Merlin Issues Statement Regarding Last.fm Artist Royalty Program

Merlin, the global rights body for independent music, today issued a bulletin to it’s 12,000+ members in relation to the launch of Last.fm’s Artist Royalty Program.
The bulletin highlighted the following important points:
- “The Program announced today does not appear to offer any compensation for any past illegal use of repertoire. It is unclear to us whether or not the terms and conditions of the Program are intended to prevent master owners pursuing such compensation.
- “As you will be aware, we have for the last few months been negotiating with Last.fm regarding a non exclusive blanket licence and a settlement agreement on behalf of Merlin members. Unfortunately, these negotiations have stalled - in particular due to Last.fm’s unwillingness to properly address its illegal infringing activity.
- “Several provisions of the licence terms and conditions of the Program appear ambiguous and open to legal interpretation. We note that this would tend to lead to uncertainty as to the “true” meaning of the licence. The licence points out that if you are unsure about any of it “YOU ARE ADVISED TO OBTAIN INDEPENDENT LEGAL ADVICE” - we would endorse that view.”

posted by Record of the Day on Thursday, July 10, 2008

MITCHELL WOLK NAMED PRESIDENT OF ADA

NEW YORK, July 7, 2008 – Warner Music Group (NYSE: WMG), today announced that Mitchell Wolk has been named President of ADA, WMG’s independent distribution company. In his new role, Wolk will report directly to Andy Allen, Chairman of Independent Music for WMG.
“Mitch has done an outstanding job overseeing ADA’s day-to-day operations,” said John Esposito, President and CEO of WEA, WMG’s award-winning U.S. sales and retail marketing company. ”Mitch has proven himself to be the ideal executive to lead the company while Andy focuses on WMG’s global independent music strategy.”
Allen said: “I am excited about the opportunity to continue building the industry’s best infrastructure for indie labels and their artists. With Mitch’s outstanding stewardship guiding ADA going forward, I am now able to focus on WMG’s broader independent music strategy knowing that our label partners couldn’t be in better hands. I look forward to working with Mitch on crafting the next great chapter for ADA.”
“Andy built ADA into the best and most successful indie distributor in the U.S. and I’ve learned a tremendous amount from him in the time we’ve worked together,” said Wolk. “I will be working hard everyday to maintain the spirit and culture Andy has put in place with a singular focus on remaining the best resource for our indie partners and their outstanding artists. I’m thrilled to continue working with Andy as he concentrates on growing ADA into the preeminent distributor of global indie music.”
ADA gives independent record labels access to a flexible distribution system that marries the effectiveness and convenience of a major label with the marketing sensibilities of an independent. ADA’s success has proven the importance of creating a national distribution system with a strong artist-development sales philosophy for the independent music industry. ADA is the No. 1 independent music distributor in the U.S., according to SoundScan, and was named 2007’s Medium Division Distributor of the Year by the National Association of Recording Merchandisers.
Wolk joined WMG’s Independent Label Group in 2005, the label family of WEA Corp. In 2006 he was named ADA’s Executive Vice President where he was responsible for the company’s managerial, financial, business development and administrative operations.
Prior to joining WMG, Wolk held a series of senior management positions at RED Distribution, the independent music distribution division of SonyBMG Music Entertainment, including the position of Senior Vice President, Finance and Administration. He joined RED in 1991. During his tenure at RED, gross sales at the labels he oversaw tripled. Wolk is a certified public accountant and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

posted by Record of the Day on Tuesday, July 08, 2008

7digital.com Reports Booming First-Half 2008 MP3 Sales

London, 7th July 08 – 7digital.com , leading digital media delivery company and the home of MP3, today announces rocketing digital music sales following the introduction of the DRM-free (Digital Rights Management) MP3 download format across the Warner Music and EMI catalogues. In March, 7digital.com was the first company in Europe to offer the Warner Music catalogue in DRM-free MP3 and instantly saw sales of the catalogue more than double.
The increased MP3 offering has proven popular amongst consumers with site traffic shooting up 130% since January, and visits per month rising to nearly 2 million. 7digital.com saw strong sales of the new Coldplay album Viva la Vida, selling thousands of copies in the first few days of release. This made 7digital.com the leading MP3 retailer of the album, beating HMV, Play.com, Tesco, Woolworths and Napster (iTunes was the leading digital retailer but does not sell the MP3 format).
Top selling albums in 2008 include Kylie’s X, Radiohead’s In Rainbows and Madonna’s Hard Candy. Sales from 7digital.com have increased more than 300% year-on-year to June 2008, driven by the availability of high quality MP3 downloads and outstripping general market growth.
“High-quality, DRM-free MP3 downloads have really sparked a new wave of digital music take up,” comments Ben Drury, CEO of 7digital.com. “This format makes the digital music proposition simple for consumers with one universal format for all devices. Music lovers are beginning to realise that owning an iPod doesn’t mean just buying tracks from iTunes and, in fact, MP3’s are far superior in terms of compatibility. Since the introduction of EMI and Warner Music’s DRM-free catalogues we’ve been attracting increased numbers of iPod and iPhone users, as well as those using Samsung, Nokia, Blackberry, Sony Walkman devices and mobile phones.”
With the introduction of Warner’s MP3 catalogue, approximately 80% of 7digital.com’s 4 million track catalogue is now available in the MP3 format.
“It is now clear that MP3 downloads represent the future for digital music. With two of the four major labels now supporting MP3 in the UK, we expect to see the whole market supporting MP3 in the not-too-distant future” concludes Drury.
Top 20 MP3 albums for 2008
1. Coldplay - Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
2. Kylie Minogue – X
3. Radiohead - In Rainbows
4. Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree
5. Hercules And Love Affair - Hercules And Love Affair
6. Madonna – Hard Candy
7. Hot Chip – Made in the Dark
8. Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
9. Supergrass - Diamond Hoo Ha
10. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
11. The Kooks – Konk
12. Sigur Rós - Me su í eyrum vi spilum endalaust
13. Hadouken! - Music For An Accelerated Culture
14. Pendulum - In Silico
15. Mystery Jets - Twenty One
16. Santogold – Santogold
17. R.E.M. – Accelerate
18. Foals – Antidotes
19. Elliot Minor - Elliot Minor
20. Alphabeat – Fascination.

posted by Record of the Day on Monday, July 07, 2008

BPI announces discount chart data deals for UK indies

UK record labels’ trade body the BPI today announced a deal to provide independent record labels with discounted access to chart data.
The Official Charts Company, co-owned by the BPI and retailers’ association ERA, provides the most in-depth and accurate sales data in the world, and independents will be able to access more vital sales information thanks to a new range of reduced-cost packages put together in association with the BPI.
The ad-hoc reports are available on demand for any of the titles registered on the OCC database.
BPI Director of International and Independent Member Services Julian Wall said: “The chart database is incredibly sophisticated in what it can do, but up to this point a lot of the OCC data has been a little outside of the smaller independent labels budgets because of the premium cost of developing bespoke reports. Having consulted the independent membership, we now have a range of packages that deliver essential sales information in a more cost-effective way.”
The full set of packages, with demonstrations, will be unveiled at the BPI AGM at the Mayfair Hotel on Wednesday. For the first time, non-BPI member labels will be invited to attend the AGM and morning conference, subject to numbers.

Indies Chart Data Packages and Services
Sales Analysis Report - £32 +VAT
This new report in one document delivers the following information: chart position, total sales across & broken down by format (including digital) and sales through retailer type (6 categories).

Sales Analysis Plus - £80 + VAT
As above, but including a full product profile report, which details sales splits by TV region, breakdown by day of the week and relative shop group scores. This is a new combination of OCC data which vastly enhances what was previously made available through the single title weekly chart reports.

Sales Analysis Premium - £100 + VAT
A comprehensive ‘all-you-need-to-know-at a-glance’, top-level chart document that incorporates all the Sales & Sales Analysis Plus data and provides gives you daily sales flash information and chart marker levels.

Sales History - £60 + VAT
This is principally a research report, providing a detailed picture of historical releases; how much they sold, where they sold, and their respective chart positions. Previously a more expensive ‘bespoke’ document delivered on demand, sales history has now has been incorporated into the new set of ‘indie reports’ at a far more accessible price.
Indies with a market share of less than 0.1% will also be able to access the OCC database for a fee of £125 per month: under a new scheme called Online Gold. The package offers access to all the OCC charts, top-line market stats in video and music, midweek sales flashes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, market share stats by month, quarter and year and a comprehensive search function for the labels’ own catalogue.

posted by Record of the Day on Monday, July 07, 2008

CAIN – The Creative Arts Investment Network is launched today (Monday 7 July 2008) as an independent national business angel network for the creative arts sector.
The Network connects potential investors with creative arts companies and projects in the UK looking for up to £2million development or production finance through private equity investment.
The Creative Arts Investment Network considers propositions from, and aims to help to raise private equity investment and funding for, the following sectors:
Film, Television, Theatre, Music, Live Events
CAIN acts as a ‘broker’ in the creative arts sector, providing a key introductory service to potential investors for creative arts companies looking for investment. The Network will host six investment meetings in London each year, with four or five
different creative arts companies pitching their propositions to the CAIN Investors at each event.
Founder and CAIN Managing Director, Nicki Hattingh, says “CAIN is serious about the business and commercial opportunities that exist within the UK creative arts sector and we are committed to increasing the level of business angel investment into this
diverse and interesting sector. There is a wealth of creative talent in the UK, which often struggles to find appropriate funding, particularly in the early and pre-production stages of the company or project development. There is a real need for private equity investment into creative arts projects and CAIN aims to help address the equity gap in this sector. We hope that CAIN will become the mechanism of choice to bring together creative arts companies looking for investment and investors with an
interest in the creative arts.”
Companies looking for investment will go through a tough assessment process with the CAIN Forum prior to being invited to pitch their proposition to the Network’s registered investor members. The CAIN Forum is a team of sector specialists working
with CAIN to critically assess the submissions to the Network. CAIN hopes that this rigorous assessment and pre-selection service will give confidence to the Network’s investor members and encourage new investors to look at the creative arts sector
as a viable business and investment opportunity. The CAIN Forum consists of members from:
- Ingenious Media
- Paramount Pictures
- The South East Media Network
- Clive Chenery Theatre Production & Management
- Peter Jones TV
Mrs Hattingh commented further “In this challenging creative arts environment, where finance is becoming increasingly complex, one of the key issues for investors in this sector is assessing the potential commercial value and ultimate return on investment of the propositions that they see. To assist potential investors in the creative arts sector, CAIN will also be developing a series of seminars to help potential investors understand the different financing mechanisms and potential return on investment for the different types of creative arts projects and companies.”

posted by Record of the Day on Monday, July 07, 2008

Winners announced for The Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards

Representatives from across Commercial Radio gathered this lunchtime in central London for the Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards. The ceremony was hosted by Virgin Radio’s Christian O’Connell at the Royal Lancaster Hotel. Guest presenters included Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, Alex Zane, JK and Joel, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Dynamite MC, Fiona Phillips and Tony Blackburn. Live performances were given by new artist Jessie and Polydor’s James Morrison who, fresh out of the studio, debuted his next single due out in September.
The awards are organised by RadioCentre, the industry body for Commercial Radio, and sponsored by the broadcasting transmission group Arqiva. They recognise excellence and talent in all aspects of Commercial Radio from sales and marketing to technical innovation and presenting.
2007 gold award winner talkSPORT picked up 2 gongs this year: national sales team of the year and station sound award; judges said that “talkSPORT’s imaging was not only clever but unique, distinctive and with a certain style”.
Commercial Radio has always had a strong commitment to finding and nurturing new talent and this year’s presentation newcomer of the year award was picked up by The Quay’s Chris Wise, known affectionately by his listeners as Wisey. As well as presenting the drivetime show, Pompey mad Wisey also co-hosts the Portsmouth football coverage for the station. Trent FM’s Jo and Twiggy were crowned radio presenters of the year with judges commenting that “the pair really owned the city of Nottingham” with their hugely popular breakfast show. Kiss 100’s Andy Roberts was announced programmer of the year and judges said that “he had taken real risks with the station which had paid off”.
For the station of the year awards, 97.2 Stray FM, GWR Bristol and London’s Magic 105.4 scooped the 3 prizes; of Magic, judges noted that “the station had remained the number one Commercial Radio station in London for the whole of 2007”. For the second year running, “funny yet serious” GaydarRadio scooped digital station of the year.
Severn Sound took the social action initiative award for their outstanding response and coverage of the floods 2007. Despite the station itself having to relocate when heavy rains fell, judges said “it provided a real public service, introducing a floodline which had a hugely positive effect”.
Virgin Radio picked up the prize for feature of the year for their coverage of the 2007 V Festival which generated exclusive backstage coverage as well as engaging online content which all produced an event that judges said “Commercial Radio could be really proud of”.
Magic’s Neil Fox was awarded the prestigious gold award – judges said that “listeners vote daily in large numbers for his warmth, approachability and gentle humour” they also added that “he had been a driving force in helping Magic 105.4 win one of this year’s station of the year awards”.
Key 103’s Vicky Sanders was presented with the Neil Robinson memorial award while the RadioCentre chairman’s award went to Global Radio for creating a significant player in the Commercial Radio market. After almost 25 years in the business, the IRN Newslink special award was awarded to Ralph Bernard CBE for his outstanding contribution to the Commercial Radio industry.
Finally, The PPL award for the most played UK artist on Commercial Radio went to Take That.
Said Andrew Harrison, chief executive of RadioCentre: “Commercial Radio offers something for everyone and the Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards are a fantastic opportunity to highlight to a wider audience the great things commercial stations are doing up and down the country in serving their listeners. Huge congratulations to all the winners.”
Said Paul Eaton, head of radio at Arqiva: “Year after year, the results of the Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards showcase the scale of existing and emerging talent in the industry, and 2008 has been no exception. We knew from the record number of entries this year that judging the winners was going to be a difficult task, but we are delighted with the results and would like to congratulate all of those that have won this year. We are especially pleased to be awarding the first ever prize for a schools radio project this year, an initiative we have been supporting since its launch.”

posted by Record of the Day on Monday, July 07, 2008

EMI APPOINTS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF RECORDED MUSIC

EMI is delighted to announce the appointment of Elio Leoni-Sceti as Chief Executive of its recorded music division, EMI Music.
Mr Leoni-Sceti joins from Reckitt Benckiser, the FTSE30 consumer brand company, where he has been Executive Vice President, Europe. His stellar 16 year career with Reckitt Benckiser has seen him lead some outstanding brand successes and business turnarounds in the United States and across Europe. Under Elio's tenure as Global Head of Category (2001-05), the company strengthened its recognised leadership in product innovation and global branding, while creating a new culture of integrated media and communication. In the last two years, as Head of Europe, Elio accelerated business growth in Europe, and built a stronger competitive position for its major brands.
Guy Hands said: “I am delighted that Elio is joining as Chief Executive of EMI Music to lead the most exciting business transformation in the music industry. His career achievements and outstanding leadership qualities are ideally suited to ensuring that EMI is a successful business. Elio has the passion, drive and belief in the future of the music industry to realise the ambitions we all have for EMI. Having completed the organisational restructuring at the end of June and finalised our strategic work, Elio joins at the right time to shape, drive and lead EMI to become the world’s most artist focused and consumer friendly music company. With Elio’s arrival as Chief Executive, I will be stepping back to become Non Executive Chairman of EMI. I would like to thank all our artists, staff and business partners for their continuing support and hard work to effect the changes underway and the positive results being achieved.”
Elio Leoni-Sceti said: “This is a hugely exciting time for the music business and for EMI. EMI is the world’s longest established music company operating in over 40 markets globally with a roster of some of the most successful artists in the world. They range from long established names such as The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Queen and The Beach Boys to contemporary singers such as Kylie Minogue, Lily Allen and Norah Jones. Its current
successes include Coldplay and Katy Perry topping both the UK and US charts. The potential that can be realised in this industry is massive, music consumption is
growing more than ever across the world and I cannot wait to get started and to working with EMI’s artists and employees.”

posted by Record of the Day on Monday, July 07, 2008

EMI MUSIC APPOINTS BILLY MANN AS PRESIDENT – INTERNATIONAL A&R LABELS

DAVID KASSLER BECOMES PRESIDENT – EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA

LONDON, 4 JULY 2008 -- EMI Music has appointed Billy Mann and David Kassler to the key international roles of president, A&R Labels - international, and president - Europe, Middle East and Africa, respectively. They succeed Jean-Francois Cecillon who steps down from his executive roles at the end of next week.
Billy Mann, who has been EMI Music’s chief creative officer since the beginning of this year, is appointed to the additional role of president, A&R Labels - international, assuming direct responsibility for artist development in all countries outside North America and the UK.
Mann will work closely with Nick Gatfield who, as previously announced, will join EMI Music as president, A&R Labels - North America and UK, on 15 July.
David Kassler becomes president - Europe/Middle East/Africa with regional responsibility for business and financial delivery.
In addition, at EMI Music France where Cecillon was president and CEO, Nathalie Collin becomes chairman, reporting to David Kassler.
Guy Hands, executive chairman of EMI Group, said: “With Nick leading our A&R offensive in North America and the UK, complemented by Billy in the rest of the world, we have two strong, artist-driven talents in place who will help steer EMI into a new phase of creativity working in true partnership with artists.“

posted by Record of the Day on Monday, July 07, 2008

JF CECILLON TO STEP DOWN FROM HIS EXECUTIVE ROLES AT EMI

LONDON, 4 JULY 2008 -- In an amicable agreement with the company, Jean-Francois Cecillon will step down from his roles as EMI Music’s president, A&R Labels - international, and president – Europe, Middle East and Africa, at the end of next week. He is in discussions with EMI about taking on a senior advisory role.
Guy Hands, executive chairman of EMI Group, said: “I would like to thank JF for his many contributions to EMI. He has consistently delivered on financial targets for his region. He has also nurtured great talent - both artistic and executive - and led a strong and united team over the past four and a half years.”
Cecillon said: “Now the shape of the new organisation is complete, the time is right for me to step back. I leave a lot of great friends in EMI and in its extended family of wonderful artists, and I encourage them to make the most of what I believe will be a new phase of opportunity for everyone associated with this great company.”

posted by Record of the Day on Monday, July 07, 2008

Sony/ATV Music Publishing Announces Janice Brock to Senior Vice President UK Operations

NEW YORK, NY (July 2, 2008): Sony/ATV Music Publishing Chairman and CEO Martin Bandier announced today that Janice Brock has been appointed Senior Vice President, UK Operations. In addition to this newly created position, Ms. Brock retains her role as Vice President, Office of the Chairman. The position is effective immediately, and she will be based out of the publisher’s London office.
Of the announcement, Bandier noted, “I have had the pleasure of working with Janice for 20 years. Janice is a talented music publishing executive with the rare quality of having an understanding of every aspect of our business. Her knowledge of both the US and UK businesses will serve us greatly as we continue our growth in Europe.”
Janice commented: “Having worked with Marty for so long, I’ve seen him build a company into one which became the gold standard for the industry. I was really excited to move on to Sony/ATV with Marty a year ago, to begin building that gold standard for Sony and I am equally excited to move over to our incredible UK team, as we take Sony/ATV it into our next era of growth.”
Janice’s chief responsibilities will be handling the day-to-day management of the UK operations and will report to UK Managing Director, Rakesh Sanghvi. Janice will also work closely with the New York office in developing a global marketing strategy for the publisher. In addition, she assumes the leadership of the UK-based communications office and will continue to work closely with the chairman’s office for special projects.
“I’m absolutely delighted that Janice will be joining us in the UK,” said Rak Sanghvi, Managing Director. “Coupled with her international role, she brings an amazing breadth of experience and contacts with her, which will be a huge asset to all of our writers, the company’s on-going activities and our continued growth going forward.”
Originally from the UK, Janice has lived in New York for the past 19 years. Most recently, she was Vice President, Office of the Chairman/Strategic Marketing for Sony/ATV Music Publishing. Prior to that, Ms Brock was with EMI Music Publishing for nearly 18 years, where she was Vice President, Office of the Chairman & External Communications.

posted by Record of the Day on Thursday, July 03, 2008

MATT ROSS JOINS TEN ALPS LIVE

Matt Ross has joined Ten Alps, the factual media company as Director, Business Development at Ten Alps Live.
Matt has previously held senior marketing positions at Sony and BMG in the UK and latterly with McCann-Erickson in Trinidad, during which time he worked with a range of international artists and brands including Destiny’s Child, Alicia Keys, Outkast, Usher, Lauryn Hill, b-mobile and Cable & Wireless. Matt will maintain his management responsibilities with Mercury signed artist Aynzli Jones, alongside co-manager Alan Edwards
“Ten Alps are genuinely creative, and genuinely multi-platform. They’ve brought together a unique set of competencies and it’s an exciting place to be as the media terrain continues to change. They work hard, work clever, and have really nice biscuits”
In his new role , Matt will be tasked to drive new business development across the division which is responsible for events, brand activations and experiential marketing.
Anton Jeffery, MD of Ten Alps Live said, “ We’re delighted that Matt’s joining the team. His knowledge and contacts in music and marketing are unbeatable. We know that clients are looking for effective and imaginative events to get their message across and Matt will help build on the solid base we have and create new partnerships.”

posted by Record of the Day on Thursday, July 03, 2008

Radio still the biggest influencer for consumers

- New research shows radio still number one place to discover new music
- Radio the biggest driver of music purchases
- The internet is adding another valuable dimension to the music discovery-purchase process

New research released today by RadioCentre, the industry body for Commercial Radio, has revealed that in the digital age, radio continues to be the most vital driver for both discovering new music and stimulating music purchase.
The medium was cited as the most important source for discovering new music by more than three times as many respondents compared to the internet: 56% of respondents said that they hear new music mostly from the radio; 17% said the internet while 13% said that TV is their main source. The research is also good news for emerging musicians with 71% of respondents saying that radio introduced them to an artist they would not have heard elsewhere.
68% of respondents said that hearing music on the radio influenced them to go out and purchase it, compared to just 24% for the internet and 22% for TV.
When asked in what way does radio influence them buying music: 57% said it was because a song grew on them the more that they heard it; 35% said they liked the song straight away; 14% said they had only heard it on the radio before buying it.
The research also reveals that the internet, far from detracting from radio’s role, actually adds another stage to the process for discovering and then driving purchase of music; allowing consumers to research further a track or to purchase the music directly online. 57% said they have at some time downloaded a song as soon as they’ve heard it on the radio; 45% said they’ve researched a song on a site like MySpace before buying, while 44% said they’ve gone to the station’s website to see the name of a song playing right there and then.
Alison Winter, head of audience insight at RadioCentre said: “In general, the younger, more music-savvy listeners are more likely to appreciate radio’s role in introducing them to new music at any moment; whereas older and/or less music-oriented listeners value radio’s role in recommending and familiarising them with a track over time and reminding them of old favourites.”
Andrew Harrison, chief executive of RadioCentre said: “Radio offers a wide range of music programming everyday at no cost to the listener but at great benefit to the music industry and musicians. This research shows that radio is still the most popular guide for consumers in terms of hearing and purchasing music.”
The research was unveiled at the Radio Festival in Glasgow and was carried out for RadioCentre by Clark Chapman during April across 6 cities.

posted by Record of the Day on Tuesday, July 01, 2008

EMI MUSIC AND WELK MUSIC GROUP ANNOUNCE WORLDWIDE SALES AND DISTRIBUTION PARTNERSHIP

Legendary Vanguard, Sugar Hill and Ranwood Labels to Tap EMI’s Network for Digital and Physical Retail
Los Angeles (June 30, 2008) – Welk Music Group, which includes such prestigious record labels as Vanguard, Sugar Hill and Ranwood, and EMI Music, one of the world’s leading independent music companies, have entered into an agreement in which EMI will provide the Welk Music Group with digital and physical sales and distribution services on a worldwide basis. In addition, EMI will provide licensing and synchronization services on a non-exclusive basis to Welk’s acclaimed roster of artists.
Welk Music Group is home to two of the most revered and influential record labels of the last half-century, Vanguard Records and Sugar Hill Records. Vanguard Records has long held a reputation for eclectic, distinctive and groundbreaking recordings; a tradition that holds strong today. From such new and distinctive artists as Greg Laswell, Shawn Mullins, Mindy Smith whose debut “One Moment More” went on to sell over 300,000 copies, Nellie McKay and the legendary Levon Helm, to its rich and historical catalog of artists such as: Joan Baez, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Buddy Guy and Mississippi John Hurt, Vanguard continues to pursue its successful artistic vision.
Sugar Hill Records is the preeminent roots music label. From traditional bluegrass to legendary singer-songwriters and peerless instrumentalists such as Kasey Chambers, The Infamous Stringdusters, Sam Bush, to The Duhks, Gibson Brothers, Sarah Borges and Nickel Creek, the innovative trio who have a combined sales of over two million units with their first three albums, Sugar Hill continues to set the standard for American roots music.
Over the years, Welk’s group of owned and distributed labels feature an electic artist roster ranging from American music icons such as Dolly Parton, Rodney Crowell and George Jones; Adult Rock stalwarts Linda Ronstadt, Joan Osborne, Sinead O’Connor, Robert Cray and Blues Traveler, and emerging artists such as Matt Nathanson, Indigenous, Carbon Leaf, The Alternate Routes, Pictures and Sound and distributed artists such as Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters, Taylor Hicks and Hootie and The Blowfish.
Kevin Welk, President of the Welk Music Group states: “EMI offers us unique, seamless, global reach, and allows us to tap into their strong relationship network with physical and digital partners around the world. Their bold moves to transform its business will serve our labels and our artists well as we work to extend their reach to new audiences on a variety of new music platforms.”
“We are honored to have Welk Music Group and its amazing roster of artists work with the EMI family,” said Ronn Werre, EMI Music President of Commercial Development. “EMI Music’s aim is to provide world class services to artists and to bring great music to fans. Kevin Welk and his team have built an illustrious catalog and active artist roster, and we are thrilled to offer EMI’s global capabilities to them. We look forward to working with the Welk Music family of labels and taking their artists to new levels of success.

posted by Record of the Day on Tuesday, July 01, 2008

ATLANTIC RECORDS UK ANNOUNCES INNOVATIVE ALBUM OFFER WITH iTUNES AND TICKETMASTER

30 June 2008, London: B-Unique, a division of Atlantic Records UK, today announced an innovative cross-platform marketing initiative with iTunes in the UK and Ticketmaster UK for Primal Scream’s new album ‘Beautiful Future’ released on 21st July. Fans pre-ordering the album via the iTunes Store in the UK (www.apple.com/UK/iTunes) will be given an exclusive early option to buy tickets to the group’s forthcoming tour.
From 1st July iTunes customers who pre-order a copy of Primal Scream’s new album ‘Beautiful Future’ to be downloaded on 21st July when it is released will also receive exclusive access to a pre-sale at Ticketmaster.co.uk for the band’s forthcoming UK tour.
Fans will receive an email with a unique code that they can use at Ticketmaster.co.uk for 48 hours from 30th July until 1st August to exclusively purchase tickets to the band’s UK tour before it goes on sale to the general public. Furthermore, iTunes customers who download the album will receive an exclusive additional track called ‘Urban Guerrilla’, and those who pre-order the album will receive a further track called ‘Time Of The Assassins’.
‘Beautiful Future’ will be the ninth studio album by Primal Scream and their first release through their new record label B-Unique, a division of Atlantic Records. The album promises a heady mix of genre-crunching tracks, combining Philly soul, dark electro, accelerated rock ‘n’ roll riffs and pure British pop. The first single ‘Can’t Go Back’ is released on 14th July.
Vito Iaia, Senior Director of Music Services, Ticketmaster Europe said; “We’re excited to offer this great service in partnership with iTunes. Primal Scream fans get great benefits like exclusive access to tickets before the general public and it means that artists can offer innovative ways of bringing the live experience and recorded music closer together”.
Martin Toher, Managing Director, B-Unique said, “I am delighted that this innovative promotion with iTunes and Ticketmaster also marks our first album release through our partnership with Atlantic Records. It offers fans an attractive deal, driving digital pre-orders of this fantastic album and raising the visibility of Primal Scream’s highly anticipated tour at the same time.”
Max Lousada, Managing Director, Atlantic Records UK said, “This promotion is an excellent way to launch our relationship with Primal Scream, one of the UK’s most exciting and eclectic bands. It’s another example of our ability to provide our acts with flexible services that pull together different aspects of their career to create highly desirable offers for the fans.”

posted by Record of the Day on Tuesday, July 01, 2008

DAVID BOYD JOINS CONNECTED ARTISTS

David Boyd, former managing director and Head of A&R at the Virgin Records and Hut labels, has joined the newly expanded Connected Artists management company, headed by James Morrison’s manager, Paul McDonald.
Best known for his A&R successes with acts such as The Verve, Placebo, The Music, Gomez and Embrace, Boyd takes his Flock Music label and artist management roster to Connected’s new Covent Garden home.
Boyd manages The SugaRush Beat Company, signed to Sony’s RCA label, as well as hotly tipped Irish band The Chakras and solo artiste, Jenny Lindfors.
The Flock label, distributed by Vital and PIAS, recently released throughout Europe the debut album by Angus & Julia Stone.
The move is Connected’s first recruitment since partnering with the new legal and financial firm, Sound Advice, set up by Robert Horsfall and Mike Skeet, whose clients include Yusuf Islam, Robert Plant, Pendulum, Paul Oakenfold and Stargate.
David Boyd says “I’m very excited to be joining these new creative and business management teams who share the same vision and ambitions as me. As the musical landscape changes, I feel I am best placed within this environment to represent the artists in the modern world.”
Paul McDonald says “I’m delighted to welcome David and his fantastic roster to our expanding management operation. His enormous experience and artist friendly reputation will enhance the company and we hope our infrastructure will provide David with a great platform from which to grow ”.

posted by Record of the Day on Monday, June 30, 2008

DX MEDIA APPOINTS MATT PRIEST TO NME RADIO

DX Media today announces the appointment of Matt Priest as head of sponsorship & promotions, live events and marketing for NME Radio.
Matt joins after nearly four years at production company Ten Alps Live where he was head of Music Events. In his time there Matt, amongst other things, created the Metro Weekender on Clapham Common, managed E4's Skins Premiere tour, Dr Martens’ FreeDM brand sponsorship of Ibiza Rocks and DMs sponsorship of the revamped Roundhouse.
Prior to Ten Alps, Matt was at Radio 1 for 10 years where he was highly instrumental in furthering Radio 1’s involvement in the live music sector, including managing their presence at major UK festivals. Matt was also the executive producer for dance music where he launched the careers of Rob Da Bank and Annie Mac amongst others.
Prior to Radio 1, Matt was involved with the Mean Fiddler organisation where he held the position of head of sponsorship for the group’s festivals and venues.
Sammy Jacob, managing director of DX Media, says: “I’m delighted to have Matt on board. Live music is inherent in everything we do. His experience and creativity, both editorially and commercially, will be extremely valuable.”
Matt says: “I’m very excited to be joining NME Radio and DX Media. The digital landscape is a very exciting place to be right now. The combined strength of the NME brand and DX Media provides a great foundation to create opportunities both on and off air.”

posted by Record of the Day on Friday, June 27, 2008

Trevor Hunter joins Digital Stores

14th June 2008, London – Digital Stores, one of the leading suppliers of online retail services in the entertainment sector, are pleased to announce the appointment of Trevor Hunter as Market Manager.
Trevor has joined Digital Stores with a remit to grow and develop the Digital Stores marketing capability. Key areas of growth are expected to be brand partnerships, external marketing and customer insight. He joins the team from Emap Advertising and held previous roles at IBM France and Taylor Nelson Sofres.

posted by Record of the Day on Friday, June 27, 2008

TRAVIS ANNOUNCE LABEL AND DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT WITH INTEGRAL

London, June 25th 2008 - Travis have revived their former label 'Red Telephone Box' and are entering into a label and distribution arrangement with Integral ahead of the release of their forthcoming studio album, titled 'Ode To J Smith', which is scheduled for release on September 29th.
Integral, a division of [PIAS] UK, specialises in providing services to record labels, artists and artist managers who want to independently release music both physically and digitally. Offering product management, marketing services, press and promotion expertise and distribution through [PIAS] UK, Integral will provide support and infrastructure to Red Telephone Box and will work closely with Travis and their management to maximize the opportunities available to the band in the independent sector.
This coming Monday (June 30th) sees the release of a limited edition 10" vinyl recording of three new tracks. The recordings will also be available on most digital platforms. Fans who pre-order the record on the band site, www.travisonline.com will receive a signed copy of the EP and the digital bundle for £3.99. The first fully available commercial single to precede the album will be released on September 18th.
The band’s manager, Ian McAndrew of Wildlife Entertainment, said, "I met with Pete Thompson and Ian Dutt at Integral earlier this year to play them the new Travis album. After hearing the record they were both very enthusiastic and keen to get involved. We agreed the outline of a label deal which involves Integral providing a range of label services and includes both physical and digital distribution for the UK and Ireland. We mapped out a tentative release plan, formulated a budget, hired our promotion dream team and are releasing our first limited edition 10" EP on Monday, June 30th. This arrangement allows Travis to retain full creative control of their music and affords us the full support of the Integral team to assist in the running of the label".
Peter Thompson, Managing Director of PIAS [UK] said, “Travis have made consistently brilliant albums for years and ‘Ode to J Smith’ is no exception. When Ian played us the new record we jumped at the chance to get involved and the agreement we have worked out with them adheres to the Integral model which gives as much creative control to the artist as possible. The band and their management have a clear vision for what how they want to do things and we have put in place an infrastructure that will allow them to achieve their goals.”
Red Telephone Box was first established in 1996 to release the debut 10" EP from Travis titled "All I Want To Do Is Rock". The band then signed to Independiente in 1997 and recorded five albums which to date have sold over 10 million albums worldwide.
Travis are currently in discussion with a variety of international partners to license the album overseas.

posted by Record of the Day on Friday, June 27, 2008

UNIVERSAL MUSIC, DISNEY MUSIC FORGE LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR ASIA

HONG KONG/LONDON/LOS ANGELES, June 24, 2008 – The Disney Music Group and Universal Music Group (UMG) have entered into an international licensing agreement for the Asian market, excluding Japan. Under its terms, the Disney Music Group has selected UMG to market and distribute the unique roster of artists affiliated with Hollywood Records and Walt Disney Records, and their catalogues.
The agreement was announced today by Max Hole, President, Asia-Pacific Region, Universal Music Group International, and David Agnew, President, Walt Disney Records, & EVP/GM of Disney Music Group.
The pact takes immediate effect and covers both digital and physical rights. The markets are China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. From October, India will be included in the agreement.
Universal Music Group has an existing international licensing pact with the Disney Music Group for South America and Canada, as well as a distribution arrangement in the United States. In addition, UMG has licensed the Jonas Brothers’ eponymous album from Hollywood Records for distribution in Europe. “Jonas Brothers” is released by UMG’s Polydor Records this month.
The Asian agreement will include the release of forthcoming Disney Music Group albums by Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers, High School Musical’s Vanessa Hudgens and Hilary Duff. Also slated for release are the soundtracks to Camp Rock, The Cheetah Girls One World and High School Musical: Senior Year.
Miley Cyrus became a household name with the runaway success of her Disney Channel original series, “Hannah Montana.” Her first two record releases have sold (combined) over 6 million copies to date and both debuted at No. 1. Miley’s forthcoming record is entitled “Breakout,” and the first single is “Seven Things.” Jonas Brothers released their second album (first on Disney Music Group’s Hollywood Records) last August. It has since gone platinum in the U.S., and Jonas Brothers have become a pop culture phenomenon. Their star power is certain to grow with the imminent release of Disney Channel’s original movie, Camp Rock.
Vanessa Hudgens’ first solo, “V,” release went gold, and her new album “Identified” showcases her development as versatile and impressive voice in pop music. Hilary Duff has sold over 15 million records. Her upcoming (yet to be titled) CD features two singles produced/written by One Republic lead singer Ryan Tedder.
The High School Musical franchise shattered industry records, sold more than 13 million units globally, and for the second consecutive year was named the No. 1 best-selling album by IFPI, the international recording industry organisation. The highly anticipated third installment High School Musical: Senior Year is set for release on October 24.
Multi-talented actresses/singers/dancers Adrienne Bailon, Kiely Williams, and Sabrina Bryan – known as The Cheetah Girls – are set to release the soundtrack from the Disney Channel Original Movie, The Cheetah Girls One World, this summer.
Max Hole said, “Disney artists and music create excitement wherever they go, and Asia is no exception. We’re pleased to partner with the Disney Music Group in yet another part of the world, and our team throughout the region is looking forward to spreading the excitement even further.”
David Agnew commented: “ We are pleased to expand our excellent business relationship with Universal into the Asian marketplace and feel confident that we will do great things together there.”

posted by Record of the Day on Tuesday, June 24, 2008

CUMMINS AND CARRUTHERS CONFIRMED FOR IN THE CITY 2008

CONTEMPORARY GIANTS OF MUSIC PHOTOGRAPHY AND FILM TO GIVE KEYNOTE INTERVIEWS
London , June 24th 2008 – Kevin Cummins, the legendary music photographer, and Dick Carruthers, the acclaimed music film maker, have been confirmed as keynote interviewees at this year’s In The City music conference, which takes place in Manchester on October 5th, 6th and 7th under the overall heading of, “It’s All About The Music, Stupid.”
Kevin Cummins started his career in the late 1970s and was one of the first photographers to document Manchester’s burgeoning punk scene. His iconic photographs of Joy Division, Buzzcocks and others brought him to the attention of the London music magazines and he became chief photographer for NME. He has contributed to major publications including The Times, Vogue and Mojo and is currently working on a photographic retrospective of Manchester musicians to be published by Faber and Faber later this year.
In 1985, the night before the Heysel disaster, Tony Wilson interviewed Kevin Cummins in Oldham about his latest exhibition for the TV news show Granada Reports. Accompanied by live music performed by a very special guest, Kevin will be looking back and remembering the culture & defining images of that era. As a preview to this very special event a selection of Kevin’s photographs will also be posted on the In The City website at www.inthecity.co.uk and visitors to the site will be encouraged to vote for their favourite image. The most popular photograph will then be discussed during the keynote interview.
Kevin Cummins said, “Obviously I’m delighted to be asked to be involved in this year’s In The City – expect something special.”
Whether it’s The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney, Take That, Oasis, Snow Patrol or many others, Dick Carruthers is the ‘go-to’ guy when these superstars want to shoot their definitive live concert film, produce their access-all-areas documentary or put together their career encompassing DVD boxsets. In fact it’s probably easier to list the high profile artists that London based Carruthers hasn’t worked with in recent years.

Focusing on just one of his long-term clients Dick will be interviewed at ITC 2008 about the various challenges involved in filming legendary Manchester band Oasis throughout the years – covering the early live shoots at Maine Road and Earls Court, the mega gigs at Knebworth in 1996 and Wembley Stadium in 2000 (broadcast live on SKY and to 17 other countries), plus the big gigs at Finsbury park, Lancashire County Cricket Club and the City of Manchester stadium ( amongst other stadiums) in 2005, Dick will also give an insight into the documentaries and EPKs he has made with the band as well as the acclaimed, multi-award winning ‘Definitely Maybe’ 10 year anniversary DVD boxset that came out in 2004.
Dick Carruthers said, “I’m honoured to have been asked to take part in this year’s In The City, it’s a venerable event and I’m looking forward to being able to share some of my experiences with the audience there.”
In The City have also announced that the event’s reduced ‘early-bird’ registration rate of just £295 will end on June 30th when the price will rise to £395 for one month and then to £495 from August 1st. To take advantage of the early bird rate before it rises delegates should register at www.inthecity.co.uk or call the In The City office on +44 (0)161 839 3930 to take advantage of the early bird offer before it expires.
In The City provides a vital forum via keynote addresses, celebrity interviews, masterclasses, panels and seminars to discuss the future of the music business, and also provides the focus for hundreds of live music events that take place during the convention.

posted by Record of the Day on Tuesday, June 24, 2008

'The Music Ally Debate: What Next for Music Retail?'

Monday 14th July 2008, 6pm to 9pm, Deloitte Auditorium, 1st Floor, 2 New Street Square, London, EC4A 3TR.
It has been quite some time since Music Ally's last event; so we're pleased to announce this new event; food and drink in central London with a discussion focussing on the outlook for retail. With over 800 music retailers closed in the US and with Woolworths pulling music from its shelves in the UK it's time to seriously take stock of the music retail situation and ask where do we go next?
Despite iTunes' success, digital is still failing to make up for the shortfall from the drop in physical sales. On the other hand perhaps retail is changing into something altogether more sexy?

Confirmed panelists:
Rob Lewis, CEO, Omnifone
Gideon Lask, Director, E-Commerce, HMV
Keith Jopling, EMI
Derek Dunlop, Digital Media Strategist, Conchango
James Bates, Media Director, Deloitte
Chair and introduction:
Paul Brindley, MD, Music Ally

Full details are here:
www.musically.com/events
& book here: http://musically1.eventbrite.com
ROTD readers can receive the 15% off by clicking 'Enter Discount Code': then typing in: rotd

posted by Record of the Day on Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Association of Independent Festivals Launched

The Aim AGM saw the announcement of the formation of the Association of Independent Festivals, a non-profit trade organisation created to represent UK music festivals.
The association launched with twelve festival organisers on the Board, with a second wave of festivals to be invited as members over the summer.
The brainchild of Bestival promoter Rob da Bank, he said at the launch, at AIM’s AGM: "AIF has been a seed in my brain ever since we started Bestival five years ago, where we came up against so many issues, from where to source good toilets to stopping campsite theft, to being greener, saving money, and making our event as good as can be."
AIF will operate as an autonomous division of AIM with it’s own board and structure, as outlined below. It will be chaired by AIM Chairman Alison Wenham, joining some of the UK's strongest and most creative music festivals as founder members, ranging from the 40,000 capacity Creamfields in Liverpool, to the 6,000 capacity Summer
Sundae in Leicester.
Commented AIM Chairman and Chief Executive Alison Wenham: “AIM has come a very long way since it opened its doors nine years ago, and no greater compliment could be paid to us than to work with the newly formed AIF. AIM is a broad church of interests. AIM’s and AIF’s members are all independent entrepreneurs working in music. AIF will represent independent British Festivals, another great example of
indie culture at work, requiring imagination and hard work. The synergies are undoubtedly there and we hope to provide AIF with a supportive and experienced environment in which they can develop the collective platform for the UK independent festival industry”.
Speaking about the association with AIM, Rob’s manager and co-founder Ben Turner said: "It was clear that working with somebody as strong and visionary as Alison and the AIM board was a clear route to market, a powerful message of our intention and an indication of where this concept can be taken for the benefit of festival owners, and subsequently the festival-going public. The AIM Board has been open, constructive and nothing but encouraging. At the same time, having our own identity is important. We have our own issues and agendas."
All festival promoters included in the AIF Board were approached by the founders, and the association will operate on an invite-only basis going forward, meaning all new association members will be selected by the Board. The organisation will also operate a Friends of AIF, in similar style to Friends of AIM, opening the door to
companies ranging from merchandisers to toilet providers who wish to communicate directly with owners.
Services provided by AIF from launch will include use of AIM's lawyer Michael Fuller, discounted entry to AIF and AIM networking events, exclusive exposure to companies operating in the festival market, including shared knowledge of service providers around the UK and Ireland to help reduce overheads for all festival owners. AIF will immediately open up dialogue across music business and government,
making itself available for consultation on key issues facing the festival market. There are also plans for collective marketing initiatives for AIF members.
The move comes at an opportune time for the festival industry as a whole. There are reportedly over 450 music festivals in the UK alone, with the recent explosion of the last few years appearing to have slowed-down. Believing this is the right time for such a positive show of strength from the independent sector, Rob da Bank stated: "In the current very competitive, very intense climate, it’s more crucial than ever to be able to bond together as like-minded independently spirited festivals to ride out the problems and make them all better for the paying customer." Creamfields owner James Barton adds: “There is a real opportunity to combine our spending power to deliver exciting business ideas. The smaller festivals are also often overlooked, and it’s important we now have a voice to influence decisions being made that impact on our business.”

posted by Record of the Day on Friday, June 20, 2008

Art Vinyl links with Peter Hook to launch limited edition framed Haçienda t-shirt

19 June 2008: Art Vinyl, the pioneers of showcasing the aesthetics of vinyl records, today announced it has linked up with Joy Division/New Order bass player Peter Hook to launch a limited edition framed t-shirt commemorating Faç 51 - Manchester’s famed Haçienda night club.
The package will be launched with a Peter Hook DJ set at the Art Vinyl Gallery in East London’s Broadway market on July 31.
Art Vinyl is showcasing its products at the London Calling exhibition at Earls Court this week.
The t-shirt features The Haçienda’s iconic “Use Hearing Protection logo” on a vivid “Haçienda Yellow” t-shirt contained in a specially-packaged Art Vinyl Play And Display frame.
Each one of the 501 individually numbered packs features the legendary yellow and black stripes synonymous with the Hacienda..
The t-shirts – all in size large – are wrapped around a transparent yellow plastic “Use Hearing Protection” 12” x 12” art print, meaning buyers can still enjoy the artwork as well as removing the t-shirt from the frame for wearing. The limited edition packs will retail for £105.
Peter Hook, a key part of the team which created The Haçienda – alongside the rest of New Order, their manager Rob Gretton and Factory entrepreneur Tony Wilson – said, “This is a great souvenir of a club which meant a lot to me, to Manchester and ultimately to British music. I love the whole Art Vinyl concept since the visuals have always been a big part of all the projects I’ve been involved in. And I’m looking forward to DJing down at the Art Vinyl Gallery on July 31.”
Art Vinyl founder Andrew Heeps said, “The Haçienda was the cradle of much of the dance culture which followed it. This is a unique piece of memorabilia which defines a new use for the Play & Display frame. Early indications are that it will sell out quickly.”
Heeps created the Art Vinyl Gallery initially to showcase the art of vinyl records. The Gallery has featured exhibitions by labels such as Mute, Sonar Kollektiv and International DJ Gigolos.
Out of that grew the need for a frame which showcased vinyl records to their best advantage. The unique feature of the Play & Display frame is that the contents can be removed and exchanged while the frame is still fixed to a wall.
Said Heeps, “The Haçienda pack promises to open up a whole new category of memorabilia and merchandising. We are already talking to other bands and labels about further editions.”

posted by Record of the Day on Thursday, June 19, 2008

IMPALA appeals EC authorisation of SonyBMG merger without remedies for a second time

A new appeal was lodged on Friday at the EC's Court of First Instance in Luxembourg, challenging the EC’s unconditional authorisation of the SonyBMG merger for a second time. IMPALA believes the Commission repeated many of the errors that it made before, despite the court’s judgement in IMPALA's favour in 2006. As the music sector is highly concentrated, IMPALA's position is that music mergers should not be allowed unless far reaching remedies are put in place to protect market access and promote market recovery.
The independents will also encourage the EC to adopt a series of market access measures as set out in IMPALA's Action Plan adopted in March. This will include new competition rules which recognise the specificities of culture and the crucial role of economic diversity in music - it is the independents who produce over 80% of all music released in Europe today, creating over half the jobs. This is essential for the EC to deliver its Lisbon agenda, which now includes unlocking the economic potential of culture and SMEs as a top priority because they are recognised as “drivers of growth, job creation and innovation”.
IMPALA has also cited the overall development of the online market and the particular market access and compensation issues for independents arising out of the majors’ deals with operators such as Kazaa and MySpace. The independents need to overcome market dysfunction and ensure that they are not locked out. However there is a long way to go, and it is clear that there are serious barriers to entry for smaller companies in both the offline or online markets. Effective market access and remuneration of the independents’ copyrights is vital for music fans and artists alike.

Quotes
Horst Weidenmueller, CEO of !K7 Records and Co-President of IMPALA said: “A merger such as this with no remedies has repercussions for thousands of artists and small businesses across Europe. IMPALA’s primary issue is the dysfunctioning of the music market. Online is the key example here and the EC should look more closely at how the majors are controlling the roll-out of this market.”
Michel Lambot, President of PIAS Group and Co-President of IMPALA added: “We had two options. Like in Ireland say Yes or say No. We have said No since 2000, No to an unregulated market that dies, No to the absence of remedies, No to the danger posed to the diversity of culture, No to the absence of entry points for new entrepreneurs in the cultural sector and we said YES to Lisbon's agreement, Yes to the ratification of the Unesco treaty Yes to the existence of a buoyant independent sector, Yes again to a vital, dynamic and diverse European musical world... Had we another choice than opposing the merger of two majors without market remedies?”
Patrick Zelnik, President of Naïve and Co-President of IMPALA commented: “Music has a great future if smaller labels obtain the regulatory support they need to keep creating new, innovative music. Decisions like this make it even more difficult. The EC has simply repeated the economic, political and cultural errors it made before. These need to be corrected. The implications for cultural diversity are clear for us all to see. It is time for the regulators to work together with the majors and the independents on far-reaching remedies, in the interests of market recovery.”
Helen Smith, Executive Chair of IMPALA added: “There is a huge contradiction here. Politically the EC is light years ahead of where it was when it first authorised the SonyBMG merger. But, we still seem to be some way off relying on the regulators to guarantee an open and competitive market, so we had no choice but to appeal. At the same time we welcome the new political agenda at EC level and are ready to work on concrete market access measures to empower thousands of SME music operators and their artists, as set out in IMPALA's Action Plan adopted in March.”

posted by Record of the Day on Monday, June 16, 2008