Universal Muisc Group Stretching It’s On-Line Wings
Web-based chat company Meebo has partnered with Universal Music Group to bring ad-supported music videos to their service, reports cnet.com. Earlier this year, Universal struck a music video deal with Last-FM, a music-focused social network owned by CBS Interactive and Kiwibox, a community site for teens. Like the major other labels, it also has a stake in Myspace Music. Read more
Microsoft Has A New Zune Music Plan
According to efluxmedia.com It looks like Microsoft is ready to unveil a new music subscription plan for Zune users, who will be able to permanently keep 10 new music tracks every month. The new Zune Pass subscription service available until this change provided users with access to millions of tracks for a monthly fee of $14.99. The estimated cost for the new subscription plan is about $10 and users will be able to add the 10 tracks to their permanent collections. Surprisingly this new plan was approved by the four major music labels. Read more
Universal Not Taking A Hit In A Down Economy
VivendiI, the owner of the world’s biggest record company, Universal Music Group is not felling the pinch during these tough economic times. In fact, on Thursday the media and telecommunications giant said that net profit increased more than fourfold to 2.76 billion euros (or $3.46 billion) in the third quarter from 578 million euros a year earlier. Thanks in large part to their stake in video game publisher Vivendi Games which merged with Activison back in July. I just have to wonder that since they’re making a nice profit these days if they’d ever consider giving away some of their music for FREE? Read more
Is Sony About To Offer DRM-Free Music Through i-Tunes?
9to5mac.com hints that Sony BMG may begin offering their entire music catalog to Apple to post on their i-Tunes Plus format. i-Tunes Plus is Apple’s marketing term for higher quality (256k bit) audio tracks without any copy protection (or otherwise known as DRM free). Apple has been selling i-Tunes Plus tracks from EMI since MAY, 2007. Imagine free music to create a buzz, bring new fans to your artists music and then watch them become customers who buy your product. Read more
New Webcast Royalty Deal Nears
It looks like a revised webcasting royalty deal is coming close to fruition, yet even the new rate could still put some music webcasters out of business according to a report from All Things Digital. That’s the perspective of Pandora founder Tim Westergren, who said that while “the hard stuff has been done” in the negotiations, the resolution will likely still be “tremendously unfair.” Read more
New Research Shows i-Pod’s Aren’t Replacing Radio
A new study, featured in a NEW YORK TIMES article, may just be the best news to come along for radio in some time. By most estimates, teenagers and young adults have abandoned radio listening in droves over the last decade. Teenagers on average spent three fewer hours listing to the radio in 2007 than they did in 1998 and listening had declined more steeply among adults 18 to 24, but this new study suggests that the trend is changing. Read more
Wal-Mart Relaunches Music Download Store
Wal-Mart has re-launched its new and improved MP3 Music Downloads store, with MP3 tracks starting at their rollback price of 74 cents. Wal-Mart has sold MP3s through its online store since February of this year and now offers more than 3 million MP3 tracks with content from all the major labels. The enhanced MP3 online store is supported by multiple elements in their stores, including a free MP3 download with every CD purchased in stores or online. Read more
Do Record Labels Want Out Of Artist Management?
Last week we shared with how Ticketmaster was trying to catch up with Live Nation when it comes to the concert ticket business. Now, the NEW YORK POST is raising new questions about the future of record labels buying stakes in artist-management firms. Since 2004, Warner and its private-equity backers, Thomas H. Lee Partners and Bain Capital, have been among the most aggressive investors in music-management firms, as WMG sought to diversify its sources of revenue. They made a $10 million investment in The Firm, an artist-management company. Read more
The Grammy Awards Are Taking Nominations Primetime
Variety.com is reporting that in a first for the Recording Academy, this years Grammy Award nominations in at least six categories will be announced during “The Grammy Nominations Concert Live! — Countdown to Music’s Biggest Night,” which CBS will broadcast Dec. 3rd. The concert, to be held in the Nokia Theater at L.A. Live, will celebrate the opening of the Grammy Museum in the complex. Read more
TicketMaster Trying To Catch Up To Live Nation
Ticketmaster in an effort to catch up to Live Nation’s new entertainment business model has announced an agreement to acquire a controlling equity interest in Front Line Management Group. MARKETWATCH.COM is also reporting that upon completion of the transaction, Ticketmaster will change its name to Ticketmaster Entertainment Inc. to reflect its continued emergence as a newly diversified live entertainment and marketing company. Read more
