Janet Jackson has followed her boyfriend Jermaine Dupri from Virgin to Island Def Jam, according to Billboard. “She’s on Island, but it’s more or less [Def Jam CEO Antonio “L.A.” Reid’s] project,” Dupri says. “I let him deal with that on a day-to-day basis. He’s going to A&R that project, too. Janet’s record is one that he’s wanted to do for a long time. He’s very passionate about it. Jackson left Virgin after her two records failed to react with the public. Will her third record be any different? Will Janet come back on a steam boat?
AFI has a side project called Blaqk Audio that will be release August 16th. Check out the track Bitter for Sweet.
Its been said that Live Nation and Madonna have finalized a touring, merchandising, and recording arrangement. Live Nation model continues to move past live performance revenues. (DigitalMusicNews)
The stars of American Idol have landed their own jeans line. The heads at FreeMantle Media have struck a new deal with Lyric Jeans to create a lyric-inspired American Idol branded apparel line for department stores.
The European Commission cleared Terra Firma’s takeover bid of EMI
Microsoft has applied for a patent titled “Off-line Economies for Digital Media” that allows owners to generate revenue by sharing music. According to the patent, Microsoft would like to erect a system by which pirated music can be transferred to other Zune devices, and the sender can be paid a sales commission. The system would allow illegal music converted into legal music. (Coolfer)
Good news for web casters, or at least temporary good news. SoundExchange will not enforce the new royalty rates. Webcasters will stay online, as new rates are hammered out.
Bad Religion who will be performing at Vans Warped Tour recently released a new disc called “Maps of Hell”. Pick up the new record for sure. Check out the track Honest Goodbye.
Warner Music will now stream All Its music online for free….
Warner Music and online community Imeem have partnered to stream ad-supported music and video on Imeem’s free social media networking site.
 
Kelly Clarkson who insisted on writing her own songs despite Clive’s recommendation to use professional songwriters cannot hold back any longer.
In the August issue of Blender, Clarkson says she told Davis: “I don’t know you very well, and I am not a bull-[bleep]er. I get [that] you don’t like the album. You’re 80; you’re not supposed to like my album.” She also said: “I literally got told to my face that it wouldn’t sell more than 600,000 copies. And I got lied to. One reason I don’t like working with people at the label is that they lie . . . If you’re going with the flow and not fighting, that’s settling. I can’t take that. Life is just too short to be a
pushover.”
Clarkson also fired her manager and cancelled her summer tour.
This is probably one of the most heated controversy between artist and label head in recent memory.
(NYPOST)
Kelly Clarkson drops 60 percent…
Kelly Clarkson’s “My December” dropped off 60 percent in sales for its second week (116k), bringing the total to 416,000 copies. Sober recently went to radio. Will it resonate with the public? not only that, according to insiders RCA pulled Clarkson’s summer campaign off of tv and print spots and have moved on to Underwood’s much anticipated fall release.
Will Bruce Springsteen save Columbia Records?
Springsteen is planning an album release for late fall. Former Sony Music CEO Andy Lack helped Bruce land a contract worth $100 million over several years. Insiders are claiming that layoffs are continuing, with several departments in publicity and marketing gutted. (Fox)
The new Smashing Pumpkins record ‘Zeitgeist’ could sell 150k in its first week.
Union Entertainment Group who manages Nickelback has struck a deal with EMI Music to form a joint venture record label to go through Caroline Music. The first artists signed to the label include the rock bands Cinder Road and The Black Summer Crush.
Avril Lavigne has been in the press last month regarding the song GIRLFRIEND.
Avril is being sued for copyright infringement for allegedly plagiarizing a substantial part of “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend,” a song by ’70s new wave group the Rubinoos.
The debate spilled over at YouTube. You can view the song comparison here.
Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald who co-wrote GIRLFRIEND has lashed out at the plaintiffs — songwriters James Gangwer and original Rubinoos member Tommy Dunbar denying allegations that he and Lavigne “copied” “Boyfriend.”
“I never heard of the Rubinoos before the lawsuit,” said Gottwald, an in-demand producer who has crafted hits for Kelly Clarkson, Pink and Daughtry, among others. “I never heard of the song and neither has Avril. I would take a polygraph on that in front of them.”
This drama began with the June issue of Performing Songwriter magazine, in which Chantal Kreviazuk, who co-wrote much of Lavigne’s 2004 triple platinum-selling album “Under My Skin,” ridiculed the notion that Lavigne writes her own material.
Girlfriend” has sold 2.6 million copies worldwide
It’s also been noted that Avril Lavigne’s song ‘I Don’t Have To Try’ that comes off her new album The Best Damn Thing sounds identical to the track I’m The Kinda by a Canadian artist known as Peaches. Song comparison here.
Is it a coincidence? or a perfect crime?
(LA Times)
Avenged Sevenfold will be producing their next record, and dubbed it the ‘Heaviest’.
“We were going to do it with Rob Cavallo,” said Shadows, referring to the producer behind Green Day’s 2004 LP American Idiot and My Chemical Romance’s 2006 effort The Black Parade. “It was such a great match — he loved the songs we’d been working on. But he was too busy working on Kid Rock’s next record, and he wasn’t going to be able to work on ours until later on in the year.”
Music Licensing companies are getting ‘serious’ collecting royalties.
‘ Whether it’s a professional recording taken from a Web site or an accordion player singing a Jimmy Buffet tune in a small venue, the industry is working to collect royalties for whoever wrote the songs.’
Nighclubs and coffee shops are facing crackdowns by the industry to those who refuse to pay BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC.
Last.fm has signed a content agreement with Sony BMG, meaning it can now carry music from three of the four major labels. Last.fm inked deals with EMI and Warner, and has deals with several indie labels, allowing it to play tracks through its embedded web player and personalized radio streams.
New Music coming soon…….
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