Lady Gaga’s “ARTPop” album last fall certainly didn’t give Universal Music Group any pop.
Gaga’s fourth-quarter flop helped cut Universal’s revenue in the period 9.3 percent, the company said in a report Tuesday.
The tough Japanese economy — which accounts for 25 percent of global music sales — also hurt Earnings before interest, tax and amortization, or Ebita, was off 11.1 percent, or 7.8 percent on a constant-currency basis. The tough quarter cut profits for the year by 2.9 percent, to $702 million (511 million euros). They were up 1.4 percent on a constant-currency basis, the company said. Full-year revenue rose 7.5 percent to $6.7 billion (4,886 million euros) or 12.8 percent when adjusted for currencies. For the year, Universal Music’s best-selling albums were from EMI’s Katy Perry and Interscope’s Eminem. Read more…
Buzz Track: Planets
Little Earthquake has become a Kings favorite with their catchy brand of reggae indie pop. They offer a slice of hooky electronic pop reminiscent of The Naked and Famous and MGMT. Their first single Planets which was produced by Lachlan Mitchell (The Jezabels, Pnau) has been released this month on soundcloud and iTunes. Little Earthquake makes our watch list.
Contact: littleearthquakeband@gmail.com
Buzz Track: Point Blank
The Vim Dicta are making noise, becoming media darlings with their indie signature sound. The trio have released 2 EPs and 2 digital singles helmed by producer Niko Bolas (Neil Young, Fiona Apple, Keith Richards). Their song “Your Man” was featured on the Season 5 Premier of “Sons of Anarchy” and they have shows locked down at SXSW in March, definitely a band to be on the radar.
Contact: dannash54@yahoo.com
Newcomer Michaela Grace’s If Only Hearts Could Talk” track from her debut EP “Infinite” is a teenagers tender tribute to America’s Greatest Generation and the passage of time. The track was inspired by her heart warming friendship with a couple who met and married during World War II. When she was eight she won her first talent competition singing Reba McIntyre’s “Why Haven’t I Heard From You”. She was invited to Nashville to co-write and record with producers and songwriters who have written for Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, and Lady Antebellum. Check out the other track Great Big Crush.
Contact: frankssuzanne@yahoo.com
Songwriters understandably hate this, but they have almost no power to stop it. The reason is that despite incredibly low payouts, it’s nearly impossible for songwriters to remove their catalogs from Pandora, or even negotiate better terms. The complicated explanation has to do with a century of antiquated laws that basically force songwriters to license their content at fractional rates, and like it.
Last year, a number of prominent songwriters protested on Capitol Hill, with emotional performances designed to combat lower royalty rates. This year, they’re exercising the nuclear option by introducing legislation to change the laws. This bill, introduced this morning, is called the Songwriter Equity Act, with Congressman Doug Collins sponsoring.
Essentially, the bill attempts to plug two massive loopholes in copyright law that greatly benefit Pandora but essentially screw songwriters. ”Roughly two-thirds of a songwriter’s income is heavily regulated by law or through outdated government oversight,” National Music Publishers’ Association CEO David Israelite told Digital Music News. ”This legislation addresses two significant inequities under current copyright law that prevent songwriters and music publishers from receiving compensation that reflects the fair market value of their work.”
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