Daily DIY - Be a Student of the Music BusinessAll About Jazz, PA - 10 hours agoIt's a philosophy that has guided my entire career: Become A Student Of The Music Business. When I first started, that meant reading Billboard cover to ... |
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When Labels Fought the Digital, and the Digital WonNew York Times, United States - 49 minutes agoMaybe not, Steve Knopper writes in “Appetite for Self-Destruction,” his stark accounting of the mistakes major record labels have made since the end of the ... |
Business HighlightsForbes, NY - 1 hour agoApple gave the record labels that flexibility on pricing as it got them to agree to sell all songs free of "digital rights management," or DRM, ... |
Apple loosens some controlsFinancial Post, Canada - 33 minutes agoThe company also reached agreement with major record labels on implementing a variable pricing model for selling digital music. ... |
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Jimmy Buffett sells the idea of good timesChicago Tribune, United States - 16 hours agoEven his recording career is booming as the music industry tanks: His recent album, "License to Chill," was the first No. 1 album of his career. ... |
The Consumer's Music LicenseAdAge.com (subscription) - Dec 29, 2008His piece, "Songs From the Heart of a Marketing Plan," should give everyone pause, particularly marketers who use music for brand campaigns. ... |
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New Eminem, 50 Cent Songs Hit Radio, Web...Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:22:00 ESTThere's still no solidified release dates for upcoming Interscope albums from Eminem and 50 Cent, but new music from both acts has emerged in the past 24 hours. Eminem's "Crack a Bottle," which features 50 as well as Dr. Dre, leaked online today (Jan. 6), while 50's "I Get It In," debuted last night on New York radio station Hot 97.

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Stooges Guitarist Ron Asheton Dead At 60...Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:32:00 ESTStooges guitarist Ron Asheton was found dead this morning at his home in Ann Arbor, Mich., according to local police. He was 60. There was no sign of foul play or drug use; police estimate Asheton died on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day.

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Aerosmith Gets Back To Work After '08 Break...Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:07:00 ESTAfter its members spent most of 2008 recovering from a variety of medical ailments, Aerosmith is ready to return to work on its next studio album, according to a Web post yesterday (Jan. 5) from drummer Joey Kramer.

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Annie Readies Album After Island Split...Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:33:00 ESTAfter a worldwide record deal with Island Records collapsed last year, Norwegian electropop songstress Annie is forging ahead with plans to release her second album, "Don't Stop," sometime in 2009.

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Leona Lewis To Write Autobiography...Tue, 06 Jan 2009 11:13:00 ESTLeona Lewis, who won U.K. talent TV show "The X Factor" in 2006 and topped charts around the world with her debut album "Spirit," has signed a deal to pen her autobiography with publishing house Hodder & Stoughton.

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Swag suites tread lightly...Tue, 6 Jan 2009 16:59:24 ESTFront Page: A lighter gift of grab -- The suite life will continue this year -- with at least six Golden Globes gifting suites scheduled over the weekend. But organizers say putting the events together during the economy's freefall has been a mighty challenge.

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Showtime in bed with LaGravenese...Tue, 6 Jan 2009 16:53:08 ESTTV News: Duo developing drama about an open marriage -- Showtime is developing an hourlong drama from "Bridges of Madison County" scribe Richard LaGravenese focused on an open marriage.

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Films merge old hammers, new pixels...Tue, 6 Jan 2009 16:32:21 ESTContenders: Picture: Art directors collaborate with vfx supervisors -- Ten years ago, digital visual effects meant that a film could have an imaginary but almost realistic-looking creature dancing down the middle of the street. Today, the street itself may very well be computer-generated and nobody would know the difference.

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'Joey' pals around a little longer...Tue, 6 Jan 2009 16:30:00 ESTLegit News: Broadway musical gets two-week extension -- After a rocky road to Broadway and divided reviews, "Pal Joey" has received a two-week extension.

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Local pros reduce real-life risks...Tue, 6 Jan 2009 16:27:50 ESTContenders: All Content: Problematic locations confront foreign filmmakers -- As filmmakers embrace compelling, globally themed stories, productions must penetrate parts of the world where "film friendly" is a novel concept.

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Changeling...Tue, 6 Jan 2009 16:23:52 ESTContenders: Picture: Dress Jolie without sacrificing historical accuracy -- Working on roughly 3,000 background costumes for "Changeling," costume designer Deborah Hopper relied on historical photographs and a strong network of costume houses and vintage stores to provide her with suitable raiments.

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![]() Scheduled To Appear – 01/06...Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:04:00 GMTWe here at Pollstar love our readers, so we like to think of this feature as kind of a public service announcement. Today, we’ll take that one step further. By now, you’ve all heard about the transition to digital television on Feb. 17. (And if you haven’t you must live under a rock.) Well, we have some potentially bad news for you. If you haven’t gotten your $40 coupon to help with the cost of a converter box you just might be out of luck. It seems there’s been a massive rush to obtain coupons in the past six weeks and the program has run out of money – sort of. Congress limited the amount of money the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the agency inside the Commerce Department that runs the program, can commit at any one time to $1.34 billion. The good news is that after 90 days the coupons expire and that money can go back into the program. But that means you have to get onto a waiting list. A really, really long waiting list. In fact, the Washington Post reports that as of Jan. 5, there were 103,000 people on the list. So the point of all of this is to get you off of your butts to get your name on the list. Or you won’t be able to see any of the fab folks we tip you off to every afternoon. Unless of course, unlike some of the Pollstar staff, you’ve already entered the digital age or you have cable. In that case, never mind. See, we really do care. Tuesday, January 06 Foreigner – “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” Rocco DeLuca – “The Bonnie Hunt Show” Kevin James, Erin McCarley – “Late Show with David Letterman” Queen Latifah, The Pussycat Dolls – “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” Bang Camaro – “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” Mike Birbiglia – “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Quincy Jones, Little Joy – “Last Call with Carson Daly” Wednesday, January 07 Greg Behrendt – “The View” Akon – “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” Okkervil River – “Late Show with David Letterman” Jeff Dunham – “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” The Gabe Dixon Band – “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Thursday, January 8 Kevin James – “Live with Regis and Kelly” Lady GaGa – “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” Howie Mandel, Lady Antebellum – “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” Lenka – “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Amy Sedaris – “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” Friday, January 9 Wendy Liebman – “Late Show with David Letterman” Eagles of Death Metal – “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” Zac Brown Band – “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Paula Poundstone – “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” Kevin Nealon, Yelle – “Last Call with Carson Daly” – rerun Saturday, January 10 Paolo Nutini, Grupo Fantasma – “Austin City Limits” – rerun Taylor Swift – “Saturday Night Live”  |
![]() She Knows She’s No Good For Appeal...Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:01:00 GMTAfter being arrested during an October 2007 concert stop in Bergen, Norway, for marijuana possession, Amy Winehouse and her husband Blake Fielder-Civil dropped their appeal in the case as of Jan. 6. The couple’s fines will stand. 485908“After a careful review of the whole matter, they decided to drop the appeal," attorney Ole Kvelstad said. Kvelstad declined to give a reason for the duo’s decision. The British singer and her husband were arrested in 2007 on charges of possessing 7 grams (1/4-ounce) of marijuana. They were held overnight and charged fines of 3,000 kroner (US$428). Winehouse later claimed Norwegian police made mistakes in the case and she appealed the fine. An initial trial date was set for March 2008 but was postponed at the request of her attorney. The Bergen appeals court summoned the singer to make her case Jan. 12. Kvelstad previously said that payment of the fine was equal to a guilty plea and could mean bad news if Winehouse wanted to enter the U.S. The singer was denied a U.S. visa in February 2008 when she wanted to perform at the Grammy Awards ceremony. Winehouse instead performed via satellite from London and took home five Grammys.  |
![]() Rihanna Covers Up...Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:01:00 GMTFollowing the lead of Gwen Stefani and Avril Lavigne, Rihanna has promised to leave her skimpy costumes at home and cover up for her Feb. 13 concert at Malaysia’s 16,000-capacity Kuala Lumpur stadium, a stop on her Good Girl Gone Bad tour. Under government guidelines, artists who perform in the Muslim-majority country must adhere to a strict dress code – female performers in Malaysia must be covered from the top of her chest, including her shoulders, to her knees. 627447Rihanna’s management is “aware of the country's regulations and the difficulties of doing a show,” Razman Razali, managing director of Pineapple Concerts, said. Conservative Malaysian Muslims recently protested concerts by Stefani and Lavigne because of the singers’ wardrobes. Stefani made what she called “a major sacrifice” and wore less revealing costumes for her Malaysia show. A district branch of the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party deemed Lavigne’s on-stage moves “too sexy” last year – but members now say in an online commentary that Rihanna is “sexier and more dangerous” than Lavigne. However, this hasn’t stopped sales. Concert ticket Web site Axcess said tickets for Rihanna’s Malaysia show were going quickly Jan. 6, hours after the event was announced. 486098In 2006 the organizers of a Pussycat Dolls concert were accused of flouting decency regulations and fined nearly $3,000.  |
![]() Apple Changes Its iTunes...Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:01:00 GMTApple announced its iTunes Music Store will begin selling some songs for only 69 cents – a 30-cent drop from the standard 99 cents per track. What’s more, the company also said it will begin selling all tracks minus any copy protection. 634405ITunes is one of the last major online music stores to drop digital rights management. One of iTunes’ most serious competitors – Amazon MP3 – officially launched one year ago without any DRM. The announcement was made in San Francisco at Macworld by Apple marketing exec Philip Schiller, who also said iTunes is adopting a three-tier pricing strategy – 69 cents, 99 cents and $1.29 – depending on which labels the songs come from. This year’s Macworld was the first in a decade without Apple CEO Steve Jobs delivering the keynote address, with that duty falling upon Schiller. In an open letter posted on Apple.com, Jobs cited a hormone imbalance that had been “robbing” him of needed body proteins, adding that he is in treatment for the ailment.  |
![]() The Boss At The Bowl...Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:01:00 GMTBruce Springsteen & The E Street Band have signed on to perform a set during the biggest football game of the year at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., Feb. 1, and organizers are looking for volunteers to fill the field during the show. Roughly 2,000 volunteers are being sought by organizers to be part of the field audience, but certain conditions apply. 485765Volunteers must be at least 16 years old and part of a group of at least 10 members, with a leader who is at least 21 years old. All group members and leaders must be able to attend multiple rehearsals and meetings. “It’s very detailed, a lot of standing around. But it’s certainly worth it,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told the St. Petersburg Times. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many of these people just to be on an NFL field.” Being a member of the field audience doesn’t get you tickets to the game, however. Volunteers will line up prior to kickoff, head into the stadium just before the halftime show and exit when Springsteen finishes his set. More registration information is available at superbowlcast.com.  |
![]() ICP's Faygo Incident...Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:03:00 GMTA man in Fargo, N.D., is suing Insane Clown Posse’s Violent J for tossing a full bottle of Faygo soda into the audience at a 2007 concert, hitting the concertgoer in the right eye. John Antonelli is seeking at least $50,000 in damages in the lawsuit. Along with Violent J (real name Joseph Bruce), the suit names Fargo’s Hub Entertainment Center as a defendant, according to The Forum newspaper. 625773Antonelli claims Bruce was negligent for throwing the bottle without warning and The Hub, previously named Playmakers, was negligent for not providing sufficient security or for keeping Bruce in check, the paper said. A spokesman for The Hub told Pollstar the venue does not comment on pending litigation beyond reiterating what The Hub told the Forum – that Bruce is alone in the blame and the venue is working to find out more about the band’s liability insurance. Bruce has not filed a response to the lawsuit and Antonelli’s attorney, Daylen Ramstad, told the paper he has had trouble serving papers, alleging Bruce is “ducking service.” “[Bruce] is aware of it, no doubt about it,” Ramstad said, adding that law enforcement attempted to serve Bruce onstage but his “manager” (likely meaning tour manager) pulled the officer off stage. “I know that this guy knows this case is out there.” A contact at ICP’s management was unaware of the lawsuit when contacted by Pollstar.  |
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iTunes Variable Pricing...Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:13:16 +0000And giving Wall Street institutions billions will solve the credit crisis.
Getting excited about multiple price points at the iTunes Store is like being thrilled there are three price points at the gas station. Or losing your cookies that Coke comes in multiple-sized cups at 7-11.
As for being DRM-free… Whoopee! As I’ve stated countless times, the [...] |
Timing...Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:10:43 +0000I’m trying to decide why music is so irrelevant.
In "Outliers", Malcolm Gladwell talks about timing being a key element of success. It wasn’t enough to be a Jewish lawyer in Manhattan, Joseph Flom was successful because his practice coincided with the phenomenon of hostile takeovers.
I’ll give you a personal example. My father owned a liquor [...] |
Mailbag...Sat, 27 Dec 2008 20:43:21 +0000
Hi Bob,
I just finished "Outliers," as well. After reading the chapter about the 10,000 hours, it occurred to me that by the time "Go All The Way" came out,in 1972, I’d spent 10 years studying the music of my favorite songwriters and writing songs of my own.
I was talking to my 86 year old aunt, [...] |
33% Off...Thu, 25 Dec 2008 18:11:59 +0000You know physical retail is on its last legs when Bruce Springsteen creates a special product for Wal-Mart. It’s like there’s a flood and everyone has retreated to high ground. In this case, the one location that seems able to sell physical product. But it’s really more like a drought. The consumer is no longer [...] |
Christmas In My Soul...Thu, 25 Dec 2008 02:30:56 +0000My favorite Christmas record is the Waitresses’ "Christmas Wrapping". But it’s not the song I hear in my head every holiday season. That’s Laura Nyro’s "Christmas In My Soul".
The decade from 1964-1974 represents the musical Renaissance. There was only one Renaissance in painting. It’s not like artists dropped their brushes and drills thereafter, it’s just [...] |
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