Music Business Times News

Abolish Music Copyright? The Idea Keeps Gaining Steam

Fri, 25 May 2012 04:39 GMT

If music rights are a mess, why not get rid of the mess? This isn't a fringe idea harbored by the Pirate Bay anymore - then again, the Pirate Party is starting to win more representation than ever in places like Germany. And just this week, the European Commissioner spent considerable time arguing against the abolishment of music copyrights, perhaps validating the concept more than discrediting it in the process...

James Brown - a Music Video Challenge Now Open for Entries

Fri, 25 May 2012 04:36 GMT

In an unprecedented collaboration between Saatchi and Saatchi, Genero.tv, BUG Music Videos and Universal Music Enterprises, the music of James Brown will be brought to the attention of a whole new generation through the art of filmmaking. Saatchi is challenging the international filmmaking community to bring to life some of the most significant tracks of the 'Godfather of Soul' in the form of a music video...

Losing EMI to Universal Would Be a Tragedy, Says Waterman

Fri, 25 May 2012 04:32 GMT

Two of the most prominent figures in the British music industry have come out against the 1.2bn pounds takeover of record label EMI by Universal. Music producer Pete Waterman and DJ Paul Gambaccini say that if Universal grabs EMI, Britain's rich musical tapestry could soon be threadbare. Eurocrat competition officials have until September to deliver their verdict on a deal Universal insists will save the label that has...

'Universal Didn't Buy This To Destroy It' - EMI Exec Speaks Out About Sale

Fri, 25 May 2012 04:28 GMT

EMI Music's Executive Vice President for Marketing in Europe, Bart Cools, offers a quiet confidence that his label will continue to thrive after its acquisition. 'I think this is a healthy company in most territories making quite a bit of money,' he says. 'Universal didn't buy EMI to destroy it, obviously. There is a sort of worry, but not too much. We're doing well, we're developing nicely, we do what we have to do...

Google reports growth of infringing content allegations

Fri, 25 May 2012 04:25 GMT

Google is deluged with requests from copyright owners to remove Google Search results because they allegedly link to infringing content. The number of requests are increasing rapidly. Google receives more than 250,000 requests a week, more than it received for the entire year of 2009. Last month, Google received 1.2 million requests from more than 1,000 copyright owners...

Concern Foundation for Cancer Research Taps Music Publisher Lance Freed as Honoree

Fri, 25 May 2012 04:17 GMT

The theme, OH WHAT A NIGHT! celebrates the 60th anniversary of the birth of Rock and Roll and the legacy of DJ Alan Freed. Fittingly, the honoree for the event is Lance Freed, President of Rondor Music Publishing, son of Alan Freed who is widely credited with coining the term 'rock and roll' to describe the up-tempo black R&B; records he played in 1951 on Cleveland's WJW. Freed called himself his show as the Moondog Rock 'n' Roll Party...

Oppose CISPA? Act now, or forever hold your peace

Fri, 25 May 2012 04:12 GMT

Time is running out for those of us who oppose CISPA, which is now contained in a Senate bill called the Cybersecurity Act of 2012. Fortunately, a new website, Privacy Is Awesome, makes it easy to contact your senators, and help stop this legislation in its tracks. Following the House of Representative's passage of the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) last month, things have been fairly quiet on the opposition front. But that changes now — it must, or it will be too late to stop it...

Exclusive: Rdio Working on Plan to Directly Compensate Artists

Fri, 25 May 2012 04:10 GMT

Rdio is hoping incentivized artists will help bring new customers. 'They're basically offering a bounty for everybody you bring them,' says one source. Another source says the amount discussed with Rdio was $10 per new subscriber. But the plan could also put Rdio in a favorable light in the artist community. Many artists and managers are concerned about the payouts from streaming services as well as the lack of transparency in the accounting of royalties from these services

As she heads towards a million on Kickstarter, Amanda Palmer explains where the money will go

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:10 GMT

Originally, Amanda Palmer set out to raise a minimum of $100,000 to make her project happen. But that much was raised within hours - and with a week to go her Kickstarter haul is currently standing at $817,055. With some reckoning she will break the million mark by the end of the month...

Statistical Proof That DIY Doesn't Pay

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:03 GMT

DIY keeps getting debunked, this time by hard data. Because if you're doing it yourself - especially after the initial stages - you're probably missing out on significant earnings and stunting your career. Here's what happened when the Future of Music Coalition asked a panel of musicians about their teams, and cross-referenced that against broader earnings. It's all part of some groundbreaking research on artist revenues, based on detailed musician interviews and actual tax filings...