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UGLY RUMOURS TO BREAK TOP 20
1/3/07
Ugly Rumours are going to be the first unsigned act ever to
make it into the top twenty using 7 Digital's indiestore download
service. Of course Ugly Rumours are an 'ironic' parody of Tony
Blair's university band of the same name, with a Blair look alike
as lead singer, and they've done a cover of 'War (What Is It Good
For?)' and it's already sold enough downloads through its indiestore
to be guaranteed a chart position.
The track
was recorded in association with the Stop The War Coalition
and has been released to highlight ongoing opposition to the conflict
in Iraq. At the rally following the anti-war demo in London last week,
the band played, and the crowd were encouraged to pre-order the single
by texting. When the single went on sale on Monday, thousands
of downloads had already been sold.
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RUN DMC DAUGHTERS LAUNCH FOOTWEAR LINE
1/3/07
Vanessa and Angela Simmons, the daughters of former
Run DMC rapper Reverend Joseph 'Run' Simmons are to launch
their own line of footwear. Pastry Footwear will comprise a
collection of colourful, athletic shoes, apparently, aimed at young
women. Each shoe type will get a colour related name - eg Chocolate
Mousse, Strawberry Shortcake and Red Velvet and will be packaged with
lip gloss and a scent that complements the shoe's theme.
The line
will be released in the US on 23rd March. The development of the project
is chronicled in MTV's Simmons reality show 'Run's House',
which is set to air this spring.
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SONYBMG RECALL DEEP PURPLE ALBUM AFTER FRONTMAN OBJECTIONS
28/2/07
SonyBMG has recalled a live album from metal pioneers Deep
Purple after the band's lead singer, Ian Gillan, said he
had not approved the release and asked fans not to buy it. The singer
added that the concert featured, a 1993 concert at the Birmingham
NEC, was one of the band's worst, explaining that growing tensions
in the band at the time had impacted on the performance, adding: "It
was coming to the end, it was awful".
Confirming the
recall, a spokesman for SonyBMG told reporters yesterday:
"SonyBMG is not in the business of releasing albums without
the knowledge of the artists. It is in our interests to work with
artists, so they can promote their records and continue to work
with us". That said, the label
noted that the live recording had been released previously, adding
that they were unclear as to why the release had caused a problem
this time but not previously.
Speaking to
BBC Radio 4, Gillan said that the bands' performances at
the time were affected by his falling out with guitarist Ritchie
Blackmore, who quit the band shortly after the recording was
made. Gillan: "It was one of the lowest points of my life
- all of our lives, actually. In fact, it lasted five or six shows
after that Birmingham show. Then Ritchie left the band. And we've
had 13 years of stability ever since then".
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NME FORMALLY LAUNCH US OPERATIONS
18/12/06
NME formally launched its new US operations on Friday with
a reception at the British Consulate in New York.
The party, which included an acoustic performance from We Are
Scientists, was designed to mark the previously reported expansion
of NME into the US, which includes the establishment of East
and West coast news desks and the launch of a Club NME offshoot
in
NYC.
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CBS LAUNCH NEW RECORD COMPANY
18/12/06
US media company CBS is launching a record label to be called CBS
Records. The old CBS records was of course flogged off to the
Sony Corp in 1988 to create Sony Music. The all new CBS Records will
release music by artists who gain profile through the media company's
own TV programmes, both those aired on CBS' channels, and those
made by CBS Paramount Television for other networks. Singer/songwriter
Will Dailey, who had a track used in a recent episode of CBS'
'Jericho', is the first confirmed signing.
Confirming
the launch of a new CBS Records, Les Moonves, President of CBS
Corp, told reporters: "With more consumers choosing
the online download model as the preferred way to purchase their favourite
songs, we have an opportunity to use our unique and broad collection
of media platforms to create a new music label paradigm for a small
price of admission".
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STONES SCORE BIGGEST TOUR OF THE YEAR
14/12/06
The Rolling Stones' A Bigger Bang tour, recently named the
top grossing tour ever, was the top grossing tour of 2006
according to Billboard Boxscore.
The tour,
which began in Autumn 2005, has taken in an estimated $437
million, making it by far the biggest tour of the year. Commenting
on the achievement, promoter Michael Cohl told Billboard
this week: "Not bad eh? And [we're] not done. There are
still a lot of cancellations in Europe that the band feels obligated
to try and make up. So I wouldn't be surprised if it keeps going
next year".
The
rest of the top ten grossing tours of the year were as follows:
Madonna ($195 million), Bon Jovi ($131 million), U2 (who
completed their Vertigo tour this year with $96 million),
Tim McGraw/Faith Hill ($88.8 million), Cirque du Soleil's Delirium
($78.5 million), Barbra Streisand ($76 million), Kenny Chesney ($66
million), Dave Matthews Band ($58 million), and Aerosmith
($58 million).
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WHOO KID LAUNCHES MAGAZINE
6/12/06
G-Unit collaborator DJ Whoo Kid is launching a new hip hop
magazine in the states, called POW!
The first issue, with the sub-title "Hip Hop vs. Hollywood",
will be released later this month with Mobb Deep and Steve-O
on the cover. The magazine is the latest of a growing Whoo Kid business
empire, which already includes a watch line and management marketing
company Shadyville.
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ICELAND SLASHES VAT ON MUSIC
28/11/06
The Icelandic government has announced it will cut the amount
of sales tax it levies on recorded music goods as of next March.
Iceland currently has the second highest rate of VAT on recorded music
- 24.5% - second only to Hungary and Norway where VAT on music is
25%. However, as part of a push by the Icelandic government to promote
its music industry, the rate there will be cut to 7%.
Welcoming
the news, Gunnar Gudmundsson of IFPI (International Federation
Of The Phonographic Industry) Iceland said yesterday: "Music
is a powerful means of expression, underscoring important moments
in people's lives and evoking strong emotion. Since music is such
an essential part of Icelandic culture, we believed that it was unfair
to impose a higher rate of VAT on sound recordings compared to other
cultural goods".
The Icelandic
government also announced the formation of a programme called Music
Export Iceland which will see government ministries work with music
companies to promote Icelandic artists abroad.
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PRESS GAZETTE FOLDS AFTER 41 YEARS
27/11/06
 Media
trade journal Press Gazette has closed after 41 years after
attempts to find a new backer for the title failed.
Simon Read, Press Gazette managing director, told the magazine's
staff on Friday that they were to be made redundant. A
statement on the Press Gazette website read: "Press Gazette's
editorial team would like to thank all of its readers over the past
41 years, and all of those who have given us support in the recent
difficult weeks."
The announcement follows editor Ian Reeves' call for the
title, which is co-owned by PR guru Matthew Freud and ex
Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan, to be acquired by the industry
to protect its future. Freud is understood to have lost as much
as £1m and Morgan £250,000.
The title went into administration on 6th November.
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DAZED & CONFUSED LAUNCH DIGITAL 'CHANNEL'
27/11/06
Dazed & Confused is launching a new "digital channel to complement
the magazine's print platform". A beta version of Dazed Digital
www.dazeddigital.com
is online now, but the proper site will go
live next month, featuring all sorts of video, music, blogs etc.
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BOB DYLAN RADIO SHOW TO AIR ON 6MUSIC
23/11/06
 Bob
Dylan's much acclaimed weekly US radio show has been picked
up by the BBC to be broadcast by digital station 6Music.
The Theme Time Radio Hour will go out on Fridays at 9pm from
12 Jan. The show will be marketed via a series of previews during
Christmas week, with Radio 2 airing six recent editions of the programme.
Dylan began the show, which is hosted by XM Satellite Radio,
back in May. The musician plays an eclectic mix of music as well
as broadcasting interviews and discussions. Dylan says of his venture:
"A lot of my own songs have been played on the radio,
but this is the first time I've ever been on the other side of the
mic".
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LIVERPOOL RADIO LICENCE GOES TO EMAP TALK STATION
10/11/06
OfCom has awarded the new Liverpool FM radio licence to a talk
station put forward by EMAP to be called City Talk.
The new station will be a third output for EMAP on Merseyside - Radio
City and Magic AM. EMAP have assured OfCom that "CityTalk
will not be dominated with what is often seen as cheap phone-in programmes.
Its structure will not rely on the whims of callers. CityTalk will
[also] carefully avoid the ambulance-chasing, 'we were first on the
scene' approach".
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SANCTUARY CONFIRM IRON MAIDEN DEPARTURE
3/11/06
Sanctuary have confirmed the music company's co-founder Rod
Smallwood has formally parted
company with the group, and that he will be taking his management
of Iron Maiden with him. Sanctuary was originally formed in the
late 1970s by Smallwood and recently ousted chief executive Andy
Taylor in order to manage the affairs of Iron Maiden.
However,
Sanctuary will maintain a relationship with the group. Bravado,
owned by Sanctuary, will manage the group's merchandising, while the
band have re-signed a recording contract for the US with Sanctuary
Records in relation to their new album 'A Matter Of Life
And Death'. Sanctuary will also continue to release the Maiden
back catalogue in the US.
Smallwood will now manage the band through his new company Phantom
Music Management. He will also continue to act as a consultant
to Sanctuary for at least six months.
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UK GOVERNMENT BACKS LIVE SECTOR SKILLS ACADEMY
1/11/06
The government has earmarked £7 million to establish the country's
first ever National Skills Academy for the live sector. The
Academy, run by the government sponsored body Creative & Cultural
Skills, will work with key players in the live entertainments
industry, including Live Nation, Academy Music Group,
the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company,
to offer a range of training to those who aspire to work in the live
entertainments sector. Some of those companies supporting the initiative
will be expected to also provide some funding - the total cost of
the
scheme is expected to exceed £10 million. CCSkills will now
submit a detailed business plan to the government in order to release
the pledged funds.
Confirming
the government's commitment to the scheme, Tony Hall, chairman
of CCSkills and CEO of London's Royal Opera House, told reporters:
"The Academy's vision is to attract and train the best
performance technicians in the country, ready for careers on the best
stages in the world. The announcement today by the Secretary Of State
For Education And Skills allows us to press on with drawing up detailed
plans for this exciting project."
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HANSON RELEASE LABEL WRANGLINGS DOCUMENTARY
31/10/06
 Hanson
(pictured, right, when they were a LOT younger than now)are
releasing on DVD their recent documentary 'Strong Enough To Break',
which
follows the trio during their falling out with Universal's Island/Def
Jam, and their final decision to release their third album themselves
(a release which was subsequently one of the highest charting
independent releases in US chart history).
Viewers see the major label reject over 80 songs as the band
try to provide them with an album they are willing to release. The
film has been shown at a number of screenings around the US for over
a year now, but the DVD release should get it to a much wider audience.
Speaking
to Billboard, the band's Zac Hanson reckons it's an important
film: "not because it's about Hanson - because who cares,
we're just one more band - but because there are so many similar stories,
like what happened to Fiona Apple and Wilco. It's sort of the norm".
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YOUTUBE REMOVING COPYRIGHTED CONTENT?
31/10/06
Viacom are the latest media company to ask YouTube
to remove copyrighted content off its system.
Apparently all segments from shows made by the Viacom owned Comedy
Central, including The Daily Show, The Colbert Report
and South Park have been removed. However, neither Viacom
or YouTube have officially commented, and many other shows owned
by Viacom are still up there.
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GUARDIAN LAUNCH MUSIC SITE
30/10/06
The Guardian newspaper has launched a new music website
featuring daily music news, reviews, interviews and a daily blog
and regular podcast.
Confirming
the new site and its sponsor, the Guardian's Emily Bell said
"The scale of our sponsorship with Intel is a media first
for us. Obviously we will retain editorial independence, but we
will work with Intel to integrate their brand into the site on a
number of different levels and at the same time offer added value
to our users."
Website: www.guardian.co.uk/music
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PARLOPHONE LAUNCH ONLINE DEMO SUBMISSION SYSTEM
25/10/06
 EMI
division Parlophone has launched an online demo submission
tool which gives unsigned bands a way to submit demo recordings
over the net, rather than pissing off A&R executives by emailing
MP3s. You can submit both MP3s and photos via the
new system.
Parlaphphone says the new system will help them better organise
the flood of new music that is submitted to their A&R team.
Junior A&R staff will monitor submissions, passing on those
with potential to more senior A&R reps.
Commenting
on the new system, Parlophone Head of A&R Nigel Coxon
told CMU: "One of our top priorities in A&R is to
keep our talent spotting process as efficient and up to date as
possible. This new system allows us to do just that, while at the
same time helping us stay committed to giving anyone the opportunity
to be heard".
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KEANE'S SINGLE ON A STICK
20/10/06
Keane are to release their new single 'Nothing In My Way'
on a memory stick, the first ever single tobe released on
the the format.
The gadget, retailing at £3.99, is described as being
about the size of a cigarette lighter , and
will allow fans to transfer the music straight to PC and MP3 player.
Island Records' Jon Turner told The Guardian: "I
do see it as a potential format for the future, but I don't think
it's going to run down the use of digital services. It's an interesting
experiment. I'm keen to see what people make of it."
The
stick will be available exclusively in HMV, out on 30th October.
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YOKO ONO SUES EMI OVER JOHN LENNON ROYALTIES
20/10/06
Yoko Ono has filed a $13 million lawsuit against EMI
and its US division Capitol in a dispute over John Lennon royalties.
In the lawsuit
Ono claims EMI and Capitol have deprived the Lennon estate of millions
by under-reporting royalties, and that they provided dishonest accounting
statements. The lawsuit alleges
that EMI "breached... agreements and have abused the nearly
half century old relationship of trust and confidence by willfully
and knowingly under-reporting royalties".
Speaking for
EMI/Capitol yesterday, Adam Grossberg said he could not discuss
the lawsuit in detail, but did say to reporters: "Artists
do request from time to time audits of their record label accounts.
It is not unusual and we have no problem with it ... sometimes there
are differences of opinion. Contracts are very complex and in rare
situations it is up to the courts or mediation to resolve. But 99
times out of 100 these audits are resolved in an amicable settlement".
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OXFAM SURVEY REVEALS BRITISH BELIEVE THEY ARE SONGWRITING GENIUSES
19/10/06
A poll conducted as part of this month's Oxfam's Oxjam festival
has revealed that there may be as many as 3.5 million Brits
who really believe they're capable of writing a number one single.
It also suggests that around seven percent of people in this country
believe they've already written the song in question.
The poll also
confirms that we're all going to a lot more gigs than we used to,
with 37 percent saying they attend at least one gig a
month, compared to 21 percent five years ago. Respondents say
that they attend more gigs now because it's easier to find out about
music and gigs because of the internet.
The poll also indicated that there are around five million musicians
in the UK currently, and around 1.5million bands.
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AIR AMERICA CASH PROBLEMS
16/10/06
Liberal US radio station Air America Radio, which features
Public Enemy's Chuck D among its list of presenters, has filed
for Chapter 11 bankruptcy . The move follows various rumours
regarding the station's financial status. The company says it has
applied for protection while it resolves issues with a creditor from
their first months of operation some two years ago. They will continue
to broadcast while those issues are resolved.
Website: www.airamerica.com |
ROUGH TRADE LAUNCH DOWNLOAD STORE
12/10/06
 Rough
Trade record shops have announced that their new download service
will officially launch on 14th November. The new platform will offer
both back catalogue and new releases. Rough Trade will
offer by tips, advice and insider knowledge you'd get
from their shop staff via the download service. Eight staff members
will be available via the service to answer questions etc. Rough Trade
are also encouraging unsigned artists to sell their music via
the platform - bands etc just need to take their music on CDR into
one of the Rough Trad shops.
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GOOGLE BUY YOUTUBE
10/10/06
 Google
has announced it is buying video-sharing website YouTube
in a $1.65 billion deal. The two companies confirmed that they had
reached agreement yesterday. Google say the two companies
will continue to operate - initially, anyway - independently with
Google's own video service continuing to co-exist alongside YouTube.
Confirming the deal, Google CEO Eric Schmidt said that the
two companies were "natural partners", adding:
"The YouTube team has built an exciting and powerful media
platform that complements Google's mission to organize the world's
information and make it universally accessible and useful".
YouTube
co-founder Chad Hurley, who will stay on in his current
role at the company, added: "Our community has played a
vital role in changing the way that people consume media, creating
a new clip culture. By joining forces with Google, we can benefit
from its global reach and technology leadership
to deliver a more comprehensive entertainment experience for our
users and to create new opportunities for our partners."
Universal
Music, which had indicated it may sue YouTube over its illegal distribution
of its video content, has reached a deal with the service as has
US TV network CBS. Meanwhile Google announced it had signed distribution
deals with both SonyBMG and Warner Music.
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RINGTONE SALES DECLINE
6/10/06
 A
number of industry experts in the UK have said that the ringtone
market is slowly going into decline, blaming competition from
full track mobile download platforms, consumer concern about certain
ringtone operators' practices, and the growth in illegitimate sources
of ringtones as reasons.
Research firm MusicAlly report that while UK ringtone sales
grew from £34.8 million in 2000 to £177.3 million in 2005,
this year revenues are expected to fall to £143.5million. The
company reckons that trend will continue, and the UK market will be
worth just £78.8 million by 2011. Meanwhile, global
revenues at Jamba, a leading ringtone company, are expected to fall
from $500 million to $300 million this year.
The Guardian
newspaper quote Universal Music UK's New Media chief Rob Wells
as saying: "The ringtone business in the UK has stalled and is
now in decline. You can put it down to price, piracy and the Crazy
Frog effect".
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YOUTUBE
LAUNCH MUSIC PROMOTION TO DISCOVER UNSIGNED TALENT
21/9/06
YouTube has launched a major music promotion to discover
unsigned bands and musicians in the US.
The YouTube Underground contest is inviting
US bands and musicians to submit original videos, which will be
voted for by the YouTube community as best song, best music video,
best live performance and best creative work. The winner will be
announced by ABC's 'Good Morning America', with the winners
receiving the opportunity to have their music appear in movies and
as a ringtone.
There will also be a monthly newsletter forthe YouTube music community,
entitled 'News from the Underground', which will showcase
up-and-coming artists and feature promotions, entertaining music
videos and YouTube music news.
Julie Supan, senior director of marketing at YouTube,told
Brand Republic: "We strive to find unique ways to help our
community be recognised and this promotion is the first of many
such online events. Becoming a part of the YouTube Underground will
help the independent musicians that broadcast to the YouTube community
rise up and be discovered as some of the greatest music talents
today."
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FOPP LAUNCH NEW DOWNLOAD SERVICE
20/9/06
Independent record shop chain FOPP has announced they are to launch
a new download service this week. The service will be powered by
download provider 7Digital, and will give access to half a million
tracks and a thousand videos. The FOPP service stresses access to
independent music, and will offer tracks as MP3 downloads where
labels allow.
Confirming
their involvement in the venture, 7Digital top man Ben Drury told
trade website CMU: "Our unique download service for independent
retailers, which is supported by all the major labels, is a great
way for brands such as FOPP to compete in the digital world. We're
excited to have FOPP, the most innovative and exciting of high-street
retailers, on board."
Website: www.7digital.com/fopp
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POSSIBLE NAPSTER
TAKEOVER
19/9/06
 More
Napster for sale talk, from Napster boss Chris Gorog.
In a recent
interview, Gorog admitted that "there's been interest by third
parties to acquire the company", while adding that other companies
had proposed partnerships or joint ventures with the download firm.
He also confirmed that he had hired the services of investment bank
UBS to look into the current proposals which possibly shows more
interest to collaborate or sell out than before.
Napster's
two main business models - the subscription model download platform
and advert funded music destination site - are both as yet ultimately
unproven. Gorog is always keen to stress that the company is developing
as planned, but some in investment circles question the long term
viability of the current Napster business, wih Apple/iTunes in the
picture.
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WARNER DEAL WITH YOUTUBE
19/9/06
Following implications from Universal Music that it was considering
legal action against YouTube in relation to the large amounts of the
major label's music currently available via the site without
their permission, rival record company Warner Music yesterday confirmed
it had entered into a deal with the video streaming website allowing
its music to be hosted there.
The deal
between Warner and YouTube means that the video site will legitimately
be able to host pop promos on and interviews with its artists, many
uploaded by fans, and be paid via a slice of advertising revenues.
The deal will also allow YouTube to host those user-made videos that
feature music
from Warner signed artists albeit with the major reserving the right
to veto some of that content.
Confirming
the deal, YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley told reporters yesterday:
"We are very excited. This is a real landmark for our company".
Warner
chief Edgar Bronfman Jnr added: "Consumer-empowering destinations
like YouTube have created a two-way dialogue that will transform entertainment
and media forever."
What happens to
Universal's 'war on YouTube' now is anyone's guess.
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BOSS OF UNIVERSAL HAS COPYRIGHT ISSUES WITH YOUTUBE & MY SPACE
18/9/06
The
boss of the Universal Music Group has implied that his company is
thinking about taking action over the ever growing amount of its content
that is appearing on social networking websites like YouTube and MySpace.
The majors have generally kept shtum about such sites, despite individual
music fans using them to make available large amounts of copyrighted
audio and video content without permission.
According to the Reuters news agency, Universal CEO Doug Morris told
an investors meeting this week: "The poster child for (user-generated
media) sites are MySpace and YouTube. We believe these new businesses
are copyright infringers and owe us tens of millions of dollars. How
we deal with these companies will be revealed shortly".
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NEW UK HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
12/9/06
 Organisers
of that there UK Music Hall Of Fame confirmed yesterday that Brian
Wilson, Dusty Springfield (pictured, right), Led Zeppelin and Rod
Stewart will be among the artists to be honoured at the organisation's
third induction event in
London on 14 Nov.
Further inductees, chosen by a panel of 60 artists, journalists, broadcasters
and industry execs, are expected to be announced before the event.
Beatles producer George Martin had already been announced as the
'behind-the-scenes' person who will receive an honorary membership
of the Hall Of Fame - an honour previously awarded to the late Radio
1 DJ John Peel and Island Records founder Chris Blackwell.
The show will be broadcast by Channel 4 on 16th November, while US
audiences will be able to watch it on VH1 on 25th November.
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ITUNES TO EXPAND TO MOVIE DOWNLOADS?
6/9/06
There is considerable speculation that iTunes, the market leading
legal music download site, is set to expand into movie downloads.
The talk
has been sparked after invitations were sent out to an event on
12th September, featuring an Apple logo against a backdrop of spotlights
and the words: "It's Showtime".
ITunes
already offers podcasts, music videos and television shows alongside
music, and a film download service is seen as the logical next step
for the business.
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MUSIC DOWNLOAD SERVICE FUNDED BY ADVERTS SIGNS UP EMI ACTS
6/9/06
 SpiralFrog,
the company that could revolutionise legal music downloading by
offering tracks for free, has signed a deal with EMI, which could
mean that artists like Coldplay (pictured, right) and Robbie Williams
are added to its service.
The deal with EMI means that its artists will be available on the
service when it launches in the US later this year.
SpiralFrog is being funded by advertising, instead of users paying
for individual tracks or albums as with other download services.
Universal Music, home to bands including U2 and the Scissor Sisters,
was the first label to sign up, revealing the deal last week. SpiralFrog
is also in talks with Sony-BMG and Warner to make their music available.
Website: www.spiralfrog.com
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INDEPENDENT MUSIC MAGAZINE GOES MONTHLY
17/8/06
 After
the success of the first two issues Independent Music shall now
be going monthly.
In association
with AIM The Independent newspaper shall be publishing Independent
Music on the last Monday of each month, with the next issue commencing
29th August 2006 (which is a Tuesday after the August Bank Holiday
to maximise sales).
The dates
for the next 4 issues are…
Tuesday 29th August
Monday 25th September
30th October
27th November
The
magazine will continue to profile the most exciting new music, regionalise
different music scenes/genres and review cutting edge releases from
the Independent labels.
Edited by The Independent chief arts editor David Lister, it will
include monthly reviews by Andy Gill, features by Alexia Loundras
and James McNair.
The magazine will appear as a separate title with all the integrity
of The Independent
More here
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YOU TUBE PLANS MUSIC VIDEO ARCHIVE
17/8/06
Video-sharing
website YouTube is in talks with major record companies including
about hosting old and current music videos for its users to view for
free.
YouTube's ambition
is to have "every music video ever created" up on the site,
according to its co-founder Steve Chen.
Chen told
Brand Republic: "Right now we're trying to very quickly determine
how and what the model is to distribute this content and we're very
aggressive in assisting the labels in trying to get the content onto
YouTube."
YouTube
plans to allow its community of users to add videos to their own profiles
and write reviews about them, believing this will mkae the site stand
out from others.
The site's
popularity over the past year has been driven by amateur videos posted
by individuals around the world. It now claims to account for 60%
of all videos watched online and boasts 100m views a day.
Talks with
the labels come as TV companies begin collaborating with the site
while policing any use of copyrighted material without permission.
US broadcaster
NBC is now promoting its content on YouTube after ordering it in March
to take down clips of a spoof hip-hop video 'Lazy Sunday', originally
broadcast on 'Saturday Night Live'.
Website:www.youtube.com
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APPLE WARNS OF POSSIBLE COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT
16/8/06
Apple has sentcease and desist letters to some companies warning them
of the consequences of using the word 'pod' in product titles.
Apple, which
has a registered trademark for the iPod brand, has written to Mach
5 Products, which manufactures the Profit Pod, a data collection
device for vending machines, and TightPod, which builds laptop protection
covers.
However,
it is understood Mach 5 Products and TightPod are not the only firms
that have been advised by Apple to rename their products under the
premise that the titles infringe the iPod trademark.
An Apple statement
sent to Mach 5 Products, read: "We believe there is a confusing
similarity between Apple's iPod mark and the Profit Pod mark. Both
devices receive and transmit data, and are used with computers;
both are used in connection with videogames. It
has not gone unnoticed that, like Apple's iPod, the Profit Pod product
is a small, flat, round-cornered rectangular device with a display
screen."
Dave Ellison,
owner of Mach 5 Products, is reported to have said: "I'm
not going to change the name-it's not like (Apple) offered us anything
for it."
A
similar response reportedly came from Terry Wilson, owner of TightPod:
"I'll change the name if (Apple) will pay for the expenses
of doing so."
Apple has so
far declined to make a public statement.
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NME.COM IS TEN!
8/8/06
 Indie
rock band Kasabian (pictured, right) are to headline NME.com's tenth
anniversary gig next month at the Koko club in London. The eventis
to take place on September 12 and will also feature the winners of
the magazine's Walkman NME Breaking Bands contest. The competition
involved a nationwide search to find the best unsigned band in the
country.
Ben Perreau,
editor of NME.com,told Brand Republic: "NME.com's landmark tenth
anniversary deserves to be celebrated in style -- and what better
way than to have the cream of today's storming indie bands in the
form of Kasabian showing the new bloods how it's done."
Website: www.nme.com
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BEBO TO RIVAL MYSPACE?
1/8/06
 Social
networking site Bebo (www.bebo.com) has launched a music arm, Bebo
Bands, similar to the popular MySpace.
Bebo claims to have already attracted more than 25,000 groups and
artists as users.
Bebo claims
its range of features will take"the online music experience to
the next level", users can upload unlimited music and content
including albums and video. Main rival MySpace Music only allows users
to upload four tracks. In addition, Bebo
has set up deals with record labels and independent artists to provide
users with music and features, including a playlist chart.
Michael Birch,
CEO and founder of Bebo, said: "We took our time to launch
Bebo Bands to enable us to develop the best available product on
the market. We have designed it so that users can share music content
and help spread the word about the bands they like, thus putting
them at the forefront of music discovery. Bebo
is the perfect platform for this and we intend to evolve Bebo Bands
to ensure that genuine talent will always rise to the top".
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EMI CALLS HALT TO WARNER TAKEOVER PLANS
28/7/06
London based
EMI yesterday confirmed it was pulling plans to merge with New York
based Warner Music. The EMI board had made two takeover proposals,
but they rejected both offers, responding with their own bids to takeover
EMI.
A couple of weeks back, the EU Court Of First Instance issued its
ruling regarding the Sony BMG
merger of two years ago - ruling that the European Commission should
not have permitted the merger to proceed.
EMI's initial response to that ruling was to say that they did not
believe it affected the potential Warner takeover proposals, (even
though they too would have to get the nod from the European Commission)
the independent labels trade body IMPALA, who took the Sony BMG merger
to the EU courts in the first
place, said otherwise.
Although
it casued some titters in the Candy office,
EMI stress that the decision to back off from the Warner takeover
was not based entirely on the EU ruling saying that the company "believed,
and continues to believe, that there are good arguments for regulatory
approval of a [EMI/Warner] combination", it did admit that
it has reached its decision "following the decision of the
European Court of First Instance".
Warner Music
immediately issued its own statement adding that it too was no longer
looking at a merger with EMI, conceding that the EU Court ruling had
affected its decision.
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WARNER IN TALKS WITH RADIOHEAD RUMOUR
29/7/06
 Rumour
has it that Lyor Cohen of the Warner Music Group (in the US) has said
he has made headway (geddit?) with his negotiations to sign Radiohead
for both a recording and publishing deal.
Radiohead are not currently contracted to either a record label or
publishing house, having fulfilled their deals with Parlophone and
Warner Chappell respectively. Warner's publishing house was disappointed
when the band's frontman Thom York chose to go with Chrysalis Music
Publishing for his solo work. Getting the double deal with Radiohead
would be a thumbs up for both Warner and Cohen. But, Yorke has previously
implied his band would look for single album deals in the future.
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YOUTUBE LAWSUIT TO TEST COPYRIGHT LAW
20/7/06
A journalist has claimed that the video-sharing YouTube website has
infringed his copyright and is suing them.
With YouTude,
anyone can upload video content to the site, and while many members
upload their own home made videos, a fair chunk of the content available
to view consists of music videos or clips from films and TV shows,
which have been uploaded without the content owners' sayso. The site
has so far avoided legal action from the content industries partly
because many see the promotional potential of
YouTube, and partly because the companyresponds to complaints swiftly,
removing content when asked to. On a legal level, the company claims
America's Digital Millennium Copyright Act protects it from liability
for any copyright violation committed by its members.
But American
journalist Robert Tur , best known for filming the infamous beating
of Reginald Oliver Denny during the 1992 LA riots, disagrees. He claims
that his Denny footage has been uploaded to
YouTube without his consent, and has been viewed more than 1000 times.
He is suing YouTube for $150,000 for each time the video was uploaded,
and is seeking an injunction to stop any more of his work being distributed
on the site.
YouTube
maintain that they are protected by the Digital Millenium Copyright
Act in this case,
and say that Tur didn't complain to them direct and that if he had
they would have removed the film.
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BPI CALLS ON BEEB TO SAVE TOTP
17/7/06
 The
BPI has called on the BBC to reverse its decision to cancel 'Top of
the Pops' next week, in an open letter to director-general Mark Thompson.
The trade association opposes the scrapping of 'Top of the Pops',
claiming that there is still potential in the brand despite its drop
in audience ratings over the last decade.
Peter Jamieson,
the British Phonographic Industry chairman, believes the show is still
valid "despite the damage done over the past few years --
and in particular, by some of the statements made about the brand
over the past month."
It is understood
that the BPI propose to buy the rights to the show from the BBC and
commission an independent production company to produce a revamped
version.
The last
scheduled 'Top of the Pops' is set to air on 30th July.
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APPLICANTS FOR NEW LIVERPOOL FM LICENCE ANNOUNCED
17/7/06
Talk radio formats have proved popular with bidders for the new Liverpool
FM radio licence up for grabs.
The new
licence has a potential reach of around 1.4m adults. Media regulator
Ofcom wants to pick a station that will broaden the choice supplied
by the ten commercial services broadcasting in the area.
Emap said
its CityTalk format would offer a mix of conversation, news, sports,
current affairs, comedy and local issues. Programme ideas include
'Home from the House', in which a local MP answers listeners' questions,
'Rag Mag', produced by students at Liverpool's John Moores University,
celebrity gossip from the editor of Emap's Heat magazine, Mark Frith,
and a nightly two-hour sports show.
It would
be Emap's third Liverpool station after Radio City and Magic 1548
AM.
Other hopefuls
are also submitting speech formats. UTV, which owns local station
Juice FM, is bidding with AllTalk FM, a similar format to the one
with which it won the Edinburgh FM licence in 2004.
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SONY BMG MERGER IN JEOPARDY?
13/7/06
The Court of First Instance has rocked the music industry this morning
by declaring that the European Commission was wrong to allow Sony
and BMG to merge in 2004. The move now puts in doubt whether Sony/BMG
(aka Bony in some quarters) can continue as a merged entity and will
also throw EMI and Warner's plans to combine - something they assumed
would be a formality - into jeopardy. A spokesman for the Luxembourg-based
court says the 100-plus page judgment effectively declares that the
"Commission failed to provide enough evidence to back up the
reasons for allowing the merger in the first place".
Tut, tut.
The EMI press release in reply to the decision goes thus:
London, 13 July 2006 - EMI Group notes the decision of the European
Court of First Instance to annul the European Commission's decision
authorising the Sony BMG joint venture.
This
judgment is about how the Commission undertook its assessment of the
Sony BMG case in 2004 and the particular evidence presented in that
case. It will require detailed study before any wider conclusions
can be reached.
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PLAN B MAGAZINE GOES MONTHLY
30/6/06
 Independent
music magazine Plan B, currently a bi-monthly title, is going monthly
and is stepping up its distribution.
The magazine's
founder Everett True has told Press Gazette of his belief there is
room in the market for a big selling quality music title because it
is, quite simply, what young music fans are after. He told the Gazette:
"Our applicants seem to perceive a massive gap on music coverage
in this country - that you've got NME and Q, which aren't really perceived
as having much to do with music at all, which are just gossip magazines
to shift papers and make their publishers rich. Obviously we're not
as popular or as well-known as those other titles at the moment, but
that's what we're aiming to be by going monthly."
Click on the logo to access Pan B's website.
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MYSPACE CHANGE SMALL PRINT AFTER BILLY BRAGG CONCERNS
29/6/06
 MySpace.com
has reportedly changed the small print regarding the posting of music
on artist pages following those concerns raised by Billy Bragg (pictured
studiously writing something, right). Of ocurse any
artist registered with MySpace can make up to
four tracks available for stream or download via the community site's
servers. However, Bragg recently removed preview tracks from his page,
saying that the site's terms and conditions essentially gave MySpace
the right to re-licence music that had been posted onto their servers.
A posting
on the Bard from Barking's MySpace page read: "The real problem
is the fact that they can sub-license it to any company they want
and keep the royalties themselves without paying the artist a penny.
It also doesn't stipulate that they can use it for non-commercial
use only which is what I'd want to see in that clause. The clause
is basically far to open for abuse and thus I'm very wary."
A spokesman
replied with the speed of light, retorting: "Putting music on
MySpace does not give us the right to sell it - the musicians own
their content and can do with it as they wish. Obviously, we don't
own their music or do anything with it that they don't want."
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DO SLOW TICKET SALES MEAN LIVE SECTOR HAS OVER PRICED ITSELF?
29/6/06
 US
industry website Hits Daily Double cites sources that say that tickets
sales for the upcoming Barbra
Streisand US tour are not anywhere near as high as expected. They
quote one insider who says "some dates are being called disasters",
and who adds that the steep ticket prices for the tour, going up
to $750, are a major factor in the slow ticket sales. The site asks
whether cancellations may be required to reduce
the potential losses that could be made.
Those
reports follow claims that tickets for certain upcoming Madonna
live dates in the UK have also been selling slowly, and albeit denied
rumours that some upcoming Mariah Carey dates are not selling as
well as hoped.
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MORE ON FUN-DA-MENTAL'S AKI NAWAZ'S NEW ALBUM
29/6/06
 Aki
Nawaz, frontman of Fun-Da-Mental, has said that he's willing to
go to prison if his new album does, as some claim, violate recently
introduced anti-terrorism laws. Some legal types say the album,
'All Is War (The Benefits of G-Had)', includes some lyrics which
could be argued to 'glorify' terrorism.
Among the offending lyrics are those in a track called 'Cookbook
DIY' written from the point of view of a suicide bomber. The track
goes: "I'm strapped-up 'cross my chest, bomb belt attached,
deeply satisfied with the pain I hatched, electrodes connected to
a gas cooker lighter."
While Nawaz denies that the album condones terrorist attacks,
it does strongly sympathise with the terrorists' cause. He told
the beeb: "As far as terrorism and the killing of innocent
people goes, I find it repulsive. I know how the suicide bombers
feel, but if they're going to do anything, it's got to be against
military targets.
"If I believe what I've done to be true, then I'll stick by
my work 100%. If it means taking the rap and promoting the album
from Belmarsh prison, I'll do it. What I have to say isn't new -
other people have said far more contentious stuff than me".
But whether the album will get a full release is not clear because
while Aki runs his own label, Nation Records (and a jolly fine label
it is too), the BBC report that two of the company's 'silent directors'
are greatly concerned about the possible criminal implications of
the album and are threatening to quit if it is released.
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NME.COM TO SUPPORT UNSIGNED ACTS IN SONY WALKMAN DEAL
28/6/06
 NME.com
has agreed a six-figure deal with Sony Walkman to find the (alleged)
best new unsigned bands in the UK, by inviting artists to post songs
online to be rated by NME readers. The deal ties in with the launch
of the Sony Walkman Flash, a new compact MP3 player, and the 10th
anniversary of NME.com, and marks the first time NME.com has run a
bands competition through its homepage.
The winning act, chosen by NME readers, will be invited to play at
the website's 10th birthday bash this summer alongside big name bands
and the audience that voted for them.
Entries for the competition are accepted through the Walkman NME Breaking
Bands website here.
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KIRSTY YOUNG TO PRESENT DESERT ISLAND DISCS
28/6/06
 Five
news presenter Kirsty Young will become the new HOST of BBC Radio
4's 'Desert Island Discs', replacing Sue Lawley, when the new series
starts this autumn.
The Scot will be the fourth presenter to host the show, saying: "I've
loved 'Desert Island Discs' for as long as I’ve been listening
to radio. Its enduring success is testament both to the brilliant
format and consistently fascinating guests. There isn't a show on
radio I'd rather present. I'm completely thrilled to be doing it and
can't wait to get started."
'Desert Island Discs' was first broadcast during the World War II,
in January 1942, and was presented by its creator Roy Plomley until
his death in 1985. Michael Parkinson held the reins until Lawley took
over in 1988. Lawley announed her departure in April.
Guests have to choose the eight pieces of music, one book and one
luxury item they would take with them if stranded on a desert island.
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CHANNEL 4 RADIO PLANS ANNOUNCED
14/6/06
 Channel
4 has unveiled its new radio plans, the strategy being to promote
individual programmes rather than pushing the station as a whole.
According
to a report in The Times newspaper, the broadcaster plans to make
all its radio content available online at channel4radio.com, and
will initially broadcast programming that ties in with its existing
content.
Internet
radio stations do not need a licence to broadcast in the way that
digital and analogue stations do, freeing up Channel 4's offering
from the programming restrictions faced by other commercial stations.
This is
seen as a serious threat to other commercial stations.
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7DIGITAL LAUNCH DOWNLOAD SERVICE FOR UNSIGNED BANDS
31/5/06
7Digital have launched a new service to help unsigned bands sell
their music online. The new indiestore.com service enables bands
to upload, promote and sell their music - with all sales counting
towards the download chart. A band can sell up to four tracks through
the service free
of charge.
Announcing
the new service, 7Digital boss Ben Drury told music industry website
CMU: "The digital download market in the UK has grown at
an unprecedented pace, with over a million tracks downloaded per
week. indiestore is a great way for unsigned artists to get in on
the action - today's technology is democratising the music industry
and you no longer need a record deal to get your song widely distributed.
Bands are already embracing sites such as MySpace to market themselves,
and now indiestore provides the added bonus of actually being able
to make money online. We are looking forward to the first number
one being sold through an indiestore!"
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RADIO STATION DUMPS BLUNT
31/5/06
 Radio
station Essex FM has cut James Blunt's 'You're Beautiful' and 'Goodbye
My Lover' from its playlists after listeners said they were weary
of hearing the songs.
Citing "music industry pressure" for the station's previous
decision to continue playing the tracks a year after Blunt's album
was released, Essex FM's programme controller Chris Cotton told
reporters: "We don't have anything against James Blunt and
we're pleased he has been so successful,
but we really need a break".
On that music industry pressure, Cotton continued: "Often
this can be out of step with the audience's tastes, which results
in songs being overplayed. We're happy to stand up to this pressure
and follow the strong message listeners have given us. We encourage
other radio stations to take the same
step".
God bless you, Essex FM. If I lived in Essex, I'd listen to
you.
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RADIO STATS STILL MEASURED BY MANUAL DIARY
24/5/06
Rajar has decided to continue using a diary system for audience
measurement for another two years, but has committed £3m to
improving the quality of the data as well as testing an electronic
system in conjunction with Barb.
The manual diary system is much maligned for its potential for inaccuracy.
Rajar will bring in two new research suppliers to work alongside
the current one, Ipsos Mori.
Ipsos Mori will continue to manage the diary research, but in a
revamp listeners will note whether they are listening to analogue,
DAB, digital TV or internet radio.
Rajar has handed responsibility for sampling, weighting, processing,
reporting and overall quality control to RSMB Audience Research,
which is also a supplier to Barb. The survey has come under criticism
for the volatility of its readings and Rajar expects to "relieve
the issue".
Having originally promised to introduce electronic measurement by
2007, Rajar has decided it needs two years to test the technology.
Rajar site: www.rajar.co.uk
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BBC TO SELL OFF RADIO1 AND 2?
22/5/06
The BBC should sell off Radio 1 and 2 because their public service
role is 'minimal' and they compete unfairly with commercial radio
stations, according to a study on the future of UK broadcasting.
The report,
published by the European Media Forum, is part of ongoing coverage
of regulatory affairs, claims that the recent white paper on the renewal
of the Beeb's Royal Charter should have considered the sale of Radio
1 and 2, and some of the BBC's local stations.
"If both Radio 1 and 2 were sold in a combined sale the proceeds
might arguably total £500m or more. Such an initiative would
rebalance the radio market and level the competitive playing field
between commercial broadcasters," it claims.
Claims are made that the lack of regulatory constraint on the BBC
has allowed it to engage in "questionable competition" with
the commercial radio sector by moving the output of Radio 1 and 2
away from public service content.
"Rather than rely on the new procedures outlined in the recent
white paper with regard to market impact assessments and the granting
of service licences by the BBC Trust to constrain the ability of Radios
1 and 2 to radically alter their content offering, we believe it would
be better to privatise both stations as soon as possible," the
report said.
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