Madonna is pondering hanging up on Warner Music Group in favor of life without a traditional record contract.

Madonna is considering an all-inclusive music deal with touring giant Live Nation that could be worth more than $100 million.

The agreement would create an entity that would manage all Madonna-related businesses, including albums, touring, merchandise and sponsorships over a multi-year period. Live Nation would acquire an equity stake in the pop diva’s overall business.

The joint venture company would then look to enter into an agreement with a label to handle distribution and marketing support of any Madonna album releases.

Sources say her camp has also been shopping to other labels the joint venture concept, which follows in the vein of deals inked by EMI with Korn and Robbie Williams.

(NYPOST)

Many have predicted the death of a concert eons ago. But it looks like the country genre is carrying the torch.

Regardless of the grim outlook according to Pollstar, concert revenues in North America have increased from $1.3 billion annually to $3.1 billion a year over the past 10 years.

Aside from classic rock and pop acts with huge catalogs, such as the Rolling Stones, U2 and
Elton John, the winner on the live scene has been country music. “No genre has been better at developing arena-level headliners in the past decade as has country music,” says Ray Waddell, who covers touring for the trade publication Billboard.

No one sold more concert tickets last year than country star Kenny Chesney. The Stones, Madonna and Barbra Streisand made more money on the road — but their average ticket prices of $136, $183 and $298 topped Chesney’s average price of $58. Chesney put 1.1 million people into seats at his shows; for Madonna’s shows, by comparison, only 467,314 parted with their money.

The Tim McGraw/Faith Hill Soul2Soul Tour 2006, which sold a million tickets last year and, with a higher average ticket price ($80), wound up as the most successful country tour in history, besting even Garth Brooks’ historic runs in the mid-’90s.

Even though Hip Hop and rap generally dominant the radio playlists, it can’t fill seats or draw a crowd. Waddell says, rap is not viable in a large venue. “It’s a live performance of a guy with a mike and some dancers. That’s not as compelling as people whaling away on guitars and singing and who can play. It may be exciting in small club venues but it doesn’t translate in a large arena.”

Also, country music has been getting more national exposure. Not only that country fans are more loyal. Its a lifestyle. “The format doesn’t churn artists the way it happens in other formats,” adds Carole Bowen, the country station’s general manager. “People will be a star longer and the labels build stars differently in our genre.”

Lastly, country has been able to create younger arena acts rapidly through sweat equity on the road.

(Austin 360 via Coolfer)

Check out this article ‘Singer-songwriters, or just singers‘? This article follows the recent blowout of Avril Lavigne taking credit for songs she didn’t write. This is a disturbing trend among the hollywood perez pop tarts.  The dishonesty usually runs in the female pop circles who are fighting for credibility.

“It’s crazy!” exclaimed Grammy-winning songwriter Diane Warren, who has written for artists such as Whitney Houston, Celine Dion and Mary J. Blige. “How can someone look in the mirror and know they didn’t do something and their name is on it? For money? For credit? It’s a lie.”

Apple Shares Fall: AT&T wiped some of the glow off Apple iPhone, releasing numbers that showed fewer people than expected signed up for service in the first two days of the multimedia cell phone’s release.

Top Current Albums…. 

Now 25
TW 222,523

Colbie Caillat
Cocoa
TW 50,894

Kelly Clarkson
My December
TW 41,746
Total 505,172

Smashing Pumpkins
Zeitgeist
TW 41,661
Total 187,210

Yellowcard
Paper Walls
TW 40,415

Paramore
Riot
TW 14,127
Total 115,971

Three Days Grace
One-X
TW 9,187
Total 812,607

Papa Roach
Paramour Sessions
TW 8,334
Total 301,254

Top Digital Song:

Plain White T’s
“Hey there Delilah”
Total 1,516,920

Catalog Albums: Metallica/Metallica (15 Million), Nirvana/Nevermind (9 million), Prince/Purple Rain (2 million).

 

As odd as it seems, EMI Music will be giving away DRM-free downloads from its catalog in a U.K. promotion with Burger King.

It works like this…

After the consumer is finished chowing down the burger they will be able to search for, sample, and download a pre-paid EMI Music track from a specially-created microsite after inputting a unique code.

Here is the EMI press release:

“EMI’s recent decision to drop DRM has had a hugely positive impact on our potential to collaborate with brands in order to offer consumers downloads that they can play across all digital music players,” Barney Wragg, global head of digital, EMI Music, said in a statement.

The deal, he added, provides “the perfect platform for us to partner with a wide spectrum of high profile brand names such as Burger King.”

This puts a whole new spin on “Would you like fries and a free song for a 99 cents more”?

(Billboard)

Both Sirius and XM are trying to win over the public and the FCC in the event of a merger by offering a variety of services.

Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio said the companies plan to offer a la carte plans to consumers starting at $6.99 for 50 channels.

Under the a la carte option, customers will be able to buy additional channels for as little as 25 cents each. A second a la carte option will allow subscribers to choose 100 channels and will allow Sirius customers to select from some of the best of XM’s programming and XM subscribers to choose from some of the best of Sirius’ programming.

In total, the companies plan to offer eight plans costing up to $16.99 per month.
A la carte programming will be available beginning within one year following the merger, and the other programming options will be available beginning within six months following the merger. (Yahoo Biz)