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Going Gaga Indeed: The Sales Story
June 3, 2011
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"I think at some point people imagined that after selling 20 million albums, god bless, knock on wood, after selling 20 million that I would suddenly just comb my hair out and put on a ball gown and become a princess, and it's just not going to happen. I'm just going to continue to be myself."
-- Lady GaGa in he New York Times ( Source: http://tiny.cc/4inat )Last week I wrote, "The total numbers are confirmed yet, but it looks like Lady GaGa will sell over a million units her first week here in the U.S. or close to it."
The final numbers did come in, and Lady GaGa ended up selling over 1.1 million copies of her new album 'Born This Way' in its first week of release as it debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart. The #2 album that debuted on the chart, Brad Paisley's 'This Is Country Music' sold 150,000+. So, the difference in sales between the #2 album and Gaga was tenfold.
To truly understand just how BIG the Lady GaGa number is, if you add up the sales of all the remaining albums in the Top 25, they don't equal the 1.1 million GaGa sold.
I'm sure the 99 cent album promotion on Amamzon.com was responsible for hundreds of thousands of sales, and that fact now raises the (ugly) question again, "Just how much is music worth these days to the consumer?"
Lady GaGa has no problem with the 99-cent album price. "It's invisible. It's in space. If anything, I applaud a company like Amazon for equating the value of digital versus the physical copy, and giving the opportunity to everyone to buy music," she said. You can read more of what she said in the article 'Lady Gaga Says Her Album Isn't Worth More Than 99 Cents' on the Wall Street Journal's Speakeasy section here: http://tiny.cc/2d3d6
Arguments will be made pro and con about the 99-cent pricing, but in bottom line common sense, all the hundreds of thousands sold means that many less were stolen online somewhere else.
You can read more in an article about the album's success in the New York Times here: http://tiny.cc/xk7fv
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 2
BROADBAND GROWTH
In a new release from the Leichtman Research Group, the 19 largest cable and telephone providers in the U.S., representing about 93% of the market, acquired nearly 1.3 million net additional high-speed Internet subscribers in the first quarter of 2011. These top broadband providers now account for 76.6 million subscribers, with cable companies having 42.6 million broadband subscribers, and telephone companies having almost 34 million subscribers.
In other broadband news, broadband is replacing TV as the cable industry's main product, Time Warner Cable chief executive Glenn Britt told an investor conference. As a result, Time Warner intends to sell more "single-play" broadband to people who may get video service from a satellite operator or another alternative. Britt said that Time Warner Cable currently has more than 2 million broadband customers who don't subscribe to video service, and roughly half of those are commercial customers. The company, which has previously pushed its "triple play" package of broadband, cable and phone, has 12.3 million residential video customers and 9.5 million residential broadband customers.
You can read more about it here: http://tiny.cc/2stek
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 3
APPLE WANTS FILMS AND TV SHOWS FOR iCLOUD
Feature films could be part of Apple's iCloud launch next week.
In the past several weeks, Apple executives have stepped up their attempts to convince some of the major Hollywood film studios to issue licenses that would enable Apple to store its customers' movies on the company's servers, two sources close to the negotiations told CNET. Apple began discussing a cloud service with the studios over a year ago.
Read more here: http://tiny.cc/1t7tg
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 4
OVER-THE-AIR TV DOWN TO 8% OF HOUSEHOLD
Just 8% of U.S. households still rely on over-the-air signals for TV programming, according to new figure from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). The figure - accounts for about 9 million of the 114 million U.S. homes.
Read about it here: http://tinyurl.com/4yunu3j
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 5
YOUTUBE ALLOWS SHARE-FRIENDLY LICENSING FOR USERS
Along with the standard YouTube license, Google's video hub just debuted a new way for uploaders to license their content: Creative Commons (with attribution). "In short, you can now give other people permission to use your footage however they'd like, provided to include a link back to the source," TechCrunch explains. As a result, users will now be able to use YouTube's video editor to splice their own video with content that has been uploaded by other users under Creative Commons.
And Now For Some News ...
CBS InterActive To Relaunch MP3 For New, Unsigned Acts With Last.fm
MUSIC WEEKWhile both Last.fm and MP3.com will exist and be run as standalone services and brands, they will feed into each other in a more structured and cross-promotional fashion.
"We will be starting off with 1m tracks on MP3.com, available for free legal download," explained Goodman. "It's primarily for new and unsigned acts that are mainly the result of leveraging the Music Manager on Last.fm - which allows people to upload their music to Last.fm Radio. It reflects a lot of things we are trying to do with Last.fm."
Read more about it by clicking here.
Rolling Stone's Jann Wenner Says Publishers Are 'Crazy' to Encourage iPad Magazines
PC MAGAZINEJann Wenner thing publishers are crazy to rush to iPad-type magazines.
Crazy? At a time when magazine sales are declining in almost every segment of the publishing industry? Maybe Jann is happy with his profits from Rolling Stone print sales ... but that's not where the future is.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Androids Hungry For Data
GIGA OMBesting the iPhone and other smartphones, Android devices seem to be the most data-hungry, according to new Nielsen data. Why? Well, "It's still not clear why that is and whether or not this indicates more usage on the part of Android users or something inherent in the platform that lends itself to more data use," GigaOm writes. Further complicating matters, Nielsen found that iPhone users downloaded more apps -- and consumed more streaming music and video -- in the last 30 days than Android users. So, what gives?
Read more about it by clicking here.
CNET Lawsuit Shrinks
WIRED.COMA copyright infringement lawsuit targeting CNET Networks for its distribution of LimeWire file-sharing software service accuses the company of infringing just six works in total, Wired reports. CNET was sued for distributing some 220 million copies of LimeWire.
The lawsuit filed last month by rappers and filmmaker Alkiviades David accuses CBS Interactive -- CNET's publisher -- of illicitly profiting from piracy by distributing 220 million copies of LimeWire over CNET's Download.com site since 2008 -- accounting for 95% off all LimeWire downloads.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Pandora To Price IPO At $7-$9 A Share
WASHINGTOM POST/BLOOMBERGMusic streaming service Pandora has just filed a new version of its S-1 that indicates the company will be pricing its stock at $7 to $9 per share. Pandora's stock will be traded on The New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "P."
Read more about it by clicking here.
The Buffalo Springfield Reunion
USA TODAYHis imposing frame cloaked in a fringed leather jacket and wispy hair secured under a Panama hat, Neil Young smirked at the microphone as he summarized the vibe. "We're Buffalo Springfield," he announced to the packed Fox Theater crowd, "and we're from the past."
Read more about it by clicking here.
A Peek At Windows 8
CNN TECHThe next version of Windows will look a lot like Windows Phone 7. But the familiar PC design is still there under the hood.
Read more about it by clicking here.
AND THE HACKING GOES ON:
Hackers cracked PBS's website this week, apparently posting a story claiming slain rapper Tupac Shakur was alive in New Zealand. The group that claimed responsibility for the attack, has now announced plans to target Sony, CNET reports.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN:
Taylor Swift kicked off her "Speak Now World Tour" at the Qwest Center in Omaha, NE, last Friday night with a production that includes set pieces, costumes and choreography.
KINGSTON INJURED:
Jamaican-American singer Sean Kingston is in stable condition after suffering serious injuries in a watercraft accident in Miami on Sunday evening.
RIHANNA VIDEO GETS BAD REVIEWS:
Rihanna has come under fire from the Parents Television Council, the "Enough is Enough" campaign and entertainment think-tank Industry Ears for her new "Man Down" music video, in which she is depicted gunning down a man in cold blood as payback for an implied sexual assault. The groups are urging Viacom, the parent company of BET and MTV, to stop airing the clip, which debuted yesterday.
BJORK SONGS AS APPS:
Björk has revealed that her forthcoming album, Biophilia, will be released as an "app album," with an app for each of the record's 10 tracks. (The question of the week: When was the last time any of you pulled out a Bjork record and played it?)
QUADROPHENIA BOX:
Pete Townshend has posted a rare blog entry to announce a new Quadrophenia box set that's coming out in October.
HULU TOO:
On the heels of a similar deal with Netflix, Hulu has partnered with Miramax to distribute hundreds of movies to both paying and non-paying consumers.
MUSICAL CHAIRS:
British pop singer Cheryl Cole, who was originally set to be a judge on the American version of Simon Cowell's singing competition, "The X Factor," but was dropped at the last minute in favor of Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger, has been let go from the U.K. version of the show as well. Cole has been replaced on the British version with former Destiny's Child singer Kelly Rowland.
SOUND CLOUD & TUMBLER:
Music-sharing platform SoundCloud announced on Wednesday that it has partnered with blogging platform Tumblr, to allow users to share audio files uploaded via SoundCloud on their Tumblr blogs. SoundCloud's mobile iPhone and Android apps offer audio capture on-the-fly, and files.
WINEHOUSE BACK TO REHAB (WHAT ELSE IS NEW?):
Amy Winehouse has once again checked into rehab. The singer has entered a treatment program at the Priory Clinic in London at the urging of her father. According to a statement released to People by her representative, Winehouse "wants to be ready for performances in Europe this summer and decided to seek an assessment."
PASSING:
Cornell Dupree, a guitarist whose quietly bluesy style made him an in-demand session musician throughout the 1960s and '70s for artists like Aretha Franklin, Paul Simon and Ringo Starr, died May 8th at his home in Fort Worth. He was 68. By his own estimate, he played on about 2,500 sessions, accompanying performers like Wilson Pickett and B. B. King, Mr. Dupree also performed or recorded with Joe Cocker, Barbra Streisand, Laura Nyro, Bonnie Raitt and Mariah Carey, among others.
PASSING:
Gil Scott-Heron, 62, who helped lay the groundwork for rap by fusing minimalistic percussion, political expression and spoken-word poetry on songs such as "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," died May 27th at a New York City hospital after becoming sick upon returning from a European trip
The Music Industry Past, Present & Future, And The Internet I answer questions on EconTalk
I did an interview about the industry and the Internet at EconTalk with host Russ Roberts. Russ is also a professor of economics at George Mason University, blogs at Cafe Hayek, and has written three novels that teach economics. He's also the co-creator of the Keynes-Hayek rap video. (And if your understanding of the economic meltdown that occurred needs to be enlightened, this video will do it)
In the interview we talk about the evolution of the music industry, the impact of the digital revolution, and I give my reasons for believing in the virtues and potential of the Internet in enhancing the music industry. I point out, as I have many times here in the newsletter, that the internet allows numerous artists to make money from their music and it can enhance revenues from live performances by expanding an artist's base. We also discuss the challenges facing record companies and I suggest that the full potential of the Internet as a distribution channel has yet to be fully exploited. There's a lot of ground covered, but based on the comments already posted of those who have tuned in, they've enjoyed it.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Quotes of the week
"Nobody believes Arnold could have kept this from Maria Shriver for 10 years because that would have required acting."
-- Bill Maher, commenting on reports that Maria Shriver didn't know husband Arnold Schwarzenegger had a child with the family's housekeeper."To purchase a CD now, there aren't a lot of places you can go. It's Best Buy, it's Target, it's Wal-Mart. So our thing was, with Gaga being such a household name, being able to put her in places where people shop. To be on an endcap at Whole Foods, if you see a Gaga CD, you might be familiar with her as an artist, and you might give it a chance."
-- Lady GaGa manager Troy Carter"If I'm out on the road with Roger and he's as miserable as sin, there is a bit of me, and I know my manager Bill Curbishley shares this, which thinks, "Why are we doing this to him?'" He seems to be so unhappy, he seems to be so unfulfilled. Yet when you talk to him he exalts the Who to high heaven, and exalts me. He always says it's going to be fabulous, and 'this time I'm just going to have fun,' and he always ends up distraught, sobbing in a corner somewhere, saying, 'That was the worst show I've ever done and I could do so much better and I can't work out how I'm going to do this again'."
-- Pete Townshend talking about his fellow Who-mate, Roger Daltry
The B-Side - 'Blips'
THE ONION (www.theonion.com) STORY OF THE WEEK:
History Channel Treating Invention Of Popcorn Like It's F******g Penicillin
NEW YORK-An in-depth, hour-long History Channel special about the cultivation and manufacture of popcorn reverentially details the origin of the snack food as though it were as f******g miraculous as the discovery of penicillin, sources reported Friday.
Read the rest here and laugh: Click Here.
The Blogs
Check out Jerry Del Colliano's (the founder of INSIDE RADIO) daily blog, by clicking here: http://www.insidemusicmedia.blogspot.comWebsite
Check out attorney Ray Beckerman's website at: http://recordingindustryvspeople.blogspot.com where he prints news about the RIAA's ongoing activities
Smart Marketing Consulting Services
Smart Marketing Consulting Services has been in business sixteen years, and consults clients in the music, entertainment, attraction, media, and technology industry on branding, marketing, online exploitation, maximizing new media, and more.
"And the beat goes on, the beat goes on ... drums keep poundin' rhythm to the brain."
"Work is life, you know, and without it, there's nothing but fear and insecurity." -- John Lennon
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