Industry News
BRANDING
Backbeat: Magnum Party With Natasha Bedingfield Kicks Off Billboard Awards Weekend at Body English
May 19, 2012 – Touring | Record Labels | bbma2012 | Branding | Rock & Pop
As Billboard’s second annual Battle of the Bands wound down last night (May 18), Magnum Ice Cream kept the Billboard Music Awards energy revved up with its private party—featuring Natasha Bedingfield—at Hard Rock Hotel club Body English. » Full Story
Live Nation Ticket Sales Up 25% YTD; Diverse Touring Line-Up Drives Numbers, $4 Beers Await Fans
May 18, 2012 – Touring | Legal & Management | Branding | Rock & Pop | Country | R&B/Hip-Hop
Live Nation Ticket Sales are up 25% year-to-date thanks in part to a strong lineup of tours that touches on virtually every genre: Roger Waters, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Radiohead, Coldplay, Dave Matthews Band, Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, Nickelback, Aerosmith, Toby Keith, Tom Petty and others are helping the world’s largest promoter and amphitheater operator rebound after an industry downturn in 2010. Plus, there's the $4 beers...     » Full Story
Shazam To Offer Free, Exclusive Download of Usher's 'Climax' During Billboard Music Awards
May 18, 2012 – Record Labels | bbma2012 | TV & Film | Digital & Mobile | Branding | Rock & Pop | R&B/Hip-Hop
During Sunday's night's telecast of the Billboard Music Awards on ABC (8:00 p.m. EDT), Shazam will offer viewers a free and exclusive download of Usher's hot chart-topping single "Climax" remixed by Diplo. The track, from Usher's forthcoming Looking 4 Myself (June 12, RCA Records), has been No. 1 on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop chart for the past five weeks. » Full Story
Jermaine Paul Vs. Javier Colon: 2012's 'The Voice' Winners Not As Chart-tastic as 2011
May 18, 2012 – Record Labels | TV & Film | Digital & Mobile | Branding | Rock & Pop
Songs performed on the May 7 live-performance season finale of NBC's "The Voice" debut on the top 50 of the Hot Digital Songs chart – but the impact is less than after last year's coronation episode. » Full Story
Facebook's IPO is One of World's Largest
May 18, 2012 – Record Labels | Digital & Mobile | Branding
Facebook finds out today just how much status updates, puppy photos and billions of "likes" are worth on Wall Street. Facebook's stock is set to begin trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market today, the day after the world's definitive online social network raised $16 billion in an initial public offering that valued the company at $104 billion -- more than Amazon.com, Kraft, Walt Disney and McDonald's. » Full Story
2012 Billboard Music Awards -- Now With More Social Media
May 17, 2012 – Record Labels | TV & Film | Digital & Mobile | Branding | Rock & Pop | R&B/Hip-Hop
After a banner 2011 with record TV ratings, the Billboard Music Awards are back this Sunday, May 20th live on ABC at 8/7c. This year, social media will play an even greater role with on-air integration, free downloads, celebrity tweets (hashtag #BBMA - not just for the famous), ticket giveaways, and much more. » Full Story
spotify Spotify Raising Funding at $4 Billion Valuation: Report
May 17, 2012 – Record Labels | Digital & Mobile | Branding
Music subscription service Spotify is reportedly raising money at a $4 billion valuation with Goldman Sachs set to invest $100 million and the round fetching as much as $220 million. A $4 billion valuation would put Spotify in the upper echelon of music companies valued higher than WMG, Pandora and Live Nation. » Full Story
Fool's Gold Launches 'The Goldmine,' Premium Digital Subscription Service
May 17, 2012 – Touring | Indies | Digital & Mobile | Branding
Brooklyn-based independent label Fool's Gold announced today it is launching a premium digital subscription service called The Goldmine. The new service will provide access to new Fool's Gold music as high quality 320 mp3 / WAV downloads, plus extras, including: back catalog selections, exclusive content (remixes, a cappella tracks, DJ sets), merch discounts, priority access to events, and “other surprises the Fool's Gold braintrust decides to cook up.” » Full Story
Google Unveils 'Knowledge Graph,' Providing Vital Info Alongside Search Results
May 17, 2012 – Digital & Mobile | Branding
Google is introducing a new tool, designed to make its search engine smarter. The new feature debuted Wednesday draws from a Google-built database of more than 500 million people, places and commonly requested things to provide a summary of vital information alongside the main search results. » Full Story
Breaking: Purple, Red, Yellow Wiggles Leaving Multi-Platinum Aussie Band
May 17, 2012 – Record Labels | Global | TV & Film | Branding | Rock & Pop
Three members of the children's music quartet The Wiggles will be hanging up their colorful outfits and leaving the Australian band this year, with the Blue Wiggle the lone original member left dancing. The band has sold more than 23 million DVDs and 7 million CDs worldwide, and its TV shows are broadcast in more than 100 countries, according to The Wiggles' website. » Full Story
Facebook GM Vs. Ford: Companies Ask If Advertising on Facebook Pays?
May 17, 2012 – Record Labels | Digital & Mobile | Branding
Responding to extraordinary demand, Facebook said Wednesday that it would sell more stock in the company's initial public offering. But ahead of the IPO, a debate emerged between two of the nation's largest automakers: Does it pay to advertise on the social network? General Motors and Ford have a different take on the social media site's  marketing effectiveness. » Full Story
Yep Roc Label To Celebrate 15 Years With 3-Day Concert With Nick Lowe, Robyn Hitchcock, Jon Doe, Others
May 16, 2012 – Touring | Indies | Branding | Rock & Pop | Country
The indie label Yep Roc Records announced it will celebrate its 15th anniversary with a three-night birthday party in October at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, N.C. featurung artists from throughout the label's history, including Nick Lowe, Robyn Hitchcock and John Doe. Yep Rock is also offering "Premiere Fan" bundles, which includes access to a Yep Roc recording session with Chris Stamey and Scott McCaughey. » Full Story
Budweiser InBev Partners with Will.i.am on Playable Vinyl Magazine Ad
May 16, 2012 – Record Labels | Global | Branding | Rock & Pop | R&B/Hip-Hop
Budweiser has released a vinyl single that's quite a bit cooler than your average 7-inch. To promote its partnership in Brazil with Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.i.am, the Anheuser-Busch InBev brand pressed his new song "Great Times" into a vinyl magazine advertisement playable on any turntable. » Full Story
ABC Announces Two Country Music Shows 'Nashville,' 'Malibu Country' With Reba McEntire (Video)
May 16, 2012 – Record Labels | TV & Film | Branding | Country
At ABC's upfronts this week, the network announced two new country-music based programs: "Friday Night Lights" a musical drama starring "Friday Night Lights" Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere as a rising singer; and “Malibu Country” starring country singer Reba McEntire as a recently separated country singer who moves her family (including her mom played by Lily Tomlin) to California to jumpstart her music career. » Full Story
Facebook Boosts IPO Shares By 25 Percent
May 16, 2012 – Record Labels | Global | Legal & Management | Digital & Mobile | Branding
Facebook says 25 percent more shares will be sold as investors clamor for shares in the year's hottest stock offering. The social networking behemoth said in a regulatory filing Wednesday that about 421 million shares will be sold, up from 337 million under its earlier plans. » Full Story
The Roots' ?uestlove on His Foodie Biz, Cocoa Puffs on the Beastie Boys Tour, Fried Chicken Battles
May 15, 2012 – TV & Film | Branding | R&B/Hip-Hop
Turns out Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, the Roots drummer, "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" Musical director and studio drummer extraordinaire, is also a foodie. The multi-hyphenate recently launched his ?uest Loves Food company, a line of Love's Drumsticks, and formed a partnership with Chef Graham Elliot. Here, ?uestlove discusses his eating experiences while on tour with the Beastie Boys, his fried chicken battle with Momofuku's David Chang, and how cooking contests are a lot like MC battles. » Full Story
Meet EDM's Power Trio: Atlantic's Craig Kallman, Astralwerks' Glenn Mendlinger, Interscope's Dave Rene
May 15, 2012 – Touring | Record Labels | Indies | Retail | Branding | Dance
Since the decline of "electronica" in the late 1990s, EDM has been an indie label's business. But now that it's big again, the majors are back -- but infiltrating a scene that prides itself on its independence can be tricky business. Meet the three major players who've pulled it off: Atlantic's Craig Kallman, Astralwerks' Glenn Mendlinger and Interscope's Dave Rene. » Full Story
Facebook Considered a Fad By Half of America, Views Divided by Generation (Poll)
May 15, 2012 – Record Labels | Digital & Mobile | Retail | Branding
Half of Americans think Facebook is a passing fad, according to the results of a new Associated Press-CNBC poll. But in the run-up to the social network's IPO, half the people surveyed say they think Facebook is a good bet with those under 35 being the most interested in the massive social network's stock offer. » Full Story
Coachella 2013 Returning For Two Weekends With Increased Ticket Prices
May 14, 2012 – Touring | Record Labels | Indies | Branding | Rock & Pop | Dance | R&B/Hip-Hop
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival will once again dip into two separate weekends in 2013, after successfully debuting the six-day model -- with the same lineup for each weekend -- in 2012. There will also be an increase in ticket prices with a three-day general admission wristband selling for $349. » Full Story
Jay-Z on the Budweiser 'Made in America' Fest, Putting New Music On Hold
May 14, 2012 – Touring | Record Labels | Branding | Rock & Pop | R&B/Hip-Hop
After announcing his new Budweiser and Live Nation sponsored festival in Philadelphia, Jay-Z took time to speak to Billboard about creating the fest, Jack White's "insanity," and putting new music on hold to hang out with Blue Ivy Carter. » Full Story
How Gotye's 'Somebody That I Used To Know' Became an Unlikely No. 1 Dance Hit
May 14, 2012 – Radio | Record Labels | Branding | Rock & Pop | Dance
Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know," featuring Kimbra just hit No. 1 on the Billboard's Dance Club Songs and Dance/Mix Show Airplay charts while leading the Hot 100 the past four weeks and Alternative for ten  -- the first track to ever top all four tallies. Question is, what do dance radio programmers like about a remixed rock song? » Full Story
Jay-Z Headlining, Curating Live Nation's 'Budweiser Made In America' Music Fest in Philly
May 13, 2012 – Touring | Record Labels | Branding
Jay-Z and Budweiser are expected to announce Monday their partnership to bring a two-day music festival, “Budweiser Made In America,” to Philadelphia over Labor Day Weekend. Jay-Z will headline as well as curate the lineup for the event, which is produced by Live Nation » Full Story
Q&A: eMusic CEO Adam Klein on How Subscription Services Help His Download Business @NARM
May 11, 2012 – Record Labels | Digital & Mobile | Branding
You couldn’t swing a dead cat at the NARM convention without hearing a conversation about subscription services. Most people have a “wait and see” attitude about upstart companies like Spotify with both paid and free streaming services. eMusic CEO Adam Klein seems to have made up his mind, however – and he likes them. » Full Story
Social Marketing: Adding Dollars to Fan Interaction at NARM Conference
May 11, 2012 – Digital & Mobile | Retail | Branding
Turning fan engagement into dollars was the topic of one NARM panel, where representatives from RootMusic, Neurotic Media, Hip Digital Media, and YouTube discussed tactics for taking social interaction and turning it into a viable, monetized fan base. » Full Story
Billboard's 40 Under 40: Cast Your Nominations Here!
May 11, 2012 – Touring | Record Labels | Publishing | Global | Indies | TV & Film | Digital & Mobile | Retail | Branding | Rock & Pop | R&B/Hip-Hop
Who do you think are the rising young executives under forty years old who are driving the music business forward? Billboard's new Power Players special feature "40 Under 40" will identify these individuals -- and we invite our readers to offer their nominations online here. Make your voice heard here. » Full Story
gerald casale Devo's Gerald Casale Talks Licensing, 360 Deals and Syncs: 'The System Has to Get Better'
May 10, 2012 – Publishing | Legal & Management | Branding | Rock & Pop
Devo's Gerald V. Casale has more experience than most when it comes to the music-rights licensing market. Early in their career, the group saw the opportunity to expand their revenue streams beyond label and publishing deals into merch, sync, endorsements, multimedia and more, taking a businesslike, corporate outlook towards their band and brand -– one that many perceived as tongue-in-cheek, but turns out to have been very prescient. » Full Story
Tamiko Fletcher Named VP of Cumulus Network Operations
May 10, 2012 – Radio | Digital & Mobile | Branding
Cumulus Media Networks today announced the appointment of Tamiko Fletcher to Vice President of Network Operations. Fletcher will oversee the operational aspects of new program and service launches and assist Dennis Green, Senior Vice President of Affiliate Sales, in the management of day-to-day operations in the Dallas office. » Full Story
Spotify's Artist In Residence DA Wallach on Apps, Artist Services, and What His Job Title Means
May 10, 2012 – Digital & Mobile | Branding | Rock & Pop
As one of its many efforts to make itself a different kind of music-subscription service, Spotify brought in an official “artist in residence”: DA Wallach, one half of the pop-rock duo Chester French. Wallach, who turns up in both Rick Ross videos and on social media panels, talked with Billboard.biz about exactly what his job entails. » Full Story
Facebook Announces New App Center
May 10, 2012 – Record Labels | Digital & Mobile | Branding
Facebook has announced a new App Center on its Developer Blog which it describes as both a place for people to discover social apps and a vehicle for developers to promote and build upon their apps. The post, written by Facebook engineer Aaron Brady, also announced the introduction of paid apps and a mobile version of the new platform. » Full Story
Tim-McGraw-Show-Me-Fest Tim McGraw Teams With JBL For Custom Headphone Line
May 10, 2012 – Branding | Country
Tim McGraw has unveiled a pair of custom-designed headphones created with Harman International’s JBL Artist Series. An on-ear set of studio headphones will sell for a suggested retail price of $129.95, while a set of in-ear noise-canceling headphones will sell for a suggested retail price of $49.95. » Full Story
Live Nation Logo Live Nation's Q1 Report: Ticket Sales, Net Loss Up
May 10, 2012 – Touring | Record Labels | Global | Digital & Mobile | Branding
Through April 30, 2012, Live Nation concert ticket sales are up 23% over the same period in the prior year, with North America up 25% and International up 19%, according to financial reports disclosed Wednesday.  Live Nation’s growing stake in the robust North American concert business helped boost ticket sales by more than 30% for the period. » Full Story
Tech Types Tackle TV-Music Tie-Ins at NARM
May 10, 2012 – Record Labels | Publishing | TV & Film | Digital & Mobile | Retail | Branding
Turning living rooms into virtual record stores guided by television shows and ads is just a few technological clicks away from becoming a reality. How to get there was the subject of a fascinating NARM panel which included Audible Magic''s Jay Friedman, Ted Cohen of TAG Strategic and NPD Group's Russ Crupnic. » Full Story
Jamaica's Reggae Film Festival Tells Island's Rich Music Story
May 10, 2012 – Touring | Global | Legal & Management | TV & Film | Branding
While it’s unlikely any of the movies presented at the 5th Annual Reggae Film Festival will attract the widespread interest generated by director Kevin McDonald’s “Marley” doc, films such as "Studio Drummie One," "Showtime!" and "Sing Your Song" are just as significant in chronicling the multifaceted narrative that is Jamaica's popular music history. » Full Story
Business Matters: @NARM - Ready or Not, Brands and Music Are BFFs
May 9, 2012 – Touring | Record Labels | Digital & Mobile | Retail | Branding
Brands are getting more involved with music. That may not always be a good thing, but it’s a trend that isn’t going to reverse course. “Bands and Brands 2012: Who’s in Charge?” may have been one of the most important panels at NARM, a conference typically associated with retailers and record labels. And one metric stands out in Live Nation’s first-quarter results released Wednesday: revenue per concert. Revenue from concerts declined 0.1% to $448.7 million from $449.3 million in the first quarter of 2011. » Full Story
Inaugural Women's Music Summit With Meshell Ndegeocello, Kaki King, Melissa Auf Der Maur, Marnie Stern Announced
May 9, 2012 – Touring | Record Labels | Branding
The Music Masters Camp Series has announced it is adding a Women’s Music Summit to its musician programs with a roster that includes Kaki King, Meshell Ndegeocello, Melissa Auf der Maur and Marnie Stern. The inaugural event is slated for August 27-31 at the Full Moon Resort in Big Indian, NY. » Full Story
Kim Dotcom Doc Co-Produced by Donovan Leitch, Biography By Neil Strauss In the Works
May 9, 2012 – Global | Legal & Management | TV & Film | Digital & Mobile | Branding | Rock & Pop
Kim Dotcom, the indicted founder of shuttered file-sharing service Megaupload, will reportedly be the subject of a documentary and biography according to co-producers Donovan Leitch and Alex Mardikain. The duo also say former New York Times music writer Neil Strauss has a book on Dotcom in the works.  » Full Story
Broadway's 'How To Succeed in Business' Starring Nick Jonas Didn't Succeed In Business
May 9, 2012 – Legal & Management | TV & Film | Branding | Rock & Pop
Nick Jonas tried hard but couldn't keep Broadway's "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" in business. Producers of the musical said Tuesday they they were reluctantly handing it a pink slip after several months of lackluster box office revenue. » Full Story
Lady Antebellum Teams With Lipton Tea & Honey For New TV Spot
May 8, 2012 – Touring | Branding | Country
Lady Antebellum debuted a new 30-second TV spot for Lipton Tea & Honey, a flavor created in partnership by Pepsi and Unilever. In the CGI-laden spot, created with ad agency DDB, the band lights up -- literally -- with the drink’s “100% natural” ingredients just before it performs hit single “We Owned The Night” to a sold-out crowd. It's just one piece of Lipton’s biggest musical marketing push to date. » Full Story
Exclusive: Whitney Houston To Be Honored in Next 'VH1 Divas' Tribute
May 8, 2012 – TV & Film | Digital & Mobile | Branding | Rock & Pop | R&B/Hip-Hop
VH1 will pay tribute to Whitney Houston for its next “VH1 Divas,” Billboard has learned. The network will tape the performance in Los Angeles in December with Houston’s longtime musical director Rickey Minor. VH1 also plans to renew its investment in music programming, according to VH1 President Tom Calderone, with both old (“Storytellers,” “Unplugged” “Behind The Music,” “Pop Up Video”) new (“The Greatest,” “Big Morning Buzz Live”) and online (Tuner) programming. » Full Story
One Direction Gets Global Toy Deal With Hasbro; Lee 'Scratch' Perry Has His Own Figurine
May 8, 2012 – Global | Retail | Branding
Artists of all ages and genres are getting into the toy business, as near-polar opposites such as boy band One Direction and influential reggae and dub artist Lee "Scratch" Perry are both getting dolls. » Full Story
Facebook Breaks Up With Grooveshark on Eve of IPO
May 8, 2012 – Record Labels | Legal & Management | Digital & Mobile | Branding
With its initial public stock offering days away, Facebook has deleted the official page and app of Grooveshark, the music streaming service currently in litigation with the four major labels over its alleged use of unlicensed music. Facebook is partnered with many of Grooveshark licensed competitors. » Full Story
Universal U.K Partners With Liam Gallagher's Pretty Green Clothing Label To Open Virtual 'Shop-Front' Record Stores
May 8, 2012 – Record Labels | Global | Digital & Mobile | Retail | Branding
Launching May 24, Universal Music U.K. is to partner with British fashion company Pretty Green – the clothing label and retail chain set up by former Oasis, now Beady Eye singer Liam Gallagher – to host a U.K.-wide chain of virtual shop-front record stores, whereby customers can use their smart phones to scan and purchase a range of vinyl albums displayed in shop windows. » Full Story
CTIA Wireless Assoc. Kicks Off Annual Trade Show With Mobile Wallets
May 8, 2012 – Record Labels | Digital & Mobile | Retail | Branding
CTIA Wireless, the U.S. cellphone industry's annual trade show that starts Tuesday, is drawing heavy participation not just from the cellphone industry, but from MasterCard, Visa, and other companies in the business of moving money around. » Full Story
ShareMyPlaylists Launches iOS App For iPhone, iPad
May 7, 2012 – Record Labels | Digital & Mobile | Retail | Branding | Rock & Pop | R&B/Hip-Hop
ShareMyPlaylists.com has announced the launch of a new music discovery iOS app based around its curated Spotify playlists. Since its launch in 2009, ShareMyPlaylists has published over 87,000 curated Spotify playlists. Amongst its more noted playlist creators: tech titan Sean Parker and Belgian-Australian singer-songwriter (and current Hot 100 chart-topper) Gotye. » Full Story
CeeLo Green, Purrfect The Cat Release Meow Mix Remix For Del Monte (Listen)
May 7, 2012 – Retail | Branding | R&B/Hip-Hop
CeeLo Green is no stranger to launching careers, as he has done for contestants on NBC's "The Voice," but his latest project may be the most unique collaboration yet: CeeLo's pet Persian cat Purrfect is the singer's counterpart on his remix of the "Meow Mix" jingle. » Full Story
Sainsbury's, UK's Third-Largest Supermarket, Launches Music Download Store
May 7, 2012 – Record Labels | Global | Digital & Mobile | Retail | Branding
Sainsbury’s, the U.K.’s third-largest supermarket, has launched a music download store. Sainsbury's Entertainment website offers a catalog of over 2.3 million tracks with song prices starting at £0.89 ($1.44) and the majority of chart albums costing £6.99 ($11.29). » Full Story
 
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