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WHAT IS THIS? The CMU Daily - to which you are subscribed. Unsubscribe information is at the end. NOTE: Make sure you 'enable images' to see this e-bulletin properly. CLICK HERE to read this online. |
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"The best music business training event I have attended; relevant and up to date, your knowledge of and enthusiasm for the industry is simply exceptional" from delegate feedback We are currently taking bookings for the following CMU TRAINING courses: MUSIC RIGHTS - INSIDE & OUT A beginner's guide to music copyright - everything you need to know about copyright law, licensing, monetising copyright, the fight against piracy and the future of the music rights industry. Wed 23 Feb 2011 For more information or to book visit www.theCMUwebsite.com/training |
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![]() ![]() ![]() US REGULATORS REVIEWING APPLE'S NEW APP SUBSCRIPTIONS POLICY Apple will charge a 30% commission on any payments made through its store, which is enough to throw the budgets of most streaming music platforms currently offering an iPhone service totally off-kilter, given most operate on very tight profit margins once they have paid license fees to record companies and music publishers and covered bandwidth costs. US music provider Rhapsody was most critical of the announcement, and admitted it was consulting its lawyers as to whether Apple's new policy breaches American anti-trust laws. You could argue the IT giant is able to force arguably unfair terms onto content service providers because if they refuse to comply they'll have to withdraw from the iPhone and iPad completely, cutting themselves off from a sizable slice of the market. According to various reports, officials at the US Department Of Justice have approached both affected content providers and Apple to discuss the IT giant's new system. Whether that will lead to a fuller investigation remains to be seen, probably not. More likely it would require one affected party or another to launch an anti-trust action. Given the costs of doing so and the uncertain conclusion of any such action, presumably affected content owners will continue to negotiate with Apple for better terms first before taking any major legal action. In Europe, according to Billboard, a European Commission spokeswoman confirmed that competition officials there were monitoring the situation, but added that no formal inquiry is likely just yet as some feel the apps market is too new for regulators to form opinions on market dominance and the alleged abuse thereof, especially given the rise of the Android platform in the smartphones market and the recent launch of various iPad rivals. -------------------------------------------------- WARNER TO START CONSIDERING BIDS THIS WEEK It is thought Warner's current owners will consider all out takeover proposals, as well as bids for publishing firm Warner/Chappell. If the latter deal was to be done, the proceeds might be used to buy some of EMI when that is put up for sale later this year. BMG backer KKR is still one of the favourites to bid, while the also recently acquisitive music publishing firm Imagem may also make an offer, particularly for Warner/Chappell. Another name being tipped this weekend was Russian billionaire Len Blavatnik, whose US-based conglomerate Access Industries is already significant shareholder in the Warner Music Group. There is speculation Blavatnik might move to take complete ownership of the whole company, or of the publishing bit. ![]() ![]() ![]() BRITNEY MAY BE SUED OVER HOLD IT AGAINST ME I think it's mainly the similar names that are behind this claim, though if that is the case, it would make this whole lawsuit sound a bit silly. One of the Brothers, David Bellamy, previously said he wouldn't be taking legal action despite his opinion Britney's song was "too close" to his, but he's seemingly changed his mind. He was quoted as saying this weekend: "We will without doubt take the appropriate legal action if our attorneys agree we've been ripped off. Surely there is more original stuff out there to do rather than rehash old titles". A spokesperson for Spears told reporters: "If this is now a legal matter then I am afraid we would have nothing to say until our lawyers have been alerted". ![]() ![]() ![]() WIN A CHANCE TO PLAY AT LIVERPOOL SOUND CITY WITH SENTRIC MUSIC Acts wishing to enter need only to sign up to Sentric's royalty collection and sync service, which is simple and free to do. The closing date for the competition is 22 Apr, with winners due to be announced on 29 Apr. Sound City organisers will select three winners to support a mystery headliner at the Heebie Jeebies Basement on 20 May, whilst one lucky act will also be chosen to open for recently-reformed local legends Cast at their special Liverpool Catholic Cathedral Crypt show on 21 May. Visit the website to sign up or for more info: www.sentricmusic.com ![]() ![]() ![]() BRITS FEVER HELPS ADELE SCORE FOUR TOP FIVE PLACEMENTS Post-BRITS Adele fever has helped keep her album, '21', at the top of the albums chart, while also sending her debut album '19' back up to number four and her last single 'Rolling In The Deep' to the same position in the singles chart. Pointless chart trivia fans may be interested to know this is the first time a living artist has had two releases in both the top five album and singles charts in the same week since The Beatles in 1964. The use of the word "living" in that fact (supplied to us by the Official Charts Company) makes me think Elvis or someone may also have achieved something similar posthumously. In related news, the OCC has confirmed that downloads of all of the various BRITS performance have together sold 90,000 units since last Tuesday night, meanwhile the BRIT Awards 2011 collection topped the compilations chart this week. So you see, everyone may have been watching gypsies on Channel 4 on Tuesday night itself, but there was a little bit of BRIT fever during the rest of the week. The boss of BRITS organisers the BPI, meanwhile, that being Geoff Taylor, added: "This year's BRITs showed that Britain continues to shine brightly with new musical talent. Adele's breathtaking performance has deservedly taken her to number one, and all the winners and performers have seen a boost in sales. This is good news for the business, but also for good causes, as all proceeds from the BRITs performances go to charity for the first month". -------------------------------------------------- GAGA HAS FASTEST SELLING ITUNES TRACK EVER -------------------------------------------------- QUARTER OF MUSICIANS HAVE LOST INSTRUMENT The top reason for artists being parted from their instruments is theft from a vehicle, though accidentally leaving a guitar or whatever at a venue, in a hotel or on the train are also given as reasons. Perhaps musicians could just be less forgetful. Anyway, here's what Robin Stagg of insurers Allianz has to say: "Musicians are often leading busy lives attending performances and gigs, and as our research shows, there are occasions when instruments are lost or stolen. Whether you're a parent buying an instrument for your child, learning to play or a serious musician it is important that you consider the financial protection that you have in place for your instrument". He added: "Our research also showed that of those musicians who do have insurance cover for their instrument, 69% cited the 'reassurance of financial protection' as really important to them. Specialist musical instrument insurance can provide them with this peace of mind and protection for their instrument when they are outside of their home". RICK ROSS DOES DISTRIBUTION DEAL WITH WARNER FOR HIS LABEL Ross, who himself is signed to Universal's Def Jam for his own releases, announced he had signed a new distribution deal for Maybach with Warner via Twitter on Saturday. Recent signings to Ross's label include rappers Wale and Meek Mill. ![]() ![]() ![]() NEW GOLD PANDA You can see the video for the song here - youtu.be/ZAvTo-yVf28 - and then watch him do it live and like at XOYO in east London on 1 Mar. RUSKO TOUR 4 Mar: Oxford Academy -------------------------------------------------- VISIONS OF TREES ANNOUNCE UK TOUR They are also giving away a couple of tracks, which you can download for free here: soundcloud.com/visionsoftrees/sets/visions-of-trees-2/ Tour dates: 19 Feb: Leeds, Nation of Shopkeepers ![]() ![]() ![]() FESTIVAL LINE-UP UPDATE INMUSIC FESTIVAL, Lake Jarun, Zagreb, Croatia, 21-22 Jun: Having conquered the recent BRIT and Grammy Awards, Arcade Fire have confirmed that they will head up proceedings at this lakeside Croatian festival, which is sponsored by T-mobile. Nick Cave and his grizzled band Grinderman are also standing by as co-headliners. www.t-mobileinmusicfestival.com/en LIVE AT LEEDS, various venues, Leeds, 29 Apr - 1 May: Gloomy Glaswegians Glasvegas are to appear on the Sunday at Leeds Met University, whilst minimalist dub crooner James Blake will be joined on the Saturday by The Futureheads, Frightened Rabbit, Fight Like Apes, The Films and Let's Buy Happiness. Also fresh on the bill are Sissy And The Blisters, Saint Saviour, Paper Crows, Star Slinger and more. www.liveatleeds.com MELT!, Gräfenhainichen, Dessau, Germany, 15-17 Jul: Bringing their programme to half-full with a recent raft of additions, festival co-ordinators have announced that Brit rockers White Lies and Everything Everything, as well as Calvin Harris, Metronomy, The Naked & Famous, Katy B, Junip, Les Savy Fav and Gold Panda will appear on the Melt! bill this year. Acts already confirmed to play include The Streets, Pulp and Robyn. www.meltfestival.de/en RHYTHM FESTIVAL, Old Warden Park, Bedfordshire, 26-28 Aug: Ska legends Toots & The Maytals are newly-booked to perform at this Bank Holiday bash, alongside acts including Steve Cropper & The Animals, The Blockheads and From The Jam. www.rhythmfestival.com ROCK WERCHTER, Rotselaar, Belgium, 30 Jun - 3 Jul: Fleet Foxes add another notch to their festival belts with the announcement that they will play this Belgian festival, with Underworld, Bright Eyes, Hurts, Magnetic Man, Lissie, Noisettes, Mona and Triggerfinger completing the latest spate of confirmed artistes. Existing prime acts such as Coldplay, Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, Kings Of Leon and Iron Maiden make up just a portion of what is to be a colossal line-up. www.rockwerchter.be/en/ ![]() ![]() ![]() UK MUSIC WELCOME BUSINESS SELECT COMMITTEE REPORT On the potential for a creative industries council, the select committee's report said: "The creative industries sector is a significant wealth creator in the United Kingdom. It is therefore surprising that government engagement with the sector appears to be somewhat haphazard. While we welcome the creation of an ad hoc ministerial committee to cover the sector we believe that a more structured approach would be more beneficial. Industrial councils have been established for the automotive, aerospace and marine sectors and we recommend that the department consider establishing a similar council for the creative industries". While on the loan guarantee programme, it said: "The Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme should be available to all sectors of the economy. It is therefore unacceptable that the creative industries sector - which is one of the six sectors designated by the Government as growth sectors - is effectively being excluded from this avenue of funding. We recommend that the government, as a matter of urgency, ensure that the criteria for receiving EFG funding is sufficiently flexible to accommodate the creative industries. We expect the government, in its response to this report, to set out clearly how it will achieve this aim". Welcoming all of this, UK Music top man Feargal Sharkey told CMU: "Music generates revenues of nearly £4 billion a year for this country. It sustains an estimated 100,000 jobs. And, vitally, it is a driver of economic growth in terms of tourism, in terms of a host of ancillary businesses and in terms of the digital economy. I am delighted that the Select Committee has recognised our potential, and particularly the need for the music industry to be treated as 'an industry'. Like all other sectors of the economy, we need coordinated policy-making and our creators and investors require access to finance and support". He added: "In terms of talent and entrepreneurialism, the UK is already globally-renowned. Our artists and composers consistently deliver the kind of high quality content that the whole world demands. With support from the Department Of Business, now commonly referred to as the 'Department Of Growth', I am positive we can deliver even more benefit for UK plc". ![]() ![]() ![]() VEVO GOES SPORTY The specifics are tbc, though we do know Landy Fields of the New York Knicks will interview Def Jam signed rapper Fabolous. It is also thought the series of interviews will be made available via VEVO around the NBA playoffs in April and May, while talks are underway that might see US TV network TNT air edited versions of the sport-meets-music videos during their NBA coverage. Although initially focused on basketball, if successful it is thought VEVO hope to create similar content involving other sports. It is thought that as well as providing a good promotional tool for the video service, VEVO hope their sporty content will be attractive to brands, creating sponsorship revenue for them, their music company partners and participating sports organisations. VEVO is expected to launch in the UK this spring. No word on whether there'll be any 'sportsman interview artists' here. Perhaps Ashley Cole could interview Cheryl Cole. I'd tune into that. ![]() ![]() ![]() VAIZEY ASSURES MPS - NO RUSH TO DAB IF PUBLIC NOT READY 20 MPs met with Vaizey to express concerns raised by smaller radio firms - including the aim to move most stations off FM to the DAB network by 2015, and a recent decision by media regulator OfCom to limit all renewed local radio licences to just seven years. At the meeting Vaizey said that the 2015 switchover date from FM to DAB would only happen if the radio listening public were ready, and that the FM network will stay in operation after that date whatever. We already knew that, unlike with the move from analogue to digital TV, analogue radio signals are unlikely to be turned off immediately even once most stations have moved to DAB, if only because the digital network isn't ready to take all stations in all parts of the country. Indeed it's been indicated that more community and student stations may be offered FM licences once the big commercial broadcasters have moved exclusively to DAB, with the hope the makers of DAB radios will ensure their devices continue to also receive FM. The broadcast minister also told the MPs he met that he'd ask OfCom to review its new seven year licence policy. The meeting was welcomed by the boss of UKRD, William Rogers, the most vocal opponent to the 2015 move to DAB. Rogers told Radio Today: "That the Minister has confirmed that FM will remain for years to come, especially for those stations with no DAB future, is of course welcome, but what is also really helpful, and something we should all welcome as an industry was his open and constructive response to the questions raised by MPs to review the length of licences for local commercial stations which were in effect cut from twelve to seven years in the latest OfCom review". He continued: "MPs were encouraged to make representations on this matter and, indeed, to even propose a policy position in this respect and we will be working with them over the coming months to ensure that this issue remains firmly on the government's agenda of things that need to be looked at again. We need a dynamic and vibrant local radio sector with a bright and genuinely multi-platform digital future. Of course DAB is one of many such platforms but the prescriptive, poorly planned and inappropriate imposition of this single platform simply gets in the way of what consumer choice is all about". -------------------------------------------------- MIGHT X-FACTOR HAVE ALL NEW JUDGES THIS YEAR? Louis Walsh had previously indicated both Cowell and Cole would be appearing on 'X-Factor USA' and therefore not have time to judge on the UK programme, though it is thought ITV bosses are eager to not lose two judges in one go and negotiations are therefore ongoing. The latest tabloid speculation, though, is that Walsh might not get a look in either. The News Of The World says that, facing the prospect of losing half of their judges, ITV bosses are thinking about a dramatic relaunch of the UK version of 'X' with a totally new judging panel. Word has it Robbie Williams and Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger, who filled in for Cole when she was off ill last series, have both been approached about judging roles. As auditions are due to kick off next month, presumably ITV are hoping to have their two or four new judges in place soon. ![]() ![]() ![]() RUFUS WAINWRIGHT IS A DAD He tweeted: "Darling daughter Viva Katherine Wainwright Cohen was born on 2 Feb 2011 in Los Angeles, California to parents Lorca Cohen, Rufus Wainwright and Deputy Dad Jorn Weisbrodt. The little angel is evidently healthy, presumably happy and certainly very, very beautiful". -------------------------------------------------- THERE'LL BE A BIT OF A WAIT FOR ANY NEW BLUR Interpreting that as confirmation a new Blur record is in development was probably rather optimistic. He has now clarified to the NME: "Every now and then we like to meet up and record a few things. Maybe turning the tape recorder on and jamming around a few ideas. I suppose it might turn into an LP in six years or something. We just do stuff when we feel like it". |
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