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2012 MUSIC SALES "DON'T TELL THE FULL STORY"
January 25, 2013
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. 24 years working in executive promotion capacities at both Capitol Records and at Universal Studios' MCA Records. Recognized as one of the industry's top professionals.
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 1
ANOTHER REPORT SHOWS P2P PEOPLE BUY MUSIC, AND 2012 MUSIC SALES "DON'T TELL THE FULL STORY"There have been many reports over the last several years that have shown that P2P users buy more music. (Can you hear the groans from the major label heads when they read these reports?)
This report also says that "Among the most significant findings: Americans overwhelmingly oppose the use of disconnection and rate-limiting as penalties for unauthorized file sharing."
You can read the latest report hereYou can read the article about the report on Ars Techina here
ALSO: From Greg Sandoval comes this article: Here's Why 2012 Music Sales Don't Tell The Full Story
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 2
THAT VINYL THING AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN, HERE AND IN THE U.K.From USA Today read Vinyl's sonic perfection finds new fans in digital age
And according to stats recently published by the Entertainment Retail Association (ERA), sales of vinyl LPs are increasing in the U.K. like they are here in the U.S."The reason the growth is notable is that, first of all, a lot of people had written off vinyl for dead and, secondly, it compares very favorably with the declines suffered by CD", says Kim Bayley, director general of the ERA.
Read about the resurgence of vinyl in the UK
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 3
MYSPACE TROUBLE WITH SMALL LABELSPutting its comeback in jeopardy, MySpace is facing pressure from a group representing thousands of small labels, which accuse the social network of using its members' music without permission.
"The group, Merlin, negotiates digital deals on behalf of labels around the world," The New York Times reports. A deal between Merlin and MySpace apparently expired over a year ago, but the group's content continues to circulate on the site. Read the whole story
http://www.dmwmedia.com/news/2013/01/22/hypebot-myspace-allegedly-hosting-unlicensed-indie-music/myspace_logo-2.Here's an interesting article from Hypebot about an allegation from Merlin, a licensor of indie music rights, that they have discovered unlicensed music by labels they represent on the new MySpace and the response from MySpace. Hypebot writes: "MySpace says users must have posted it and they're happy to take down such songs when requested. Merlin says they're planning a legal response. But a closer look reveals oddities that raise some questions not only about MySpace but about Merlin and their relationship to acts they represent."
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 4
NAPSTER: THE DOCUMENTARYNapster, the P2P website that launched thousands of others where people downloaded music for free. Now comes the documentary 'Downloaded' about it all.
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 5
SOCIAL & DIGITAL MUSIC SERVICES GROW IN 2012Next Big Sound published its annual report on the 'State of Online Music.'
"Last year was no exception; the growth of social networks, streaming services, online radio and digital downloads is unstoppable, opening up ever more avenues for fans to listen to, discover, and share new music."
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 6
KIM DOTCOM IS BACK: HERE COMES MEGA, AND THE MPAA IS ALREADY ON ALERT"On Sunday, almost a year after the Internet entrepreneur (Kim Dotcom) and several of his associates were arrested in a spectacular dawn raid on the mansion, about 200 invited guests will gather at the opulent estate for the launch of Mega. The new cyberlocker service is a simplified, super-encrypted successor to Megaupload, the file-sharing site that once reputedly accounted for 4% of all Internet traffic, and which U.S. prosecutors had taken offline moments before the helicopters descended in New Zealand a year ago."
AND MUCH MORE HERE...
Huffington Post: Kim Dotcom's Mega Cloud Sharing Service Attracts Massive Traffic, Privacy Concerns
Forbes: Did The FBI Help Kim Dotcom With Mega's Absurdly Successful Viral Marketing Campaign?
TorrentFreak: Kim Dotcom Prepares Mega Cash Prize Encryption Challenge
AP: Review: Mega sharing service lacks versatility
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 7
MAYBE TV EVERYWHERE ISN'T SUCH A GOOD THING?
The concept and practice of TV Everywhere could have adverse effects on actual TV ratings, argues Jeremy Toeman on GigaOm."Combine [the] lean-back TV-watching mentality – designed to let people escape whatever's going on in their lives – with the dawning requirement that TV watching be about selecting content from seemingly endless arrays of menus and catalogs," he writes. "Suddenly it looks like there could be a problem brewing."
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 8
PANDORA STREAMS 13 BILLION HOURS OF MUSIC IN 2013Pandora, the leading Internet radio service says it streamed over 13 billion hours of music in 2012.
Users created well over a billion custom stations. Read the whole story
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THE 'A-SIDE' - TRACK 9
A LOOK INSIDE THE LEGENDARY CAPITOL RECORDS BUILDING IN HOLLYWOODAlmost all have scene -- the exterior of the famous Capitol Records building on Vine Street in Hollywood, but not everyone has ever had the chance to see the building on the inside.
Due to "the Getty throwing a preview at the building this week for its Pacific Standard Time Presents: Modern Architecture in LA "...you can now view a bunch of photographs of the inside of "the tower" on L.A.curbed.com. (And I wish the inside looked that nice when I worked there!)
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THE 'A-SIDE' - BONUS TRACKS* Check out Prince's new song 'Screwdriver' here...it's rock and roll!
* Best big-screen TV values under $1,000: A grand buys a lot of TV these days. Here are five CNET favorites that are larger than 50 inches. Read more
* Five ways to hack a better Netflix experience: From better recommendations to integrating Rotten Tomatoes, get the most out of your Netflix subscription with these valuable tips and tricks. Read more
* 3D printer to carve out world's first full-size building. A Dutch architect sets to work creating a two-story "Landscape House" built entirely from a 3D printer. Read more
* Samsung Galaxy S4 reportedly set to launch in April. The next flagship smartphone from the Korean juggernaut may include wireless charging as a key feature, as well as a larger battery. Read more
* Most anticipated gadgets of 2013: In spite of a relatively disappointing CES, 2013 is expected to hold some hot tech announcements. Read more
* iPhone wins 51% of U.S. smartphone sales, says report. Apple snared more than 50% of U.S. smartphone sales last quarter, says Kantar, though Android remained dominant across Europe and the world. Read more* Shopping for a home music system can be a daunting task, mostly because there are so many choices. Read more
Short News Items ...
EAGLES DOC COMING TO SHOWTIME:
Showtime has acquired the Alex Gibney documentary, "History of the Eagles," and will air the documentary about the legendary rock group on Feb. 15th and 16th. Watch the trailer
BEYONCE LIP-SYNC AT INAUGURATION:
Beyoncé did not sing the national anthem live at President Obama's inauguration. Millions of viewers around the world were stunned by the singer's spectacular rendition of the anthem, but The Times has learnt that she was lip-syncing to a pre-recorded backing track. A spokeswoman for the Marine Corp Band said it was standard procedure to record a backing track and Beyoncé decided shortly before her performance to rely on the studio version rather than risk singing it live on the Capitol.
BILLBOARD AWARDS BACK TO VEGAS:
The 2013 Billboard Music Awards are returning to Las Vegas on Sunday, May 19th and will honor the legendary artist Prince with the Icon Award during a live ABC broadcast from the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
"IDOL" SLIPS AGAIN:
The second Wednesday airing of "American Ido" this season dipped 10% from last Wednesday's season premiere. (Source: The Wrap )
DEF LEPPARD TO VEGAS:
Def Leppard will play their most famous album, "Hysteria," in its entirety for a nine-show residency entitled Viva Hysteria! at the Joint at Las Vegas' Hard Rock Hotel, which kicks off on March 22nd
MAC ADDS DATES:
Fleetwood Mac have added 13 new dates to their upcoming Fleetwood Mac Live 2013 tour this spring, including second shows in Chicago, Boston and Los Angeles.
GANGHAM CASH:
After attracting more than 1 billion page views on YouTube, Korean pop star Psy and his hit music video, "Gangnam Style" has earned roughly $8 million in ad revenue from the video leader. So revealed Google during its fourth quarter earnings call on Tuesday.
ANOTHER LOST BEATLES TAPE FOUND:
Add one more recording to the small but growing list of newly rediscovered Beatles tapes: Peter Asher, one-half of the British duo Peter and Gordon, recently found a tape of Paul McCartney demoing "A World Without Love," which became a #1 hit for the duo.
GOOGLE'S THE PLACE:
Google once again has topped Fortune's 2013 list of the "100 Best Companies to Work For." The Internet juggernaut takes the Best Companies crown for the fourth time.
COEN BROTHERS RELEASE TRAILER:
The Coen brothers have released the first trailer for their upcoming folk-rock film 'Inside Llewyn Davis', and it is packed with all the anxieties, uncertainties and copious amounts of dry wit you could ever want from siblings Joel and Ethan. (The film is allegedly loosely based on the life of '60s icon Dave Van Ronk) Watch the trailer
STRAIT SELLS OUT FAST:
George Strait added even more numbers to his Hall of Fame career last week. The MCA recording artist is set to perform on the closing night of this year's Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo at Reliant Stadium on March 17th. When tickets were released to the general public earlier this week, the demand was so overwhelming that it resulted in over 77,000 tickets sold within the first two minutes
DYLAN TO DO DYLAN?
Bob Dylan is considering a Dylan Thomas tribute show in Wales to celebrate the 100th birthday of the late Welsh poet, Reuters reports.
KEYS TO SING NATIONAL ANTHEM:
Alicia Keys will sing the National Anthem at Super Bowl on February 3rd.
TIMBERLAKE LIVE:
Justin Timberlake will make his return to the live stage. The singer will perform his first solo concert in several years at a New Orleans charity concert during Super Bowl weekend.
NO STONES AT COACHELLA:
Despite all the Internet postings and rumors about the Rolling Stones playing Coachella, the band has said they have no such plans.
MORE TWITS FOR BIEBER:
Sunday, Justin Bieber passed Lady Gaga in total number of followers on Twitter.
R&R HALL OF FAME UPDATE:
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced presenters for the Class of 2013 at the ceremony in April. Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins will induct Rush, Don Henley will introduce Randy Newman and Jennifer Hudson and Christina Aguilera will honor Donna Summer.
MAD MEN RETURN:
Sunday, April 7th is when 'Mad Men' returns for its sixth season at 9 p.m. on AMC with a two-hour premiere.
MORE BLOCKBUSTER BRICK & MORTARS CLOSING:
Dish Network is closing another 300 Blockbuster video stores in the next few weeks, bringing its total number of locations to about 500, the company announced Monday. Of course, the closures come as little surprise as more consumers watch streaming videos or buy them on-demand through their cable company rather than trekking to brick-and-mortar stores that were so packed with customers in the 1990s.
ADELE TO PERFORM AT OSCARS:
Adele will perform her Oscar-nominated song "Skyfall" at the Academy Awards. The tune, the theme from the James Bond film 'Skyfall', is up for Best Original Song against selections from Les Misérables, Ted, Life of Pi and Chasing Ice.
Leaving Us
Bud O'Shea, a legendary West Coast promo man, who worked at Capitol, RCA and CBS during the golden age, passed away last Saturday in a long-term-care facility near Phoenix.
Quotes of the week
"It's narcissistic, but whatever -- everyone does it. I'm capturing personality."
-- Rihanna, who has posted more than 230 self-portraits on Instagram, to Complex magazine. (Uh, no Rihanna, everyone does NOT do it. Just self-centered/self-absorbed celebrities do it)"We're all venturing into our early 60s, and we thought, maybe we should all get together and talk about this while we still remember. I looked at a lot of music documentaries and was left wanting, so I called my manager and said, 'Can you just send me reels from the guys who won the Academy Award for Best Documentary?"
-- Glenn Frey, talking about the involvement of Alex Gibney (who won for "Taxi From the Dark Side") when the filmmaker agreed to come on board to chronicle what Frey calls "this 500-pound gorilla called the Eagles that has been dragging us around for 42 years.""Probably Irving Azoff said it's time for you guys to do a documentary. We'd been kicking it around for a few years but we finally decided that the time had come and, after 42 years had passed, it was probably a good time to get it done, because we said it was a three-year process. We knew it was going to be time consuming so we thought we'd better get started. You know, at our age people keel over, and so we wanted to get it done."
-- Don Henley talking about the 'History Of The Eagles' documentary in Rolling Stone"My first love in music was Elton John and I finally got to meet him a few weeks ago. My wife arranged it as a birthday present for me, out in Vegas. He was so nice; he loves music and musicians. Bruce Springsteen definitely; huge fan, continues to be a huge influence. Really the greats – Dylan, Stones."
-- Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion
The B-Side - 'Blips'
THE ONION (www.theonion.com) STORY OF THE WEEK:
Man Who Willingly Rented 'Wrath Of The Titans' Feels His Intelligence Has Been Insulted
PORTLAND, OR—After willfully ignoring thousands of other options, reading a synopsis of the film's plot, and making a conscious decision to pay $3.99 to rent it on iTunes, 32-year-old Ben Rickman announced Friday that the makers of "Wrath Of The Titans" had inflicted a grave insult upon his intelligence.
Read the rest on The Onion and laugh
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.
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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