HMV Announce Further Losses
HMV have announced half-year losses of £36.4 million. The retailer announced that total sales down 17.6%, falling from £442.7 million in 2010, to £364.9 million in the first half of this year. It is now suspected that HMV may consider selling it’s profitable live division, HMV Live, after it was placed under strategic review following … Read more
Madonna Signs Three Album Deal With Interscope
Madonna has signed a three album deal with Interscope Records, where she is due to earn a base of $1 million per album. The deal is designed to work along side her already standing 360 Deal with Live Nation, which she signed back in 2007 and is reportedly worth $100m. Madonna’s first album under the … Read more
EU Court Decides ISPs Can’t Be Forced To Block File Sharers
The European Court of Justice ruled that it is illegal for countries to force internet providers to block illegal filesharing on a blanket basis at their own expense. In what is already being described as a landmark ruling, the European Court of Justice found that: “EU law precludes the imposition of an injunction by a … Read more
Vice Launches 3 Year Global Partnership With Warner Music
Vice Music has signed a global partnership deal with Warner Music which will encompass distribution, marketing, and touring support. The deal commenced back in October, when Warner Music help Vice Music distribute Justice’s latest album release ‘Audio, Video, Disco‘. So far, global album sales for ‘Audio, Video, Disco‘, have reached 130,000 worldwide, with 13,000 copies being sold in … Read more
Universal Vs Grooveshark
Universal Music has filed a lawsuit against Grooveshark over alleged copyright violations. Universal claims that Grooveshark has allowed users to upload and stream over 100,000 songs illicitly, for which Universal is seeking maximum damages of $150,000. Universal obtained the documents through a legal discovery process, as part of a previous lawsuit filed by the major label, that saw Grooveshark being … Read more
Independent Label Market Returns To London
The Independent Label Market is set to return to Spitalfields in London, on December 10. The market has been set up in aid of the UK independent record labels, who suffered from a massive amount of stock damage, in the devastating fire at the Sony DADC Warehouse, during the London riots earlier this year. Anyone … Read more
Google Music Launches
Yesterday in Los Angeles, Google launched their new digital music store, Google Music, with more than a thousand content partners including: Universal Music; EMI; Sony Music; Merlin; INgrooves; Beggars; and Warp. The one notable absence from the list of content providers was Warner Music, who Google hope to partner with soon. However, there is one slight … Read more
Van Halen Set To Record New Album With David Lee Roth
Van Halen have signed a new contract with Interscope Records according to Rolling Stone Magazine. Industry insiders have stated that Interscope Records Chairman, Jimmy Iovine, was personally involved in negotiating the contract with the hard rock outfit. The deal has been speculated to be a 360 deal, as it includes recording, touring, marketing and merchandising. … Read more
IMPALA Calls on EU Regulating Committees To Reject EMI Deal
Citigroup has sold off EMI’s recorded music division to Universal Music for $1.9 billion, as well as selling off EMI’s publishing division to Sony Corp for $2.2 billion. The breakup of the EMI, ends a nine- month bidding war, after Citigroup seized EMI in February after investor Guy Hands fell out of compliance with loan … Read more
David Bowie To Leave EMI
David Bowie is set to leave EMI according to an article published in the Financial Times. The article states that Bowie is set to end his 15 year relationship with the major label, and both Universal and Sony are interested in signing The Thin White Duke. Bowie originally signed with EMI back in 1997, … Read more
