Music Industry News

Is Streaming Bad for the Music Industry?

Source: HypeBot
October 7, 2009

First it was, “Fans want to feel it."

Then it was, “Fans want to own it."

Now it's, “Why own when I can save?"

One of the unforeseen impacts of the global economic downturn on the music industry is the accelerated rate of consumers' adoption of streaming music... And this means trouble for the already wounded music industry.

Midem Adds Showcase for Digital Music Startups

Source: HypeBot
October 7, 2009

I tipped you off to this several weeks ago, but now its official. Midem has launched its new technology showcase dubbed MidemNet Labs and named the judges who will sift through submissions to find the new best of the best.

The 15 most promising companies will be invited to present at MIDEM in January 2010 in Cannes. The start-ups to be showcased will be chosen by UK consultancy Music Ally and a jury of entrepreneurs that includes Mathew Daniel, VP ...

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New Breakthrough for Indie Hip Hop Jazz Artist Victor Valente.

Source: Michael Ricci
October 6, 2009

Known for his 2005 saxophone rendition of Mc Lytes 1989 hit “Cappuccino," hip hop jazz musician Victor Valente seals a deal with AMI Entertainment, making Victor the first indie hip hop jazz artist to license music to one of the largest major Hybrid Jukebox Network in the U.S. Since launching his publishing and music licensing company (Victor Valente Music Publishing) Victor has focused his efforts on music for advertising, TV, motion pictures, music production and remixing aside from his own ...

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Can Classical Music Be Cool Again?

Source: HypeBot
October 4, 2009

The audiences attending symphony performances and classical music concerts has been dwindling for years, and the solutions offered have been many. From ensembles created more for their beauty and novelty then their talent, to orchestral rock music concerts like The Machine performing Pink Floyd in hugely successful shows with the San Diego and Pittsburgh Symphonies, purveyors of classical music are doing all that they can to attract new audiences.

The tide may finally be turning in their favor and two ...

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Two YouTube Musicians Start an Indie Label for Other YouTube Musicians

Source: HypeBot
October 4, 2009

Small indie label DFTBA - which stands for “don't forget to be awesome" - focuses entirely on acts that gained their first attention via YouTube and is run by online video stalwarts Alan Lastufka (fallofautumndistro) and Hank Green (vlogbrothers).

To date, DFTBA Records has released 10 CDs from YouTube stars like Dave Days, Venetian Princess, and Rhett & Link with total sales of $100,000+. They operate as an independent distribution ...

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At One Manhattan Corner, Music Never Dies

Source: Michael Ricci
October 1, 2009

God’s work--at least as it appeared two weeks ago inside an oak-paneled studio on West 44th Street in Manhattan--consisted of the following acts: A musical archivist removed from its case the sole extant copy of some 1941 session takes of Billie Holiday crooning “All of Me.” A recording engineer received this disc and placed it very gently on a turntable. The studio itself then did the rest: Its speakers cracked with static, a quick piano vamp followed, the horns came ...

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YouTube to Regain Warner Music Videos

Source: Michael Ricci
October 1, 2009

A new agreement lets Warner control the advertising around its music videos and split the proceeds with YouTube but keep most of the revenue. Licensing talks had reached an impasse late last year.

The Internet's dominant video site and one of the world's largest music companies had been locked in a dispute over the value of music videos, some of the most popular content on YouTube, whose young viewers are coveted by advertisers.

Licensing talks reached an impasse late last ...

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Comcast in Deal Talks with NBC Universal

Source: Michael Ricci
October 1, 2009

Cable giant Comcast Corp. is kicking the tires of NBC Universal, according to people familiar with the situation.

Comcast, the nation's largest cable operator with almost 25 million subscribers, has been looking to increase its content holdings for several years. In NBC Universal it would get its hands on not only a big broadcast network and movie studio, but also several powerful cable channels, including USA, Syfy, CNBC, MSNBC and Bravo. NBC parent General Electric has often denied that it ...

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