How Realistic is Total Music? Even though Apple and major record labels are talking concerning the idea of bringing the “Total Music” concept to iPod devices, the deal is still not imminent. The Total Music concept involves labels providing music for a specific device, like the iPod, in return for a cut of the device. The labels want a piece of the hardware business which isn’t a bad idea. Regardless, there are several obstacles of Total Music becoming reality which can be read here.

Who Thought of the idea of Pre-loading the iPod with Songs? Universal CEO Doug Morris according to Cnet. Morris has approached Apple with an idea to offer a device that comes preprogrammed with Universal Music’s entire library on it. The FT reported that Morris wants $80 for any Apple device bundling Universal Music songs,while Apple has offered $20.

New Music: Check out music from Columbus band House Of Heroes. Our favorite track is Leave You Know.

Any Takers? Jay-Z wants his own label, but can’t find a home for it. According to an insider, “He wants a label to give him $100 million for the Carter Music Group and provide for overhead, development and digital investment. It’s crazy. He wants the labels to basically be his venture capital fund – but unlike a venture cap, they won’t get 50 percent. This is not the ’90s anymore.”

Sales for Nine Inch Nails: Here is another column that appeared in the New York Times that talks about NIN’s impressive sales figures for an instrumental album. First-week sales generated more than $1.6 million. That sum is the result of more than 781,000 “transactions,” including free and paid downloads, as well as online orders of the CD.

Top Current Albums:

Jack Johnson – Sleep Through The Static – (TW)55,280 – (Total)871,488.
**Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin just said yesterday that people just don’t buy records anymore. That may be true for their audience and demographic, but certainly not true for Johnson. Johnson just sold close to 1 million records in 6 weeks without any big media hype.

Daughtry – Daughtry – (TW)21,092 – (Total)4,000,000
**Daughtry has been charting for 70 weeks and isn’t going anywhere. Daughtry’s debut could easily pass 6,000,000 when all is said done and of course, it’s another victory for American Idol.

Alicia Keys – As I Am – (TW)32,000 – (Total)3,300,000
**Multi-talented Alicia Keys has already sold over 41 million albums and singles worldwide as of 2007, a bucketload of records for a young artist.

Taylor Swift – (TW)33,000 – (Total)2,700,00
**Highly motivated Swift began to regularly visit Nashville, where, at age 14, she wrote songs with local songwriters. Her hard work ultimately landed her on the Top Country Albums charts.