24 5 / 2012
Exclusive: Rdio Working on Plan to Directly Compensate Artists | Billboard
Reposted from http://bit.ly/JLTcjO on May 24, 2012 at 05:32AMMusic subscription service Rdio is formulating a plan to directly compensate recording artists for bringing it new subscribers, according to a source within the company and two managers who have discussed the program with Rdio. The plan comes at a time when subscription services are fighting for market share and against negative publicity over royalty payments.
24 5 / 2012
John Mayer Going for Third No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart | Billboard
Reposted from http://bit.ly/JsqOzm on May 23, 2012 at 05:18PMJohn Mayer’s new album “Born and Raised” is heading for No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart next week. Industry sources suggest it could sell around 220,000 to 240,000 copies by week’s end on May 27. The new Billboard 200 chart’s top 10 will be revealed on the morning of May 30.
23 5 / 2012
Pandora Beats Guidance for Quarter, Raises Guidance for Fiscal Year | Billboard
Reposted from http://bit.ly/Js1dqj on May 23, 2012 at 03:03PMPandora Media pleased investors by beating estimates for its fiscal first quarter revenue and increasing its guidance for the fiscal year. Revenue grew 58% to $80.8 million, easily beating the company’s guidance of $72 million to $75 million.
23 5 / 2012
Donna Summer’s Album Sales Skyrocket 3,277% Following Death | Billboard
Reposted from http://bit.ly/KfdBLo on May 23, 2012 at 01:13PMThe late Donna Summer impacts Billboard’s music charts this week, following her death on May 17. Billboard’s new sales charts reflect only four days since Summer’s passing, but in that time the Queen of Disco had four albums enter the Billboard 200 up 3,277% from the week before; and 187,000 song downloads (up from 4,000) topped by “Last Dance” and “On the Radio.”
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23 5 / 2012
Business Matters: Is Vevo Considering An IPO? | Billboard
Reposted from http://bit.ly/JSMEAC on May 23, 2012 at 12:42PMVevo is seeking new investors to help fund its international expansion, according to two reports — and one claims the video streaming company is considering an initial public stock offering. Also, mobile-first social apps could be hurting YouTube; and Flurry, a new social startup, is launching with partners Live Nation and BandPage.
23 5 / 2012
Music Apps For the Summer Time — Last.fm Festivals, Blog DJs, Chart Playlists, More | Billboard
Reposted from http://bit.ly/KfdBLe on May 23, 2012 at 10:48AMAs the thermometer consistently tops 70 degrees here in New England, it’s safe to say summer is coming in. For music lovers, that means music festivals. This week’s batch includes Last.Fm’s Festivals app, designer playlist apps, and chart-based apps that allow you to stream some of the most popular music on the U.S. charts.
23 5 / 2012
What to Expect from Pandora’s Earnings Release Today | Billboard
Reposted from http://bit.ly/L8amXV on May 23, 2012 at 06:03AMLook for continued, strong listener growth to be the theme when Pandora Media reports its fiscal first quarter earnings today after the end of the trading day. The company’s shares are down 30% to $9.98 since first fourth quarter earnings were released March 6.
23 5 / 2012
Fool’s Gold’s Nick Catchdubs on The Goldmine, Indie Label’s New Premium Digital Service (Q&A) | Billboard
Reposted from http://bit.ly/JnbpDZ on May 23, 2012 at 04:05AMFool’s Gold, the Brooklyn-based indie label, just launched The Goldmine, a premium digital subscription service. Here, label co-founder Nick Catchdubs explains the service’s genesis; the challenge of translating the label’s physical retail experience to digital (“you’re not going to see A-Trak”), and how the Holy Ship! cruise inspired the first release.
23 5 / 2012
Lady Gaga Tweets Indonesia ‘Born This Way’ Show Still Up In The Air | Billboard
Reposted from http://bit.ly/KyqixS on May 23, 2012 at 03:24AMLady Gaga is as confused as anyone about whether she’ll be allowed to perform in Indonesia with protests, censorship and permits clouding the situation. And the superstar’s tweets on the matter didn’t clear things up.
22 5 / 2012
Business Matters: Pre-release File Sharing Helps Album Sales, Says a Study. So Why Not Replicate This Legally? | Billboard
Reposted from http://bit.ly/JArVuW on May 22, 2012 at 12:17PMA study by an assistant professor at North Carolina State University posited that file sharing before an album’s release date helped boost sales for established and popular artists, rather than hurt them. So, how can the music industry take advantage of this data in a legal way? Elsewhere, Facebook’s stock dropped again, and opinions differ as to its value.
22 5 / 2012
Sony Music Unlimited, More Open Than Ever, Takes the iOS Plunge on Friday | Billboard
Reposted from http://bit.ly/L3RZDh on May 22, 2012 at 11:08AMSony Music Unlimited is dipping into the iOS, expanding its service to Apple’s iPhones from its previously Android-only model. It’s service, which contains over 15 million songs, can also be synched across all Sony devices.
22 5 / 2012
Alliance Entertainment Acquires Audiolife | Billboard
Reposted from http://bit.ly/L1IaFV on May 22, 2012 at 04:15AMAlliance Entertainment has acquired Audiolife, a direct-to-fan fulfillment company in a move to expand its direct-to-consumer fulfillment business. Audiolife’s clients include such artists as Paul McCartney, Beastie Boys, Eminem and Leann Rimes as well as companies like Topspin, ReverbNation and LMFAO’s Party Rock clothing.
21 5 / 2012
Business Matters: Triton Media Helping Pandora Seem More Like a Radio Company | Billboard
Reposted from http://bit.ly/Jj96yj on May 21, 2012 at 01:48PMPandora is now being measured by Triton Digital, giving it information it can provide to advertisers that speaks the same language as terrestrial radio companies, allowing Pandora to sell to more easily to advertisers. Elsewhere, Hastings is the latest company to blame low quarter earnings on the weak CD release schedule, and the Financial Times thinks Sony undervalues Sony Music and Pictures.
21 5 / 2012
Spotify to Launch in Australia and New Zealand Tuesday | Billboard
Reposted from http://bit.ly/KEFoDs on May 21, 2012 at 01:00PMSpotify will launch in Australia and New Zealand Tuesday, giving the leading on-demand music service its first presence outside Europe and the United States and its 14th and 15th overall markets. The service’s catalog will have 16 million tracks in each country.
21 5 / 2012
How To Improve Music Discovery and Sales On TV: A Billboard Special White Paper | Billboard
Reposted from http://bit.ly/JshOip on May 21, 2012 at 12:45PMThis special Billboard white paper was undertaken as a joint project among Billboard, NARM’S DigitalMusic.org division and TAG Strategic towards developing steps to improving music discovery on TV. The content is based on a session at the National Assn. of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) conference, Music Biz 2012, titled “Music & TV: Enabling Discovery for the Connected Consumer” that was organized by DigitalMusic.org and TAG Strategic.
