Internet Changing: Can you imagine the internet becoming obsolete? Well, it may not be far off. The scientists who pioneered the net have built a lightning-fast replacement capable of downloading entire feature films within seconds. At speeds about 10,000 times faster than a typical broadband connection, “the grid†will be able to send the entire Rolling Stones back catalogue from Britain to Japan in less than two seconds.
Blog Till You Drop: The around-the-clock Internet economy that demands a constant stream of news and comment are causing bloggers to go insane. Bloggers complain of weight loss or gain, sleep disorders, and exhaustion which are caused from nonstop strain of producing for a news and information cycle that is as always-on as the Internet.
“There’s no time ever — including when you’re sleeping — when you’re not worried about missing a story,†said Mr. Arrington the co-editor of TechCrunch. The “pay-per-click†economy has put the emphasis on reader traffic and financial return, not journalism.
This Week Sales: R.E.M.’s Acclerate first week sales are expected to top 100k according to Hits. They need it as the band’s relevancy was in jeopardy by having a long period of weak album sales. I’m rooting for R.E.M, I believe the new single Supernatural Superserious is the perfect comeback song to put them back in the public eye.
New Music: South Florida’s hard rock band Stonehigh has posted a brand new track from their upcoming album “This Calling” at this Clear Channel Radio Site. This is quite good actually and a bit refreshing which modern rock desperately needs. The album is due out May 20th, 2008.
Music services pay high price to labels: SpiralFrog, an advertisement supported service, paid more than $3 million in advances to Universal Music Group (UMG) before it went live. Ever since, it has paid even millions more in licensing fees. Imeem is rumored to have paid $20 million in advances and also gave labels equity in the company. “What was once considered a major advance — $500,000 or $1 million — is becoming a $2 million or $5 million advance and really over-the-top requests for equity,” EMI digital executive Ted Cohen said.
MTV Picks Up Puppet Series: MTV has picked up “Fur TV,” an adult comedy series about a group of foulmouthed, sex-mad puppets, made by Warp Films, the U.K. shingle behind BAFTA-winning feature “This Is England.” This is more or less a spin off of Beavis and Butthead, but this time involving puppets. How exciting! Watch the silly segment here.
Mariah Makes History: Mariah Carey scores her 18th No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 this week with “Touch My Body”. Download sales of 286,000 units, according to Nielsen SoundScan, top the previous record set by Rihanna’s “Umbrella,” which shifted 277,000 last June.
Myspace Finally Forms Music Venture with Major Music Labels: MySpace finally formed an online music venture with three major recording companies in a challenge to Apple. MySpace Music will offer free music and video streaming supported by advertising, paid-for MP3 downloads, ringtones for cell phones, concert ticket sales and merchandise. MySpace Music is seen as a potential rival to iTunes, which takes more than 70 percent of digital download sales.
New Music Streams: Chicago metal act Disturbed is streaming new songs on their myspace including Inside the Fire and Perfect Insanity. The new record will be titled Indestructible and will be released through Reprise Records.
Recommended Listening: Choices and Crowded Streets by Winter Ransom
Trends: Paramore has spawned a throng of female fronted bands. Take Florida band Blake for instance who will be performing a series of Warped Tour dates. Is there room for two? Probably not!
Policing Internet ‘not ISP’s job’: The head of one of Britain’s biggest internet providers has criticised the music industry for demanding that he act against pirates. The BPI, asked internet service providers to disconnect people who ignore requests to stop sharing music. If the ISP’s do not help with the fight against music piracy, then the government will bring in legislation to make them cooperate.
Taylor Swift Leaves CAA for WMA: William Morris Agency has signed country singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for representation in all areas. “Her future is limitless. She is the kind of person that I think can clearly go for decades and decades,” Oswald said. “All of the God-given gifts and tools are there. She writes ’em, she sings ’em, and she backs it up from a very real place, which means what happens down the line is pretty much in her control.”
Signings: Fearless Records signs Eye Alaksa. Eye Alaska will be performing at Bamboozle on Saturday, April 5 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine, CA. Los Angeles based melodic pop-rock/new wave band War Tapes have signed to Sarathan Records which is distributed by Fontana/Universal. Vagrant Records has signed pop punk band School Boy Humor.
New Music: Streetside Symphony has posted some new tracks on their myspace. Our favorite track is Sundowner.
Perez Hilton Boycotts Sony BMG – Who Cares? We were going to discuss this topic briefly but Hypebot stepped up to the plate first, so we will quote them.
Popular celebrity blogger Perez Hilton is boycotting SonyBMG acts because the label is suing him over the use of song streams on his site. Sony BMG’s Zomba and Jive labels, are suing Hilton for streaming several songs that turned out to be by Britney Spears. Does Hilton really think that any of these acts are going to sell less music because he doesn’t write about them? And when Whitney Houston finally gives birth to Justin Timberlake’s love child; how long will his little SonyBMG news blackout last?
Yahoo Music exec leaves for start-up: Ian Rogers, vice president of video and media applications at Yahoo, is leaving the company to launch a start-up. His new company, Topspin Media, is a venture-funded start-up that aims to help independent artists make a living. The company will focus on web applications that enable distribution and marketing of digital content.
Apple has climbed to the top of the charts, surpassing Wal-Mart for the first time ever, according to an NPD MusicWatch Survey via Ars Technica. Apple already passed Best Buy to become the number two retailer in the the US in December. This also depicts a clear changing music landscape, technology has allowed consumers to cherry pick tracks rather than purchasing full albums. Paid downloads accounted for almost 30 percent of all music sold in January, a number that would have been unthinkable just a few short years ago.
 
Jay-Z is reportedly on the verge of signing one of the most lucrative music contracts ever inked. The expensive deal will encompass his own entertainment venture, as well as recordings and tours for the next decade.
Live Nation is expected to fund his new start-up venture which will include a label, music publishing, and talent consulting and managing. The New York Times reports industry sources as saying the company will contribute $5 million a year in overhead for five years, with another $25 million available to finance Jay-Z’s acquisitions or investments.
I’ve turned into the Rolling Stones of hip-hop,†Jay-Z said in a recent telephone interview.
Executives at major record labels have privately portrayed Live Nation’s artist deals as overly expensive retirement packages for stars past their prime. Live Nation has only invested in older acts who are closer to exiting the business rather than entering. This is just another scenario of Live Nation handing out hefty paychecks to older artists hoping to build a world wide presence and total value perception.
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