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MUSIC BUSINESS MODELS - MAKING MONEY, FINDING INVESTMENT
How to make money out of music - both now and in the future, with a look at alternative investment and revenue streams, and a new approach to monetising artists and their music. Wed 4 May 2011

DEA REVIEW RULING: LOTS OF COMMENT
So, needless to say, entertainment industry bods of all varieties lined up yesterday morning to welcome the previously reported judicial review ruling with regards the copyright section of last year's Digital Economy Act, in which judges rejected claims by both BT and TalkTalk that the new legislation, which paves the way for a three-strikes system in the UK, was in conflict with European laws, and that it had not be sufficiently scrutinised by parliament.

Speaking for the UK record labels, BPI boss man Geoff Taylor told CMU: "This judgment gives the green light for action to tackle illegal downloading in the UK. It confirms that the DEA is proportionate and consistent with European Law. Shareholders and customers of BT and TalkTalk might ask why so much time and money has been spent challenging an Act of Parliament to help reduce the illegal traffic on their networks. It is now time for BT and TalkTalk to work constructively with Government and with rightsholders to implement the Digital Economy Act".

Meanwhile, Frances Moore of global record industry trade body IFPI said: "This welcome news from the UK comes as policymakers worldwide are increasingly tackling the problem of online piracy. New Zealand passed new legislation to tackle digital copyright infringement last week and countries from France to South Korea already have such laws in place. We are optimistic of further positive legislative developments in other jurisdictions, including the European Union which is currently reviewing its Enforcement Directive".

Meanwhile speaking for the film industry, David Puttnam, in his role as President of the Film Distributors' Association, said: "The DEA will help the industry to conduct a mass consumer education programme so that internet users are made aware when they have accessed an illegal site, and given information about legitimate online offerings. I am confident this will help to repair the serious damage online copyright infringement has caused, and continues to cause to the UK's creative industries. In doing so, it also reduces the threat to the many thousands of jobs that the creative industries support".

And Lavinia Carey, Director General of the British Video Association, added: "That Mr Justice Parker has ruled in favour of copyright owners demonstrates that the DEA offers a fair, proportionate and entirely reasonable way to help promote a change in behaviour and point people to the legal sources of video entertainment through the notice sending process. Several other countries are adopting this measure and it would be bad for Britain's creative industries to be left behind more forward thinking nations who are supporting their creative economies at this difficult time of transition towards increased digital consumption during this period of recession".

From the other side of the fence, BT issued a statement responding to yesterday's ruling, saying: "We are disappointed with the outcome of the judicial review. We are reviewing this long and complex judgment. This was always about seeking clarity on certain points of law and we have to consider whether this judgment achieves these aims".

Meanwhile, Peter Bradwell from the Open Rights Group, which has campaigned against the DEA from the start, said: "It is important to remember that this is not a judgement on whether the Digital Economy Act is good public policy. We still believe that if enacted the Act will hurt people's privacy and access to the internet for no proven gain. We hope that BT and TalkTalk will appeal and we will support them if they do".

The usually mouthy TalkTalk is yet to formally respond to the judicial review ruling, though the company has previously vowed to pursue every possible legal avenue to block the introduction of a three-strikes style system in the UK, so further action can probably be expected.

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KANYE WEST FOUNDATION CLOSES
The Kanye West Foundation, which was set up by the rapper to reduce high school drop out rates (presumably so students have the opportunity to become college drop outs, like Kanye), has closed down. Exactly why the charity has closed is not clear, though it has been making fewer grants since the death of West's mother Donda in 2007.

In an email sent to other non-profit organisations, seen by the New York Times, former executive director Joseph Collins said: ''I am reaching out to let you know that the Kanye West Foundation (kanyewestfoundation.org) has officially closed it doors after a successful four plus years of programming and events. It has been an incredible experience working with Kanye and the board to realise his mother's vision and I am honoured to have been given the opportunity to lead the Foundation".

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DRE WINS CHRONIC CASE
Dr Dre has won a royalties lawsuit against Death Row Records in relation to his 1992 debut album 'The Chronic', which was originally released by the seminal hip hop label of course. Dre sued last year over digital sales of the album. He argued that Death Row did not have permission to sell 'The Chronic' digitally, while also claiming he hadn't been paid proper royalties on the record since 1996.

And, according to Dre's legal man Howard King, the courts agree, ruling that the label - now owned by WIDEawake Entertainment since the bankruptcy of its founder Suge Knight - had breached the label's agreement with the rapper by digitally releasing his album without getting permission first. As a result, the courts seemingly ordered that 100% of the profits from digital sales of 'The Chronic' should go to Dre.

In a statement to the Associated Press, King said: "For years, Death Row Records forgot about Dre when they continued to distribute his music digitally and combined his hits with weaker Death Row tracks in an attempt to elevate the stature of their other artists. We are gratified that the federal court has unambiguously declared that Death Row has no right to engage in such tactics, and must hold all proceeds from these illicit distributions in trust for our client".

Another part of the same lawsuit, claiming Death Row was guilty of false advertising and trademark infringement for re-releasing the physical version of 'The Chronic', were dismissed last year.

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TV ON THE RADIO BASSIST DIES
Gerard Smith, bass player with TV On The Radio, died yesterday after losing his battle with lung cancer. He was 36. A statement from the band on their website read: "We are very sad to announce the death of our beloved friend and bandmate, Gerard Smith, following a courageous fight against lung cancer. We will miss him terribly".

Smith, who had a background in both visual arts and music, grew up in Long Island and was discovered by TV On The Radio frontman Tunde Adebimpe while he busked on the New York subways in 2005. He contributed to the band's second album 'Return To Cookie Mountain' before becoming a fully fledged member of the group for next album 'Dear Science'. He had to step back from promoting latest album 'Nine Types Of Light' last month because of his illness.

Smith took part in a number of other projects away from TV On The Radio, most notably writing and composing with Adebimpe the music for 'The Lottery', a documentary that looks at public education in the US through the eyes of Harlem's Success Academy annual 'intake lottery'.

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AWARDS FOR COLLEGE RADIO BEHIND THE SCENES TALENT
It's the annual Student Radio Conference at the University of Hertfordshire this week and as part of the proceedings the first ever I Love Student Radio Awards were handed out. The main Student Radio Awards take place in the autumn, but these celebrated more behind the scenes talent as part of the Student Radio Association's I Love Student Radio campaign. Absolute Radio sponsored the awards and Iain Lee presented them. The winners were:

Outstanding Contribution to a Student Radio Station: Thom Palser, Crush Radio
Outstanding Contribution to Student Radio: Radio Sonar
Station Manager of the Year: Lee Sevenoaks - 107 Spark FM
Community Spirit: Spark FM
Most Improved Student Radio Station: The Cat Radio
Charity Champion: RaW 1251am
Student Radio Association Volunteer of the Year: Kyle Wilkinson, 107 Spark FM
Members Choice Award: Sarah Ghost, Membership and Communications Officer

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SECOND BEADY EYE COMING SOONER RATHER THAN LATER
Beady Eye aren't going to hang around when it comes to recording their second album, the follow up to the recently released 'Different Gear, Still Speeding'.

Liam Gallagher told The Irish Times: "The other big difference [between Beady Eye and Oasis] is that we're not going to put the ball down, sit around in a big house and go 'we're great'. We won't be booking into the studio for months and months on end. We're not going to be rolling over this album into the next year. There will be an awesome second album coming soon. We're responsible for our every move. We're on our own label. We do all our own artwork and videos. It's not like, 'oh, send that off to the visual arts person'".

He continued: "What really did for Oasis was that we took our eye off the ball. We were too busy reaping the rewards of our success. I know now that money is not the precious thing when you're in a band. It's not the flash cars or the big houses - it's the music that's precious. Once you take your eye off that - which we did - it's hard to get back. It got all 'just put the private plane on the credit card'. We're keeping a lid on things now. The band hasn't made a penny yet but we know what's important".

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THE NATIONAL COMPILING GRATEFUL DEAD TRIBUTE
The National's Bryce and Aaron Dessner are working on a follow-up to their 'Dark Was The Night' compilation for AIDS charity Red Hot. This second compilation will see bands covering Grateful Dead songs.

Bassist Scott Devendorf told Spinner: "We're actually working on a new compilation record, like we did the 'Dark was The Night' record, that's going to be a Grateful Dead covers album. We're just figuring out [which song we're going to cover] right now. Matt [Berninger, frontman] has got to sing it, so we're thinking a Phil [Lesh] song, 'Box Of Rain' or 'Unbroken Chain,' something like that. For us, the frontrunner right now is 'Box Of Rain' I think, but we'll see."

As for who else will appear on the compilation, he said: "I think Steve Reich is on it as far as doing some things. He's actually an old friend of Phil Lesh. They go back to younger days. Then there are newer, folky bands like Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver that are interested. It's not going to be like jam bands cover the Dead. There are so many cover bands. I think half of the record will be reinterpreting it. We're also trying to think of unusual [acts]. Crystal Castles would be awesome".

Asked for comment about the new compo project by The Guardian, the band's management were less forthcoming, saying: "Bryce and Aaron Dessner are currently working on a follow up to 'Dark Was The Night'. No details can be confirmed at this time".

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BON IVER ANNOUNCE SECOND ALBUM DETAILS
Bon Iver have announced details of their second album. Or his second album. Whatever, there's an album coming. It will be released in the UK by 4AD on 20 Jun. There's a teaser video on the Bon Iver website, which you can point your eyes at here: www.boniver.org

And lo, the album's tracklist:

Perth
Minnesota, WI
Holocene
Towers
Michicant
Hinnom, TX
Wash
Calgary
Lisbon, OH
Beth/Rest

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PETER MURPHY ANNOUNCES NEW SOLO ALBUM
Former Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy has announced details of a new solo album, entitled 'Ninth', which sees him return to a rockier sound than more recent work, returning in some ways to his gothic roots.

That said, Murphy himself prefers Bauhaus' work to be termed 'art-rock', but acknowledges that the goth scene "really spawned into a diverse culture and there's this tendency to be interested in poetry and literature and film so to that extent, absolutely, I'm very happy to be embraced by that".

And it seems appropriate that Murphy appeared in a cameo role in 'Twilight' sequel 'Eclipse' in the role of The Cold One. Of that he told CMU: "Who else could have and should have done it? It was really lovely and smart of David Slade to ask me I was honoured, actually. I'm trying to get into acting, [but] I'm not going to leave music, but I really do think I've got that in me".

The album will be released by Nettwork Records on 4 Jul.

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LEE 'SCRATCH' PERRY ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM
Lee 'Scratch' Perry has announced that he will release a new album, entitled 'Rise Again', through MOD Technologies on 10 May. Produced by Bill Laswell, the album also features TV On The Radio's Tunde Adebimpe, Ethiopian singer Gigi Shibabaw, and Jamaican rapper Hawkman, amongst others.

Laswell told Bass Player magazine last December: "I really should have connected with Scratch a long time ago. A lot of it is just about a contact. [Matisyahu bassist] Josh Werner [who also appears on the record] was playing in Scratch's band, and I had worked with Josh. He suggested trying to create something with Scratch, and I was certain no record company in their right mind would touch it, which is why we're doing it ourselves. It's a real production, and really conscious of bringing out Lee Perry. It's his presence that keeps this thing moving. Is the whole idea crazy? That's part of what makes it worth doing".

A documentary about Perry, 'The Upsetter', narrated by Benicio Del Toro, is also due out later this year.

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VICE CELEBRATES 100TH ISSUE WITH GIGS
Vice Magazine will be celebrating the publication of its 100th issue with free gigs in Leeds, Brighton and London next month. Teeth will headline all three shows and there will be DJ sets from 20jazzfunkgreats, Brown Brogues and Taragana Pyjarama.

More information from viceland.com/uk/viceissuelaunch

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JAMES BLAKE ANNOUNCES UK TOUR
James Blake - you remember him, yes? - has announced that he will play some gigs in June. If you turn up at any of the following venues on the dates specified, he will turn up and play some songs.

Tour dates:

1 Jun: Edinburgh Liquid Rooms
2 Jun: Glasgow Oran Mor
4 Jun: Newcastle Academy
5 Jun: Liverpool Stanley Theatre
7 Jun: Manchester Sankeys
8 Jun: Birmingham HMV Library
13 Jun: Brighton Komedia
14 Jun: London Koko
16 Jun: Cardiff The Globe

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FESTIVAL LINE-UP UPDATE

DOT TO DOT, various venues, 29-31 May: Organisers of this three-legged festival have expanded their line-up to include Dananananaykroyd, electro quintet Morning Parade and indie-disco types Trophy Wife. Also newly announced are Becoming Real and Colourmusic, the latter of whom will be purveying some rather good psych-folk at venues across Bristol, Nottingham and Manchester. Swimming and Kitsune signings Is Tropical will also take to the stage, further supplementing an already-confirmed performance roster that features Hurts, We Are Scientists and The Naked And Famous. www.dottodotfestival.co.uk

ELECTRIC PICNIC, Stradbally Hall Estate, Co Laois, Ireland, 2-4 Sept: Ireland's hottest festival ticket is set to include a heap of supercool acts like Public Enemy, Santigold, Best Coast, Yuck, The Drums and Zola Jesus. Arcade Fire, Pulp, Interpol, The Chemical Brothers, Lykke Li and The Walkmen are amongst previous revelations to perform at the gaelic gala. www.electricpicnic.ie

HOP FARM MUSIC FESTIVAL, Hop Farm Country Park, Kent, 1-2 Jul: Carl Barat, Summer Camp, Guillemots and US indie sorts The Head & The Heart lead the final batch of bookings for this Kentish weekender. The Eagles and Morrissey are confirmed as headliners, topping a line-up that also stars Lou Reed, Iggy & The Stooges, Gang Of Four and The Walkmen. www.hopfarmfestival.com

KENDAL CALLING, Lowther Estate, Hackthorpe, East Cumbria, 29-31 Jul: House Of Pain, Frank Turner, Frankie & The Heartstrings, and The Japanese Popstars are all new additions to the bill at the Cumbrian bash. One-time 'Robot Wars' MC Craig Charles will be bringing his Funk & Soul Club along to the festival, joining an existing bill of acts including Chase & Status, The Cribs, Echo & The Bunnymen and Blondie. www.kendalcalling.co.uk

LOUNGE ON THE FARM, Merton Farm, Canterbury, Kent, 8-10 Jul: Everything Everything are newly confirmed to partake in the farm-based frolicks on Merton Farm. They join The Streets, Ellie Goulding, Graham Coxon and those oft-seen 80s favourites Echo & The Bunnymenn on the line-up as it stands thus far. www.loungeonthefarm.co.uk

STANDON CALLING, Standon, Hertfordshire, 11-14 Aug: Hercules and Love Affair, Howard Marks, John Grant, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Dan le Sac, Broken Records, Egyptian Hip Hop are amongst the latest acts added to the line-up of this year's Standon Calling. They join headliners Spiritualised, plus Errors, Trophy Wife, Born Ruffians, Penguin Café and more. www.standon-calling.com

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STATUS QUO TEAM UP WITH TESCO
Status Quo have become the latest band to do a deal with Tesco, putting them up there with such luminaries as Faithless and Nadine Coyle. The deal will see the band release their new album, 'Quid Pro Quo' (possibly a hint at how much they are being paid) exclusively through the supermarket giant on 30 May. The album will feature fourteen new tracks, including their 2010 version of 'In The Army Now', plus an extra disc featuring their greatest hits played live.

Asked for a quote, Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt got together and spat out these ludicrous words: "In many ways this release is another example of Quo teaming up with a great British institution. Following our innovative pairings with Coronation Street and the Armed Forces, it seems only natural to now team up with the institution that is Britain's biggest high street retailer. We are really proud of the new songs and wanted to make sure that the album got to as many people as possible, working with Tesco achieves that aim".

You can download a free track, 'Rock N Roll N You', from www.statusquo.co.uk now.

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HOSTESS FORMS ALLIANCE WITH WARNER
Japanese independent music distributor Hostess Entertainment has announced a new partnership with Warner Music which will enable it to provide distribution services to the labels and artists it represents elsewhere in the South East Asian market, including Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines. Exactly what Warner services Hostess makes use of will vary from client to client. The first albums to be distributed through the new partnership will be Radiohead's 'The King Of Limbs' and Adele's '21'.

Confirming the new partnership, Warner Music Asia Pacific President Lachie Rutherford told CMU: "Hostess is one of Japan's most forward-thinking music companies and we are delighted to be partnering with them. We are honoured that, through Hostess, we will be working with these extraordinary labels and the world-class artists they represent, connecting them with fans and delivering new commercial opportunities across South East Asia".

Hostess chief Andrew Lazonby added: "I've enjoyed following the progress and success of Lachie Rutherford and Calvin Wong's Warner Music operation in South East Asia over the past few years, and they lead the way as a region-wide, proper music company with no lack of forward drive. With the time being right for Hostess to now expand the territories in which we can provide our unique range of services to artists, managements and labels this was a very easy decision to make in terms of local partner, and we're looking forward to delivering a lot of excellent new music, with Warner, to fans across the region".

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EMI LAUNCH NEW MUSIC STORE IN UAE
EMI has launched an online store in the United Arab Emirates in partnership with Souq.com, an etail platform operating in the Middle East. The first music store on Souq.com, EMI will sell both CDs and artist merchandise. Presumably EMI hope that, by offering a convenient home delivery service, they might be able to generate some new revenues in a market where copyright law is weak and the profits to made from recorded music limited.

Confirming the new venture, Abhijit Mitra, Chairman of EMI Music Arabia, told CMU: "This partnership with Souq.com gives our artists a fantastic new platform to reach their fans in the region. The EMI Music Store on Souq.com brings music closer to consumers, giving them much greater choice in the way they discover, purchase and enjoy music and we're very excited about its potential".

Souq.com CEO Ronaldo Mouchawar added: "Souq.com has fast become a destination for customers who want a diverse product range, coupled with convenience and security at a competitive price. Music lovers searching for their favourite tunes will find an exceptional catalogue on the EMI Music store; rare albums and collectors' editions are now just a click away".

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NEW IPHONE COMING IN SEPTEMBER, SOURCES SAY
I thought that this was already a rumour, so it's possible that the sources on which this new story is based are getting all their information from old stories published a month ago. And that's good enough for me, so let's go.

The iPhone 5 is coming out in September: FACT. New features will include a water pistol attachment, monkey sensors, smellovision and text messaging by post. And thanks to its recently uncovered tracking function, it'll grow in length every time you tell a lie about where you've been.

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X-FACTOR FINAL WAS NOT RAUNCHY ENOUGH, SAYS OFCOM
Despite swaths of complaints, the final of last year's 'X-Factor' was not raunchy enough to be considered too raunchy, OfCom has ruled. The organisation received nearly 3000 complaints from viewers who thought that performances by Rihanna and Christina Aguilera were too sexually explicit to be broadcast before the watershed.

OfCom stated in its ruling that although Aguilera's performance "featured some gentle thrusting", it was "suitably limited", which is probably the best thing you will ever read in an OfCom ruling. As for Rihanna, the organisation said that "taken as a whole, the performance by Rihanna was presented in a style which would not have exceeded the likely expectations of the audience". Bitchy.

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LEE RYAN FANSITE SHUT DOWN AS OWNERS ARE NO LONGER LEE RYAN FANS
This is brilliant. Owners of Lee Ryan fansite www.lee-ryan.org have announced that they're shutting the site down because they're no longer fans of the Blue singer, rendering the whole operation "pointless".

A farewell message reads: "We are extremely sorry to announce that we are forced to close Lee-Ryan.Org after running this fansite for six consecutive years. We decided to do it for several reasons. Firstly, we are no longer Lee Ryan's fans which is why running this website became pointless for us. Moreover, we do not have time anymore to continue operating this fansite and searching for news and photos related to Lee Ryan. Lastly, we would like to focus finally on our private lives as well as education and other duties ... We wish to thank Lee Ryan for being such a great inspiration and role model for the most of the time".

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