Madonna signed a three album deal with Interscope at a base of $1 million per album, after performing 5 years without a record deal. In 2007, she signed a multi-million deal with Live nation that handles her merchandise and touring.

“It’s just about keeping relevance so that she can tour,” a source said, adding, “She is still in the demo phase, but the idea is to get the first album out early next year.”

Buzz Track: I’m Gonna Steal Your Date

Two college students self-released and produced an EP that was released in October. Currently #1 most popular out of 12,000 Washington D.C. artists on Bandcamp, as well as #36 on the pop charts. Influenced by Daft Punk, Gavin Degraw, etc.

Contact: Cody.Hochheiser@tufts.edu

Buzz Track: Closer To Love

Lizzie Sider is an upcoming singer-songwriter who has spent time in Nashville writing with Nashville’s elite. She was a finalist in the Florida Future Stars competition in 2010 and sang on the stage with country star Jamie O’neal singing the popular song “When I Think About Angels” which can he heard on her Facebook.

Contact: dsider@siderlaw.com

According to a new survey 93% of Americans (over the age of 12) listen to broadcast radio at least once a week.

One would think that traditional radio would have taken a serious blow from new technology including the iPod, satellite radio, and music streaming sites like Spotify. In fact, broadcast radio listenership has increased since last year.

Rather than discussing theories why Americans still choose broadcast radio, let’s look at the beneficiaries which are the major music labels. Regular radio rotation remains massive for artists and this gives major labels a huge promotional advantage.

“Call radio crusty and out-of-touch, but this is one of the few formats that still reaches tonnage while severely restricting content.” (Digital Music News)

Adele made Billboard history becoming the first female singer to be names top artist, have the top album, and a top single “Rolling in the Deep”, all in one year.

Tye Comer, editor of Billboard.com, attributed Adele’s success to her being a “breath of fresh air” in a market saturated with pop artists cut from a “certain cloth,” like Rihanna, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga.

“Her success is really inspiring because it shows that there is still room in the music industry for an artist to make it with true, raw talent,” Comer told Reuters.

“It’s not necessarily always about the outrageous outfits or flashy videos, but an amazing voice coupled with the right song still has the ability to turn the ears of millions of people and keep them interested,” he said.