[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmIZWi2Zbj0&eurl=http://video.aol.com/video-detail/jason-flom-on-why-360-deals-are-good-for-major-labels/1656794265[/youtube]

Still Working: The 2,000 employees who were suppose to be let go at EMI months ago still have a job. Why? Because sources say EMI needs more money to cover the restructuring costs, which are running higher than anticipated. ‘Once source said Terra Firma is looking to possibly raise another $60 million for EMI to help pay for the cuts’.

Beating The Odds: Buckcherry who released their record “15” through Eleven Seven Music has been certified platinum and will likely double all previous sales – during the worst decline the music business has ever seen. The record was released in April of 2006, it was eventually upstreamed to Atlantic Records and so far has spent 91 weeks on the Billboard top 200 thanks to multi-format hit singles including ‘Crazy Bitch’,’Next 2 You’ and ‘Everything’.

Despite the continued decline of record sales nationally, Buckcherry have succeeded in increasing their own sales on “15”. Their 1999 debut, which spawned the #1 hit “Lit Up,” has sold 775,000 units – most of which when the music industry was at its peak.

“Few bands are savvy enough to write hit songs that aren’t just the flavor of the week says fellow Eleven Seven Music label mate, Sixx: A.M. and Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx.

AC/DC in the Studio: AC/DC is currently recording with Brendon O’Brien and will release the new studio album via Columbia Records. Brendon O’Brien has worked with some of the biggest artists including Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, and Rage Against The Machine.

New Music: Have you heard of Elisa Jordana? We believe she was the former member of Cobra Starship. Her myspace profile tags her as pop/hip hop/ and club. These types of tracks lose their luster quickly because it’s programs and samples, but we recommend listening to Dark Side of The City and Hangman.

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Major music labels are cutting their staff, yet publishers are doubling the size of their film/TV licensing departments. In fact, total revenues earned by sync income is increasing at a rapid rate as publishing companies are pushing their copyrights through new media.

Television programs including The Hills, Weeds, and Grey’s Anatomy are music driven and of course a publishers dream. Also, the increase of reality TV shows are a benefit to newer acts while shows like American Idol and Dancing With the Stars benefit older artists and create enormous exposure for their catalogs.

‘In addition to the sync fee, publishers can see a boost in sales for the original title after the usage. After David Archuleta performed “Imagine” on “American Idol” earlier this season, downloads on the John Lennon classic increased more than 600% the next week. Similarly, after since-deposed “Idol” finalist Amanda Overmyer sang “Carry On My Wayward Son,” iTunes sales for the Kansas song increased 60%, according to Tami Lester, EMI Music Publishing’s director of film and TV music’.

Television licensing fees for copyrights range from as little as $150 for a basic cable usage to as much as $25,000 for a network or premium cable usage. Of course a well-known song that a show desperately wants, the fee can soar into the six figures.

Of course, many shows have a limited budget and it’s always the job of the publisher to get the highest price. In this respect, there is a growing a divide between publishers and labels – labels want the fee to be lower since they are counting on the TV usage to boost CD sales.

So after posting that we were searching for a vocalist that has a wider range than almost any other rock vocalist-Â we received hundreds of emails and tips. Of course most fell short but we did get one tip from a San Diego band called Dirty Sweet. Listen to the track Long Line Down and let us know what you think.

We did a brief search on the band and found that the group went on to win San Diego Music Awards ‘Best Rock’ act TWICE and “Best Rock Album”. But what prevented the band from breaking out? Probably the lack of commercial songs, although the band has received good press in the UK. Their debut record ‘”…Of Monarchs and Beggars” was produced and engineered by the band themselves, which was probably not a good idea. When an artist produces and directs his own art, objectivity is usually lost, which is why we always suggest finding a really great producer.

We still want better because we are hard to please. This is the entertainment business, we need the best. Remember, there is room at the top!

Tips@kingsofar.com

The 500,000 Song iPod: iPods and other devices may soon be able to hold a hundred times more information than they do at present due to a breakthrough in storage technology.’Scientists at IBM say they have developed a new type of digital storage which would enable a device such as an MP3 player to store about half a million songs – or ,500 films – and cost far less to produce’.

‘In a paper published in the current issue of Science, a team at the company’s research centre in San Jose, California, said that devices which use the new technology would require much less power, would run on a single battery charge for “weeks at a time”, and would last for decades’.

Outlook: 40% of Music Sales Will be Digital by 2012 according to a report by market research firm In-Stat. The firm also projects that revenue from worldwide full-track mobile downloads will reach approximately $4.2 billion by 2012.

Reality or Fictionality: A major music-oriented television channel has proposed an idea for a reality series revolving around Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose according to sources. The project indicated that the show would focus on the reclusive singer’s efforts to complete and release the long-delayed Guns N’ Roses album, Chinese Democracy. Sources at Rose’s label, Geffen Records, said that a finished version of Chinese Democracy has been delivered to the company.

iTunes Top Songs:

4 Minutes – Madonna
Bleeding Love – Leona Lewis
Praying For Time – Carrie Underwood
Lollipop – Lil Wayne
No Air – Jordin Sparks
What About Now – Daughtry
Touch My Body – Mariah Carey
Love In This Club – Usher
Sexy Can – Ray J

According to Hits, Leona Lewis is running above expectations, projecting 195-205k sales. Daughtry had another consistent week with sales of 17k and his debut record has reached a total of 4 million. I’m sorry but Madonna’s single 4 Minutes is forgettable within 4 minutes. It’s a 4 minute infomercial sound clip void of any emotion or passion. Madonna use to be a pioneer setting trends in fashion and in music….what happened?