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Donna Summer's Album Sales Surge, Despite Lack of Availability
May 19, 2012 – Record Labels | Retail | Chart Alert
Despite how nearly half of the late Donna Summer's studio albums are off the market, the diva's catalog is due to make waves on the Billboard charts next week. » Full Story
Tenacious D, 'Glee' and Garbage Headed for High Debuts on Billboard 200 Chart
May 18, 2012 – Record Labels | Retail | Chart Alert
While it seems that Adam Lambert is on the verge of his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart with Trespassing, a number of other acts are set to debut in the top 20 next week, including Tenacious D, Garbage, and the 'Glee' cast. » Full Story
Chart Moves: Keane & Karmin's Albums Debut, Pitbull's Not-Quite Career-Spanning Hits Set Arrives
May 18, 2012 – Record Labels | Retail | Chart Alert
Carrie Underwood held on to the No. 1 slot on the Billboard 200 while Adele climbed back to No. 2, Keane and Karmin debuted, and Damien Rice made a surprise re-appearance on the chart. » Full Story
Donna Summer - In Memoriam: There Will Always Be a You
May 18, 2012 – Touring | Record Labels | Global | Legal & Management | Retail | Rock & Pop | R&B/Hip-Hop
Michael Paoletta for ten years was Billboard's esteemed dance/electronic music editor. He not only interviewed Donna Summer (and her producer Giorgio Moroder) on several occasions, but grew up with and was inspired by Summer's seminal music, meteoric success and sustained stardom. As such, there may be no better person to help put her greatness and loss in perspective. » Full Story
adam lambert Adam Lambert Headed for No. 1 on Next Week's Billboard 200 Albums Chart
May 16, 2012 – Record Labels | Retail | Chart Alert
The Good News: Adam Lambert is vying for his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart next week. The Bad News: His "Trespassing" set may only sell around 70,000 to 80,000 copies, the smallest sum at No. 1 on the chart since last August. » Full Story
Carrie Underwood's 'Blown Away' Album Nabs Second Week At No. 1
May 16, 2012 – Radio | Record Labels | Digital & Mobile | Retail | Rock & Pop | Chart Alert | R&B/Hip-Hop
Carrie Underwood holds at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for a second week, with "Blown Away" selling another 120,000 copies (down 55%, according to Nielsen SoundScan). It's Underwood's third No. 1 album, but first to spend more than a week at the top. » Full Story
Universal Music Group Q1 Revenue Up 9.1%, Credits Madonna, Nicki Minaj, Gotye, Van Halen Releases
May 15, 2012 – Record Labels | Global | Legal & Management | Digital & Mobile | Retail | Rock & Pop | R&B/Hip-Hop
Universal Music Group revenues increased 9.1% to $1.28 billion in the first quarter of 2012. Earnings before interest, taxes and amortization (EBITA) grew 47% to $90.8 million. Parent company Vivendi attributed revenue growth in part to a strong release schedule that included albums by Madonna, Nicki Minaj, Van Halen, Gotye, Lana Del Rey and Germany’s Unheilig. » Full Story
hmv logo HMV Looks to Grow Ticketing Division by Partnering With Ticketmaster U.K.
May 15, 2012 – Touring | Retail
Troubled U.K. entertainment retailer HMV has teamed with the British arm of Ticketmaster as it looks to expand its ticketing operations. » Full Story
Sony Corp Logo Sony Closes Indiana Distribution Center, Lays Off 226
May 15, 2012 – Record Labels | Publishing | Global | Legal & Management | Retail
Sony plans to cut 226 jobs from its Fishers, Ind. distribution center. » 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
Best Buy Best Buy Founder Richard Schulze Steps Down Amid CEO Investigation
May 14, 2012 – Legal & Management | Retail
Best Buy said Monday its founder Richard Schulze is stepping down as chairman after an investigation found that he knew that the CEO was having a relationship with a female employee and failed to alert the audit committee. » Full Story
Keane, Rita Ora Top U.K. Music Charts
May 14, 2012 – Record Labels | Global | Digital & Mobile | Retail | Rock & Pop | R&B/Hip-Hop
East Sussex melodic rock quartet Keane scored their fifth consecutive No. 1 on the U.K. album chart yesterday with “Strangeland” (Universal Isand). London starlet Rita Ora debuted atop the singles survey with “R.I.P.” (Roc Nation/Columbia/Sony Music Entertainment), which follows her chart-topping guest appearance on DJ Fresh’s  “Hot Right Now” in February. » Full Story
Silversun Pickups, Tank, Karmin and Keane Aiming for Top of Billboard 200
May 11, 2012 – Record Labels | Digital & Mobile | Retail | Rock & Pop | R&B/Hip-Hop
Carrie Underwood's "Blown Away" may find itself at No. 1 for a second week on the Billboard 200 albums chart, fending off Adele's "21." Industry sources suggest Underwood's fourth album will sell between 95,000 and 110,000 by the end of the tracking week on Sunday, May 13. » Full Story
Business Matters: Doing More With Less - A Key Theme at NARM 2012
May 11, 2012 – Touring | Record Labels | Legal & Management | Indies | Digital & Mobile | Retail
The theme at NARM’s Music Biz 2012 conference was forced austerity. “We’re doing more with less,” one major label executive said when asked how his company was doing. Also, investors and analysts have reacted positively to Live Nation’s first quarter earnings. The company’s shares rose 6.6% Thursday and another 0.7% Friday. And MP3tunes.com has filed for bankruptcy, but that won’t stop EMI from proceeding with its lawsuit against the company, according to CNET. » 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
Samsung Acquires mSpot, Cloud-Based Service Provider
May 11, 2012 – Record Labels | Global | Digital & Mobile | Retail
Samsung Electronics has announced it is acquiring mSpot, Inc., a mobile cloud-based content service provider. The acquisition will allow users of Samsung devices to access digital content, including music, video and radio. » 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
Usher, 'The Voice's Juliet Simms, Coldplay Move Up Hot 100
May 11, 2012 – Radio | Record Labels | TV & Film | Retail | Rock & Pop | R&B/Hip-Hop
While Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know," featuring Kimbra made Hot 100 history, other artists had their own chart milestones. The Voice's runner-up Juliet Simms and her rendition of "It's a Man's Man's World," Usher's smooth "Climax" and Coldplay's Paradise all impacted this week's tally. » Full Story
Global Retail, Labels Plan For Record Store Day 2013 at NARM
May 10, 2012 – Record Labels | Global | Indies | Digital & Mobile | Retail | Rock & Pop
While this year's Record Store Day was a resounding success, retailers and labels met in a townhall meeting to figure out how they can make next year's event even bigger. Labels and retailers from around the globe gathered at NARM to discuss everything from lack of product available to issuing exclusive items from big-name artists. » Full Story
Chart Moves: Coldplay's 'American Idol' Gain; 'Avengers' Soundtrack Debuts; Jackie Evancho Returns to No. 1
May 10, 2012 – TV & Film | Digital & Mobile | Retail | Rock & Pop | Country
As reported earlier this week, Carrie Underwood claimed her third No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart with "Blown Away." The effort, her fourth release overall, debuted atop the list with 267,000 copies sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It was a busy top 10, as six new albums debuted in the region. Norah Jones' "Little Broken Hearts" started in the runner-up slot (110,000), while the "Now 42" compilation staked its claim at No. 3 (95,000). » Full Story
Business Matters: @NARM Royalties Are Getting Messier; Can the Problem Be Fixed?
May 10, 2012 – Record Labels | Digital & Mobile | Retail
Digital music has record labels and artists swimming -- some may say drowning -- in a sea of data. The NARM panel “Commerce vs. Royalties: Fitting a Square Peg in a Round Role” had the panelists and audience pondering exactly how to fix the mess. Also, Facebook has announced an upcoming app store called App Center -- but it’s not what you think. App Center does not sell apps that run on the Facebook platform. » Full Story
Danish Music Industry Hosts SPOT Festival, Looks to Invade Germany
May 10, 2012 – Record Labels | Global | Retail
The Viking invasions of over 1,000 years ago changed the map of Europe. Now, a different sort of invasion has been launched from Denmark. This year’s annual SPOT festival had neighboring Germany in its sights, with seminars, networking sessions, breakfasts and live shows specifically aimed at the 140 German delegates attending the event. » Full Story
Sony Reports $463 Million Music Profit While Parent Corp. Posts Record $5.7 Billion Loss
May 10, 2012 – Record Labels | Publishing | Global | Legal & Management | Digital & Mobile | Retail
Sony Corp. racked up a record annual loss of $5.7 billion in its fourth straight year of red ink while Sony posted an operating profit in music of $463 million for the year on sales of $5.5 billion. The label's best-sellers included Adele's "21" and Beyonce's "4." » 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
streaming music Germany and the UK Launch Music Streaming Charts
May 10, 2012 – Global | Indies | Digital & Mobile | Retail | Rock & Pop | R&B/Hip-Hop
Much like Billboard did this past March when it launched its On-Demand Songs chart with Nielsen and DigitalMusic.org, the UK and Germany have followed suit, announcing the launch of national digital music streaming tallies. » Full Story
Iris Exclusive: The Orchard Acquires IRIS Distribution
May 9, 2012 – Record Labels | Indies | Retail
The Orchard has acquired fellow digital distributor IRIS Distribution, bringing further consolidation to the digital distribution marketplace, according to an email apparently addressed to IRIS-distributed labels from that company's co-founder and president Matt Laszuk. » 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
NARM Announces New Board Members
May 9, 2012 – Record Labels | Digital & Mobile | Retail
NARM announced today its slate of new officers at the organization's annual convention, with Brent Muhle, Craig Pape, and John Trickett coming on board, and Rachelle Friedman re-elected as the organization's chair. » Full Story
Gotye's 'Somebody' Makes History -- First Song to Top Hot 100, Alternative and Dance Club Songs
May 9, 2012 – Radio | Record Labels | Global | Retail | Rock & Pop | Chart Alert
Gotye makes history in a few different categories, as "Somebody That I Used to Know" is the first song to top the Hot 100, Alternative and Dance Club Songs charts, and becomes the longest-reigning No. 1 song by a soloist on Alternative at ten weeks. » Full Story
Pete Tong on Ibiza's International Music Summit & Keeping The EDM House In Order
May 9, 2012 – Touring | Record Labels | Global | Retail | Dance
Long-standing BBC Radio 1 DJ, Pete Tong has been at the forefront of electronic dance music (EDM) for over twenty years. Speaking exclusively to Billboard.biz, Tong discussed how IMS has grown, why the explosion of dance music in North America is set to last and how EDM patrons "can't be doing illegal s--t" if they want to attract big money sponsors and investment. » Full Story
Business Matters: NARM Embraces Big Data -- Will Big Data Reciprocate?
May 8, 2012 – Record Labels | Legal & Management | Digital & Mobile | Retail
Big Data invaded the NARM conference on Tuesday afternoon. The music industry at large is certainly interested in harnessing big data to work smarter. But is it ready for big data? And did legal injunctions against LimeWire have any impact on consumer behavior? Nielsen Entertainment senior VP of analytics and client relations David Bakula gave a presentation at NARM on a Nielsen research project that tackled the question. » 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
alliance Alliance to Distribute CD Baby Catalog
May 8, 2012 – Digital & Mobile | Retail
Alliance Entertainment has signed on to distribute CD Baby's enormous inventory of titles to its brick and mortar account base, as well as the online stores serviced by the giant wholesaler. » 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
Business Matters: Google Going Vertical, Plans to Invest in Online Video Creator Machinima
May 7, 2012 – Legal & Management | TV & Film | Digital & Mobile | Retail
Google is boosting its video content even further by investing in Machinima, re-iterating the push they made when flooding YouTube with $100 million to bolster its original programming. Elsewhere, online commerce startup Gumroad has raised $7 million in funding despite some potential content concerns, while Perfect 10 is suing Tumblr for copyright infringement. » 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
Marina & The Diamonds Debut At No. 1 On UK Album Charts
May 7, 2012 – Record Labels | Global | Digital & Mobile | Retail | Rock & Pop | R&B/Hip-Hop
Marina and the Diamonds debuted at No. 1 on the U.K. album chart yesterday with sophomore album “Electra Heart” (679/Atlantic/Warner Music). Tulisa, known as a member of pop/R&B band N-Dubz and as a judge on “The X Factor,” went straight to the top of the singles survey with “Young” (All Around The World/Universal Island). » Full Story
 
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