Technology News

And then They Were One: Ticketmaster & Live Nation Finalize Merger

Source: Michael Ricci
February 10, 2009

The largest ticket seller and the largest live concert promoter could have vast influence on pricing in the entertainment business. The deal may face antitrust challenges.

Live Nation Inc. and Ticketmaster Entertainment Inc. today announced that the two goliaths would merge, combining the biggest concert promoter with the leading ticketing and artist-management company.

The combined company, with almost $6 billion in sales, would touch virtually every aspect of the concert business.

Ticketmaster is the world's largest seller of concert tickets ...

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A Ticket Reseller Reacts to Live Nation Tickemaster Merger

Source: HypeBot
February 9, 2009

OP-ED: This potential merger will take an industry that thrives on taking advantage of consumers and make it even more attainable for unconscionable practices to become the norm.

Ticketmaster and Live Nation thrive in the shadows and are forced to find creative ways to keep a wide group of stakeholders happy and fed. Questionable service fees used to do the job, but with the potential ability of directing significant ticket inventory (which this merger will allow them to exclusively control) ...

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Merger Expected of Ticketmaster and Live Nation

Source: Michael Ricci
February 9, 2009

Ticketmaster is expected on Monday to announce an agreement to merge with Live Nation in a deal that could reshape the music and live entertainment business.

Barring a last-minute twist, the boards of both companies were planning to meet to approve the merger after the Grammy Awards on Sunday night, people close to the deal said.

The merger, if approved by regulators, would create a company with almost $6 billion in revenue and a dominant position up and down the ...

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Ticketmaster/Live Nation Merger Could Raise Ticket Prices

Source: All About Jazz
February 9, 2009

Live Nation and Ticketmaster are expected to announce a merger Monday in a deal that could lead to a dramatic change in how event tickets are sold.

From the fixed price norm that often results in quick sellouts for popular shows to an auction-based model that legitimizes what scalpers have always done.

If Live Nation and Ticketmaster merge, the combined entity could bypass the primary ticketing system partially or completely, forcing fans to bid against each other for tickets in ...

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Youtube, Tell Us of This Thing Called 'Internet'

Source: All About Jazz
February 9, 2009

Found footage offers a veritable smorgasbord of geeky trivia about the Web provide an always-amusing, often startling picture of how we used to be.

YouTube is awesome. But you know that. Its the repository for the flotsam and Jetsons of popular culture, an outlet for teen ennui, some of the longest Rick-rolling practical jokes, and every so often, a showcase for genuine talent. It also contains hours of amazing found footage, a veritable smorgasbord of geeky trivia.

Once relegated to ...

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EconMusic Conference Coverage

Source: HypeBot
February 8, 2009

SUBSCRIPTIONS, MYSPACE DATA,EXPERIMENTATION & MOBILE

A guest post from fellow ArtistDish podcaster Patrick Wooward

The EconMusic event held at the LA Times building on Thursday brought together some good thinkers and business people in the digital music space.  The familiar topics were covered: mobile, artist/fan connections, and more.

'What's up with subscription?' came up quite a bit during the day.  It was discussed on both of the day's panels, and the consensus was that it has a place ...

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WSDG No Sweat for Sweatshop Studios

Source: All About Jazz
February 8, 2009

In an era marked by large studio closings and sizeable dips in traditional record company revenue, signs of a resilient independent studio community bear witness to the health of niche-oriented studio owner/operators. Witness Sweatshop Studios a 1060 sq. ft. acoustic and aesthetic gem recently completed in Katonah, NY by Walters-Storyk Design Group. “As the owner of a small business I learned the value of performing due diligence early on," says Sweatshop owner Shaul Dover. “When my son Edan and I ...

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Jeopardy: What is High-Tech?

Source: All About Jazz
February 7, 2009

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