the company's management tells Billboard that the company enjoyed robust growth last year, hitting revenues of $101.8 million for its artists through sale ...

  38. Super Bowl Halftime Shows: Who Got the Biggest Sales Bumps?

    February 01, 2013 11:28 AM EST 4 40 95 0 Until Michael Jackson's Super Bowl performance 20 years ago, the halftime show was more about marching bands and card stunts than headliner superstars. In 2013, the most-watched TV event in the world is a magnet for superstar talent eager t ...

  39. HMV Announces First Wave of Layoffs

    January 31, 2013 1:11 PM EST 1 1 16 0 190 staff redundancies have been made across HMV's head office and distribution network, administrators have announced. Deloitte LLP - who were appointed administrators on Jan. 15, following HMV's poorer-than-expected trading over the h ...

  40. Digital Sales Up 10% Over January 2012

    January 31, 2013 7:00 AM EST 3 25 73 0 U.S. digital sales appear to be holding up after gift cards ran out early in the month. Boosted mainly by strong digital album sales, track equivalent album (TEA) sales are up 14% over the same period in 2012, acording to Nielsen SoundScan. Trac ...

  41. Business Matters: The Jury is Still Out on The Future of Music

    January 30, 2013 8:49 PM EST 8 15 45 0 The news from the annual MIDEM conference indicated streaming is the future of music. Deezer expanded to new countries. Rdio launched free tiers in new countries. Online video is a growing portion of revenue for record labels and music publisher ...

  42. HMV Troubles Help Lift U.K. Music Sales

    January 30, 2013 1:29 PM EST 2 12 0 With the U.K. music industry still reeling from HMV entering administration Jan. 15, new figures from the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) suggests that there may be a silver lining to the retailer’s financial woes.   According to the ER ...

  43. Biz Q&A: BPI Chief Geoff Taylor On Google's Search Problem, HMV's Future, Moribund Digital Economy Act

    January 30, 2013 7:55 AM EST The United Kingdom may only have a population of 60 million, but when it comes to generating music artists that resonate around the globe the U.K. consistently punches well above its weight. According to labels trade body the BPI, U.K. artists acc ...

  44. Earache, Century Media Team Up for U.S. Licensing Deal

    January 29, 2013 8:00 AM EST 44 2 0 Established metal labels Earache and Century Media Records are partnering in a three-year deal where Century Media will handle all of Earache's physical product distribution in the U.S.   The deal was finalized within the last week and takes ...

  45. Exclusive: Watch the Flaming Lips’ ‘Epic PlayDate’ Hyundai Super Bowl Commercial

    January 29, 2013 7:00 AM EST 5 775 117 0 When the Flaming Lips formed nearly 30 years ago, the notion that the group would be performing a song called "Sun Blows Up Today" in a Super Bowl ad would have been as surreal as some of their lyrics. But that's exactly what ha ...

  46. Business Matters: Where Were CD Revenues Up in 2012? Japan

    January 28, 2013 8:55 PM EST 2 74 17 0 Subscription services are helping music industry rebounds in countries around the world -- except in Japan. But the market still has good news to share. Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) figures show the country’s CD shipments rose ...

  47. Taylor Swift Scores ‘Long Term Partnership’ With Diet Coke

    January 28, 2013 6:09 PM EST 1 17 22 0 Coca-Cola confirmed Monday reports that Diet Coke has committed to "long-term partnership with" Taylor Swift. As part of Diet Coke’s Stay Extraordinary campaign, Swift will be featured in television, print and digital advertising sched ...

  48. The Play Box: A Vision for Music Reclaiming the Living Room, by Mark Mulligan

    January 28, 2013 4:15 PM EST 7 17 36 0 The transition of recorded music from a physical object to an intangible one is the core of the challenge that has faced our business since the turn of the millennium. Here, Mark Mulligan -- a long-term music-industry analyst and co-founder of M ...

  49. The Fall of HMV: U.K. Music Execs Debate What Went Wrong, What's Next

    January 27, 2013 3:30 PM EST 5 15 13 0 The January 14 announcement that HMV, the U.K.’s leading entertainment retailer, had entered administration was not unexpected -- having long struggled with year-on-year declines in sales and mounting debts -- but its fallout still has serious r ...

  50. Grammy Awards 2013: Retailers Predict Sales Spikes for Mumford, Underwood, More

    January 27, 2013 1:30 PM EST 2 11 21 0 As the industry awaits the Grammy Awards show on Feb. 10, retailers are hoping that the Recording Academy aligns the show’s performance schedule to optimize sales and produce a show like the past two years, which drove consumers to retail for mo ...

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