In today's ever changing landscape of the entertainment industry, and the volatile conditions that you may encounter on a daily basis, MusicBizInfo and Earth Brothers Entertainment LLC, brings you the latest buzz, information, news, tidbits, technology, software, and resources as it relates to your entertainment business or career.
2010 was the year the song leak was given the full monty and generated so much buzz that even the RIAA perked it's ears at sites like Onsmash.com and shuttered them. It used to be a energy rush to get these leaks and consumers actually felt like they were getting even with the majors that control this business, but the majors turned the "leak" on it's ear and used it to their advantage in 2010 by beating everyone to the punch.
Kanye West was leading the pack with an entire campaign of releasing singles for free with his "Good Fridays" promotion which gave every consumer a free download of a multitude of songs on kanyewest.com, and as Kanye stated on Twitter, "I know yall need the music so I'm dropping 1 new song every weekend until Xmas. It may be my song it may be a new Jay [Z] song etc..." he wrote. West also just released a leak of his "Monster" video. Dr. Dre, Justin Bieber, Michael Jackson, etc. were just a few of many artists that had either songs or entire albums leaked in 2010 by labels, their representatives and employees on purpose as part of their marketing campaigns.
There's something called a buzz single that publicists offer blogs and websites to post months before an album is actually in stores. It's not the official single, and until the full album is released you usually can't pay money for it even if you want to.
The majors formerly would hold these mastered and complete albums under lock and key tighter than the gold at Fort Knox, and when I worked at a major distributor, they would assign codes to albums when giving out promotional material, so that each person receiving a promotional item could be tracked down, but in 2010 the majors, along with their marketing departments decided to begin leaking songs, and headed off the calvary before pirates even got a crack at them. So what seemed to consumers like they may have been getting over, actually was supposed to be.
Even being number on the charts your first week out in the "new music industry" does not always equate to future success in sales, proven by the bevy of albums reaching number one in 2010 their first week released then falling faster than a comet the following week.
Katy Perry's highly anticipated release of "Teenage Dream" left nothing to be desired after the months of built up hype from industry insiders and consumers craving her brand of "teen pop".
Kanye West's "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" started with much hype, and great reviews (despite the whole Taylor Swift debacle), but very little meat left on the bone after that first week. Although he had a sure fire campaign of offering a free track per week, previous to the album's release it still did not equate to heightened sales, or a longer stay at number one, after the first week had passed.
This was just two albums in a long line of one week wonders at number one that included Drake's "Thank Me Later," Usher's "Raymond v. Raymond" and Sugarland's "The Incredible Machine."
In 2010 a grand total of 31 albums hit No. 1 in the U.S. Canadian audiences were only slightly less fickle, with 29 different albums claiming top spot north of the border.
Some of the bright spots this year was Eminem's "Recovery' which managed to chart number one for seven weeks, Justin Bieber's "My World 2.0" held the top spot 4 weeks, Sade who was number one for three straight weeks with her comeback disc "Soldier of Love", and Scottish singer Susan Boyle's ("I Dreamed a Dream" and "The Gift") combined to claim the top spot in Canada for four weeks total.
There are not just enough albums being put out today that hold the consumer's interest long enough. In the day of "fast food" pop, labels are more interested in getting the most out of maybe a single or two off the album and then onto the next act. What accounts for the majority of music these days is laughable at best. There hasn't been one artist in a very long time that just held the attention of a wide demographic of consumers with an all hits album that continued the momentum of that first week's climb to number one, and helped it to stay past one week.
Music executives are making decisions now that in the past were left up to A&R departments (artist development wing) that had an inside edge on what an artist's capability and strengths were from working with them directly. Now the business has become an "assembly line" of artists that are spit out of the factory to match, assimilate, and copy what musical trends are going on in the business, instead of allowing the artist to be their own brand and show case their true individual talent. It's become commerce and bottom line over true art these days.
One thing for sure the business just isn't what it used to be, no matter how many times some "industry expert' may tell you it is. Yes digital sales are up, but physical sales are way down from 2009 (Go pull up Nielson's Soundscan ratings), and piracy continues to be a thorn in everyone's side, with the UK's BPI reporting last week that 3/4 (%75) of cd's downloaded, are being pirated.
As consumers become more tech savvy, and more bitTorrent and download pirates spring up, the industry will continue to evolve into one big giant free for all. Who suffers the most? Of course the artists do, but ask any consumer who don't understand the infrastructure of how an artist gets paid (album royalties, mechanical royalties, publishing, etc.), and the first thing they do is to blame the RIAA for the state of the industry. The RIAA is just like any other organization protecting it's members rights which just happen to be major distributors, the record labels they distribute and their employees (the artists). Is their aim slanted more towards the labels, of course they are, but this includes the artist as well. Artists just need to become much smarter than seeking an all out slave deal, and learn the business, so they know what they are getting themselves into if that is the route they want to go in. other than that, numerous avenues have been open wide for them to expose their music and themselves to the world, but even then it still does not equate to success.
George Clinton has filed a copyright lawsuit against the Black Eyed Peas, UMG Recordings and Cherry Hill Music for allegedly sampling his song, "(Not Just) Knee Deep," in a remix of the 2003 song "Shut Up."
According to the complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, Clinton says he became aware of the use of his song when a record producer for the band came to him and requested a license for a new remix of "Shut Up."
Clinton says he rejected the request, not knowing at the time that his song had already been sampled by the band in a prior version, according to the Hollywood Reporter. He is seeking maximum statutory damages of $150,000 per infringement and an injunction prohibiting further distribution of the infringing song.
This is the third time in just three months that the Black Eyed Peas have been sued for copyright infringement.
In October, the Black Eyed Peas were hit with two other infringement suits in relation to their songs I Gotta Feeling and Boom Boom Pow. Texas songwriter Bryan Pringle and Chicago singer Phoenix Phenom claim executives at Interscope stole hooks from their demos. They have filed their complaints together, seeking damages, a share of profits and songwriting credits.
Eminem will return to the silver screen in the movie Southpaw, a drama in which he will play a "fast-rising welterweight boxer who brawls his way to the title, only to see his world crash down around him due to tragedy," according to Deadline.
Sons of Anarchy creator/executive producer Kurt Sutter will write the script, and he says that the project has been several years in the making. "I took meetings with Marshall's producing partners over the past seven years, looking for something to do together," Sutter told Deadline.
"I know he's very selective and doesn't do a lot. But he shared so much of his personal struggle in this raw and very honest album [Recovery], one that I connected with on a lot of levels. He is very interested in the boxing genre, and it seemed like an apt metaphor, because his own life has been a brawl." He added, "I love that the title refers to Marshall being a lefty, which is to boxing what a white rapper is to hip-hop: dangerous, unwanted and completely unorthodox. It's a much harder road for a southpaw than a right-handed boxer."
Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter, entrepreneur, and "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Kandi Burruss releases her new album Kandi Koated, "the musical opus of a single mother looking for love" (BET). No stranger to the music industry, Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter, entrepreneur, and television star, KANDI, is gracing the masses with yet another heartfelt solo project, KANDI KOATED, that is set for release on December 14th on Kandi Koated.
On KANDI KOATED, KANDI has taken the reins and delivered a cohesive album that has everything you would expect from a singer who has helped create numerous songs that have served as the soundtrack to our lives. “The album is about love, relationships. It’s meeting someone. Falling for them. Falling out with them. Breaking up with them. Thinking about them. Getting back together. Moving on.
It’s all there,” she says of the project, which she almost completely wrote, with the exception of the impossibly catchy “Me and You,” written and produced by Ne-Yo, and sampling the Outkast classic “Elevators.”
KANDI’s singing career took flight in the 1990s with the Atlanta-based girl group Xscape. After three consecutive platinum certified albums, the group split but Kandi's hunger for self-expression was far from fulfilled and she dove into her love of songwriting. Within a few short years, she was the first woman to be nominated and awarded ASCAP's Rhythm and Soul Awards for "Songwriter of the Year" in the year 2000 for her lyrical creation of the TLC hit "No Scrubs."
Kandi is currently wrapping the Fantasia tour and will begin a promo tour hitting NY, Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia and DC. Pick up KANDI KOATED in stores on Dec. 14th.
FCC Commissioner Michael Copps has replied to Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX), who questioned Copps' position on the "Fairness Doctrine" last week, following a recent speech by the Commissioner.
According to Broadcasting & Cable, Copps made his position crystal-clear, saying, "I do not believe the FCC should reinstate the Fairness Doctrine," and adding, "As I said in a speech over a year and a half ago, the Fairness Doctrine is long gone and it's not coming back."
Wit the push to send a bill to the floor of the House in Congress to shutter NPR and the campaign by Rev. Al Sharpton to shut down Rush Limbaugh, I don't see why this wouldn't be brought back. Radio has become the Wild Wild West of unfair programming that is fair and unbiased.
Prince sent the ladies of The View into a tizzy when he dropped by the show unannounced on Thursday to promote his Welcome 2 America concert dates. View host Sherri Shepherd was the most excited, as she first requested that Prince declare his love for her, and later told him that she has wanted to make love to him for her entire life. Prince played it cool and gave each of the ladies a pair of tickets to his December 18 show.
His concert dates will begin with a three-night stand at East Rutherford, N.J.'s Izod Center from December 14-17, followed by three shows at New York's Madison Square Garden on December 18 and 29 and January 18.
You got that new "mix tape" with all original material, or you have an independent release, it's on radio, but you can't get it in the stores or you have been led to believe that by joining up in one of the online distributors, that you outright own the bar code they assign to your product. What now?
If you plan on selling your music to retail stores and distributors, having a bar code is absolutely essential.
In fact, many record stores (including the bigger independent stores) will not carry your product unless you have a bar code. Having a bar code is also necessary if you want to register sales on SoundScan.
Music bar codes are made up of four parts:
(1) The first six digits including the little number at the beginning makes up the vendor code. These numbers are assigned by the Uniform Code Council, and identify you as a vendor. For example, Atlantic Records products would all have the same vendor code. (2) The next four digits make up the product code. The owner of the vendor code assigns these to each product for distribution by that vendor. It's normally the catalog number. (3) The second-to-last of the numbers make up the product type digit. This is always a 2 for CDs, 4 for cassettes, 1 for vinyl LPs, or 7 for vinyl 7-inches. (4) The very last number at the end of the code is called the check digit. This number is generated by a complex mathematical algorithm based on the first 11 digits.
Be very aware where you get your bar codes from. Some CD manufacturers will tell you that they can provide you with a bar code. When someone tells you they can provide you with a bar code, that means they have purchased their own vendor code and will assign you a product code with their vendor code attached. THIS IS A VIOLATION OF THE UNIFORM CODE COUNCIL AGREEMENT (Now known as GS1 US. It is not a legitimate practice to use someone else's vendor code, whether or not you have their permission. In addition, it's not legitimate for anyone to sell, rent, loan, or transfer a vendor code to someone else. There's only one legal way to own your very own bar code: contact the GS1 US Offices (Formerly the Uniform Code Council) at the number or address below.
GS1 US (Formerly the Uniform Code Council) 7887 Washington, Suite 300, Dayton, OH 45459 USA Tel 937-435-3870, Fax 937-435-731 http://www.gs1us.org/barcodes_and_ecom/i_need_a_u.p.c._barcode?utm_campaign=InternalCampaign&utm_source=Home&utm_medium=QuickLinks&utm_content=Barcode
This is Billboards list of the top 30 compendium of global music power players at the helm of companies such as BET, MTV, Motown, Sony/ATV and Atlantic Records.
The list demonstrates just how far the industry has progressed for women since "you headed to the big city armed with a degree and your high test scores, and the first thing they ask you is if you type," said Bonnie Garner, who at age 68 is retired from a 40-year music business career.
1. Julie Greenwald, Chairman/chief operating officer / Atlantic Records
2. Sylvia Rhone, President, Universal Motown Records Executive VP /Universal Records
3. Jody Gerson, Co-president / Sony/ATV Music Publishing
4. Judy McGrath, Chairman/CEO / MTV Networks
5. Alexandra Patsavas, Owner, Chop Shop Music Supervision / Chop Shop Records
6. Debra Lee, Chairman/CEO / BET Networks
7. Amanda Marks, Executive VP/GM / Universal Music Group Distribution
8. Kathy Willard, Chief financial officer / Live Nation Entertainment
9. Brenda Romano, President of radio promotion / Interscope Geffen A&M Records
10. Livia Tortella, Co-president/chief operating officer / Warner Bros. Records
11. Claudia Palmer, Executive VP/chief operating officer Europe / EMI Music Publishing
12. Julie Swidler, Executive VP of business affairs, General counsel / Sony Music Entertainment
13. Dawn Soler, Vice president of music / ABC Studios
14. Melissa Lonner, Senior entertainment producer / NBC News
15. Debra Rathwell, Senior vice president / AEG Live
16. Cara Lewis, Agent/vice president / William Morris Endeavor
17. Andria Vidler, President / EMI Music U.K. & Ireland
18. Linda Newmark, Executive VP/head of acquisitions and strategic projects / Universal Music Publishing Group
19. Lisa Worden, Music director / KROQ, Los Angeles
20. Marsha Vlasic, Senior VP of concerts, Head of contemporary rock / International Creative Management
Come Scout New York Street! View the New York Street Documentary Video!
The Filmmakers Destination is a production tool for filmmakers offering information about the lot, blueprints, photos, video, inventories and much more to assist you in completing your project. Universal has quality production, post production and special events services and facilities in a controlled environment.
The studio welcomes feature films, short films, television, commercials, independent films, music videos, still shoots, new media and special events.
Each department boasts award-winning talent and experienced staff. The variety of departments have vast inventories and state-of-the-art equipment. The studio ensures excellent customer service including flexible package deals to get your project completed on time and within budget. Universal offers the convenience of one-stop shopping for all your production and post-production needs.
The studio has also made great strides in pursuing green, eco-friendly alternatives by installing solar panels, high-efficiency boilers and recycling. Universal Operations Group supports the filmmaking community by sponsoring organizations and actively participating in related events.
Not long after a trailer of Michael Rapaport's A Tribe Called Quest documentary, Beats, Rhymes & Life leaked onto the Internet, the group's Q-Tip has spoken out against the film.
"I am not in support of the a tribe called quest documentary," Q-Tip tweeted Thursday. "The filmmaker should respect the band to the point of honoring the few requests that were made about the piece. The filmmaker should respect the band enough to honor our request regarding the film."
Details of what should have been honored is unknown....
R. Kelly will do back-to-back performances on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on December 6 and 7. He will perform two songs from his forthcoming 11th studio album, Love Letter, which is due on December 15. Kelly will perform the first single, "When a Woman Loves," on Monday night, and he'll do the uptempo title track the following night.
Kanye West had no trouble scoring another #1 debut this week, as his fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, opened at the top of the chart with 496,000 copies sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The new album -- his fourth straight #1 -- is on par with West's 2008 album, 808s & Heartbreak, which moved 450,000 copies in its first week. However, is doesn't match the chart peak that he reached with 2007's Graduation, which also debuted at #1 after selling a whopping 957,000 copies. Meanwhile, female Rapper Nicki Minaj finally dropped her debut, Pink Friday, which also had a very respectable showing as it bowed at #2 with 375,000 units sold. Minaj narrowly missed the record for the highest sales debut by a female rapper, falling a bit short of the mark set by Lauryn Hill in 1998 with The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill, which moved 423,000 copies in its first week.
This is part 1 of a 2 part series on music and film and the new indie artists that have taken both by storm, for the good and bad of both industries.
THE NEW MAFIA: MUSIC
In 25 years, the music industry has moved from LPs to CDs to MP3s. But that doesn't begin to describe the utter turmoil the music industry finds itself in. As CD sales plummet and the big labels fret about the Internet, bands are seizing control of the means of distribution, releasing their music as free downloads or throwing it up on social networking sites. This has led to an explosion of indie bands and live performance.
But who's really making any money in music today?
Digital revenue will NEVER make up for the losses in physical revenue, at least not in the career lifetime of any of the executives running these companies, and it’s not just because of the mathematical difference between a $.99 download and an $18.99 CD.
- If a band moves to a major label, it does not necessarily guarantee the band's success. Only about 1 in 10 CDs released by major labels make any profit for the label. It is possible for an artist to make more money producing and promoting their own CDs than signing with a major label. However, an independent label that is creatively productive is not necessarily financially lucrative. Independent labels are often one-or two-person operations with almost no outside assistance and run out of tiny offices. This lack of resources can make it extremely difficult for a band to make revenue from sales. A testament to this could be the fact that since 1991, only twelve independent records have been able to reach the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart; although a few have been able to reach Platinum status in the U.S.
The difference among various independent labels lies with distribution, probably the most important aspect of running a label. A major-label distributed independent label allows the independent label to find, sign, and record their own artists. The independent label has a contract with a major label for promotion and distribution. In some cases, the major label also manufactures and releases the album. Independent labels that are owned by a major label distribute their records through independent distributors but are not purely independent. A purely independent label is not affiliated with a major label in any way. Their records are distributed through independent distributors. - (wikipedia)
Most major label artists earn a 10-15% royalty rate. However, before a band is able to receive any of their royalties, they must clear their label for all of their debts, known as recoupable expenses. These expenses arise from the cost of such things as album packaging and artwork, tour support, and video production. An additional part of the recoupable expenses are the artist's advance. An advance is like a loan. It allows the artist to have money to live and record with until their record is released. However, before they can gain any royalties, the advance must be paid back in full to the record label. Since only the most successful artists recoup production and marketing costs, an unsuccessful artist's debt carries over to their next album, meaning that they see little to no royalties. So the majority of artists signed to a major deal today, never collect one single royalty, because they find themselves stuck in a non-recoupable status.
PAYOLA IN RADIO STILL EXISTS
Although the business model of the radio business has changed as direct result of the change in the music industry, payola, however has not changed. Radio Broadcasting companies now control large blocks of what were formerly independently owned stations. These stations are in turn controlled by corporate boards who send out radio consultants to direct what is programmed on that Broadcasting companies stations.
Payola is still adrift in the business as well, evidenced by record company documents obtained in the investigation of Sony BMG and Warner, both of which have settled with the attorney general, revealed payments for songs that became major hits, including Jennifer Lopez's "I'm Real" and John Mayer's "Daughters."
Other artists whose songs are named in the documents obtained include Jessica Simpson, Celine Dion, Maroon 5, Good Charlotte, Franz Ferdinand, Switchfoot, Michelle Branch and R.E.M.
Last night Simpson's father and manager told ABC News, "All I know is we worked really hard to get the record on and it was as honest as I could be. So whatever happened above us, you know I have no answer for."
Much of the money went directly to corporate bottom lines, unlike payola scandals of previous decades when individual disc jockeys and program directors received the money. People in suits are coming in with documents rather than cash payments under the table to a DJ.
The nine radio conglomerates that have received subpoenas from the attorney general are Clear Channel, Infinity (now CBS Radio), Entercom, Emmis, Citadel, Cumulus, Cox, Pamal and ABC.
The nine companies together control several thousand radio stations across the country. In statements to ABC News, five of the companies said they are cooperating with the attorney general's investigation and take the matter seriously. The other companies did not respond to requests for comment.
So how are indie artists from the new MAFIA going to compete with these broadcasting companies that now dominate radio?
SOLUTIONS
The major labels' fate were in their own hands, and they could have set the learning curve for others to follow, yet their greed and insatiable appetite for profit margins led to them singlehandedly cause the change in the business model of the industry. Their MAPS agreement did more damage than any other single thing that caused the industry to lose revenue over the past decade. The digital revolution was inevitable, however, the file sharing and piracy that has been a direct result of their greed, was due to the MAPS agreement.
Another result of this has been a downward spiral in the quality of music that is now available to the consumer. Now anyone with the means to record, can in just a few short hours, be up and running on the internet, be their own distributor, label, booking agent, manager, publicist, etc., but definitely at the expense of having the ability to know what is good music or what is really bad music.
There really is no one way to determine what solution may work in changing the current business model, and if it will be a good thing or further ruin the industry. There have been numerous ideas from savvy entrepreneurs, but none have been enough to completely turn things around. Most have been after profits just like the major companies were, at the expense of the unknowing artists, who think that by uploading their music to one of these online distributors, that it will bring instant fame and wealth. The truth is that these entrepreneurs are usually the only parties to these agreements that will see any profit, from collecting submission fees and uploading fees from these artists that will probably never break even and will operate at a loss their entire careers.
Consumers really have the ability to demand change, but with all the file sharing that is going on around the world, I think they truly would prefer things to remain as they are. Although artists now control their own destiny and the way their music is shared, distributed and promoted to the public, they ultimately will continue to suffer.
-DJ Giovanni Nsane-
c. 2010 Earth Brothers Entertainment LLC, All rights reserved
Nov. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Rapping hamsters and unemployment near a 26-year high are helping Kia Motors Corp. log record sales in the U.S. even as its cars plummet in quality surveys.
Kia’s U.S. sales gained 15 percent this year through October, outpacing General Motors Co., Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. That rate would push Kia, whose lineup sells for about $8,000 less than the industry average, to its highest annual U.S. sales ever.
South Korea’s second-largest carmaker is defying a drop in quality rankings by J.D. Power & Associates as 9.6 percent unemployment spurs demand for inexpensive cars. Commercials featuring rodents driving the boxy Soul and characters from the children’s show Yo Gabba Gabba! have also raised the company’s profile in the U.S.
According to MTV, Biebs is working on a mixtape with Young Money rapper Lil Twist.
Trust that as an industry veteran and a lover of this industry, there is room for me to give praise to any teen sensation that comes along and garners the attention like Justin Bieber has, but one thing I can't get passed is the fact that when others try to exploit these young artists and are willing to let them be involved in anything that looks, smells, and seems like easy money, often at the cost of that teen sensations loyal following, or worse their career.
I'm sure that he will be fine with his allegiance of fans (mostly young smitten girls), but this is just not sitting good with me. Rap has had it's hard knocks over the past decade, with all the garbage that has infiltrated the genre, and the seemingly overnight sensations like Drake, Nicki Minaj, etc.., who have stepped in the game and taken it by storm, but this is taking it much too far.
JB came up with an altar-ego Shawty Mane for his latest project—a rap song called “Speaking in Tongues,” originally a track recorded by NYC heavyweights Cam'ron and Vado.
JB talked about how he came up with his rap name, saying, "I don't know, me and my friends were just messing around and they were like, 'Shawty Mane,' and I was like, 'Yeah, that'll be my nickname.'
When a song (in any recorded form) is licensed for TV, film, games, ringtones. Even a small 10 second usage in a major TV show will result in a lot more money than you can make just selling the record.
There are two rights ("sides") that need to be licensed:
M
aster-use license
The right to use the recording.
Synchronization Rights
The right to use the song (in any recorded form). If you are the song writer and self-published (which you are by default) then these licenses may be combined into a single contract ("All-in"). These rights will be licensed for an agreed upon sum and for an agreed upon duration.
You also get money through your RoyaltyOrganizations when the composition/recording is played. Make sure you have registered with a PRO, that you have registered the song in question and that they have your current address. The TV/film production company will send you cue sheets, which they will also submit to the PROs. This is eventually used to calculate your earnings.
Direct Licensing
Some TV/film broadcasters seek to directly license your music for a one-time purchase price, bypassing the PRO. This could result in much less money in the long run, depending on how often its likely to get repeat broadcasts.
Sub-licensing
When a record is re-released on another label. This includes compilations, mix CDs, re-presses (of old out of print recordings), pressing in a different market (US vs Japanese vs European version). In the initial contract in independent music it is commonly stated that sublicensing will be split 50/50 after label costs. This means that the label might spend money to convince someone else to license something, and whatever money is generated will then be split 50/50.
Don't think for one second when you have seen or heard of Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, changing his name several times over the past decade to "Puffy", "P-Diddy", "Diddy". or a host of names he has chosen to call himself, that he has not protected his brand by trademarking each name change so that no other would be able to use it for their financial benefit. He is the ultimate brand whore and everyone should take a stern lesson from him, and follow his example on how to protect and promote your "brand". This is exactly why Rick Ross and others have contracted with him to manage their individual brands.
I also think Mike Jones had one of the best promotional gimmicks to come along in the past decade in this business, and a lot of artists jumped on the bandwagon after doing so. He would constantly repeat his name and a phone number to download a ringtone and get other pertinent information in one of his first releases, to the point of irritation, until it was engrained into your memory. Even though you tired of hearing this over and over again, I bet you were one of those called that number, right?Although other artists that came before him like Prince with his song "My Name Is Prince", also took advantage of their brand, no one quite capitalized off his brand as a new artist in the business like Mike Jones did. You can argue that Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Myley Cyrus, The Jonas Brothers, and others have transcended the way artists should look at their brands today, but Mike Jones was one of the few new artists that knew what to do out of the gate, to insure his brand was in the eyes, ears and minds of the masses.
Why are brands so important? Just look at the brands of "The Beatles", Michael Jackson, "Nirvana", "The King Of Pop", "Bob Marley", "Prince", etc., and when you see the millions of dollars of revenue that is generated yearly off of these brands alone, from music, images, names, etc, you will see the importance of protecting your brand. Don't wait for a major distributor, your attorney, or other entity to protect it for you, own it before you make these deals and/or agreements. You are the responsible for taking charge of your music business career, and you will face the consequences of not doing so, in the long run.
I now see so many artists using the same moniker aka "So and So", "Lil So and So", The Real So And So", etc. It does not matter how much you claim you had the name first or that your brands is hotter and more relevant than the other artists who also share your moniker and brand name, if you did not trademark it, and someone else did, guess what, you do not have the rights to it, period, case closed.
According to the United States Trademark and Patent Office, a trademark is a brand name which includes any word, name, symbol, or device used, or intended to be used, in business to identify and distinguish the goods of one company from the goods of another. They are also seen as a pathway to riches by a misguided few.
Just like with patents, questionable trademark applications are routinely filed. They may simply be phrases that are commonly used to refer to a company or product. They may be a slogan used to describe a sound, word, or experience. These are, usually, an overreaching of trademark rules. They are an attempt by companies or people to “own something” which is essentially owned by the public.
A perfume commercial featuring Beyoncé has been banned from daytime TV amid concerns over its sexual imagery.
The commercial, which begins with an image of the singer lying naked in a room, has been deemed ‘too sexually provocative’ to be seen by young children and will not be shown on British TV before 7.30pm.
The Advertising Standards Authority investigated the advert – which appeared on ITV and Channel 4 as well as music channels – after it received 14 viewer c
Music World/Columbia Records announce the upcoming release of Beyonce's I AM...WORLD TOUR, a full-length concert film DVD lensed during the artist's record-breaking international concert tour.
The concert film, with its never-before-seen, intimate footage of the star around the world, will play on the big screen in select cities for one night only on Thursday, November 18. Beyonce's native city, Houston, Texas, will get a preview on Wednesday, November 17. New York City will welcome fans to the School of Visual Arts Theatre for a special screening on Sunday, November 21. A complete list of theaters can be found at www.beyonceonline.com.
Beginning Friday, November 26, a home DVD edition of Beyonce's I AM...WORLD TOUR will be available exclusively through Walmart.
The deluxe edition of Beyonce's I AM...WORLD TOUR---including the concert DVD, a live soundtrack, an exclusive, intimate documentary and explosive travelogue, and a 40 page collection of never-seen photos--will be available on Tuesday, November 30.
Go here to enter sweepstakes to win a pair of tickets: http://www.beyonceonline.com/us/iamworldsweeps
Will.i.am is far from excited about the release of "Michael," the first posthumous Michael Jackson album set for a Dec. 14 release on Epic. In fact, the Black Eyed Peas frontman says that the album is "disrespectful" to the pop singer's legacy. "Whoever put it out and is profiting off of it, I want to see how cold they are… to say that what [Michael] contributed during his life wasn't enough," says Will.i.am, who plans on never releasing the music he made with Jackson in 2006.
All this from a man who has stolen music from other artists and is currently being sude for doing so.
1. Still obsessed with the old model of getting a deal and having their music heard by that one person that can change your life.
2. Pure artists that have no knack for business and unfortunately will not break through today’s market.
3. Artists that get it, or at least want to get it. They realize the business model has changed and still have a viable chance to succeed. They want to know the business and learn as much as they can before venturing out into the volatile world of the new music industry.
Artists have numerous outlets available to them to get their music out to the consumer, but for just as many legitimate web portals to market their music through, there are even more file sharing cess pools, awaiting to have the artist's intellectual property uploaded to their servers, and cause the artist to be cheated out of the little revenue they are already bringing in as an employee of the major distributors and their affiliate record labels.
It's never been cheaper to distribute music, and recording costs are now fantastically inexpensive. That's old news, but it looks like marketing costs are actually increasing, and the number of artists making ends meet remains depressingly slim. In fact, the latest finding shows that less than 30,000 artists are actually earning a living.
Meanwhile, the costs of actually marketing music effectively is increasing. Topspin CEO Ian Rogers at New Noise Santa Barbara over the weekend said that, "Technology has allowed the cost of production to come down, and the cost of distribution has come down," Rogers relayed. "But the cost of marketing has come up, because you have empowered consumers and unlimited choice."
Not only that, successful marketing is extremely time-consuming, resource-consuming, and the results highly unpredictable. Welcome to the new music industry, one whose real dynamics are just starting to come to light - and forcing entirely new approaches and expectations.
In fact after doing a little research, there are actually over 100 companies from the dawning of the digital age of the new music industry that actually bit the dust along the way as the business model has transformed, and became deformed. It seemed that at the beginning of the digital age, there would be companies that came along that would help push the new music industry into a new era of ideas and opportunity, but then file sharing monstrosities passing themselves off as legitimate companies sprung up overnight, at least it seemed, and have literally destroyed the business, just as the major distributors had years before with their MAPS agreement.
Here are the top 100 P2P and E-Commerce sites that bit the dust along the way via the RIAA or through it's own mishandling.
1. Napster (I, that is...) 2. LimeWire 3. Spiralfrog 4. Overpeer 5. Ruckus 6. TotalMusic 7. AllofMP3 8. Amp'd Mobile 9. Imeem 10. MediaDefender 11. Snocap 12. Muxtape 13. Uplister 14. Mercora (Social.fm) 15. Angry Coffee 16. Aron's Records 17. Spaceland 18. Coolfer 19. Tower Records 20. Passalong Networks 21. Weedshare 22. Kazaa 23. mp3.com 24. Qtrax 25. iMesh 26. Helio 27. BurnLounge 28. AudioGalaxy 29. WebNoize 30. Cdigix 31. ICast 32. Clickradio 33. iCast 34. Nareos 35. StreamCast Networks 36. MusicIP (Predixis) 37. Waxie Maxie's 38. CuteMX 39. Blender 40. Radio & Records (R&R) 41. SDMI (Standard Digital Music Initiative) 42. Creem 43. RIP (magazine) 44. eDonkey 45. Scour Exchange 46. Odeo 47. Sonific 48. PlaysforSure 49. Reciprocal 50. Kick.com 51. Pressplay 52. MediaNet I 53. SkreemR 54. DigiPie 55. Lumberjack Distribution 56. Sony BMG Music Entertainment 57. WorldSpace 58. Musicane 59. MyStrands 60. Xingtone 61. Imesh 62. VoyMusic 63. Musicrypt 64. Liquid Audio 65. Echo 66. Reboot Music 67. Muse.net 68. Radio Free Virgin 69. Zingy 70. 411-Song 71. Oink 72. Virgin Megastores (North America, Asia) 73. Morpheus 74. Torrent Entertainment Network 75. LiveUniverse 76. P2P United 77. Circuit City 78. Pinnacle Distribution 79. Neuton 80. Songbeat 81. Amiest 82. Fusion Distribution III 83. MusicGiants 84. Millennium Music 85. The Box 86. CBGB's 87. Digital Entertainment Network (DEN) 88. PluggedIn 89. Soundbuzz 90. OOiZiT 91. Mulve.com 92. WinMX 93. MediaSentry 94. Topspinner 95. Colombo-BT.org 96. Relatable 97. Cashbox 98. Musicland 99. Sony Cassette Walkman 100. FatBeats
100 legal sites that stream and download free music. http://blog.merrycode.com/100-legal-sites-to-stream-and-download-free-music/
Of course Garage Band, ITunes, CD Baby, Tunecore, and numerous others are making inroads to what the new music industry can possibly be in the near future, but even these portals for both indie and major artists can prove to be a wolf in sheep's clothing. There are millions of songs loaded up to these companies web portals, but very few if any of these artists are making a sizable profit from their music uploaded to these sites, yet these web portals rake in millions from sign up fees, uploading fees, etc.
There are over 200 Million blogs online, along with hundreds of social networking sites, and although social media has become a part of promoting an artist's product to the masses all in one single click. How many of these clicks are actually targeting a certain geographic, and utilizing the marketing tactics that actually generate consumer interest in that product? I see tons of so called "promoters", selling services to artists offering eBlasts of a list of individuals that they more than likely never had any contact with, and have no clue or are familiar what their listening habits might be. There is only a 1% to 2% chance that those that receive the eBlast will even open up their email. So many artists are duped into spending thousands of dollars believing that these "promoters" know what they are doing, and the promises of radio airplay, marketing and promotions on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, etc., are just not an end all to reaching those consumers that will eventually be interested in purchasing or supporting that product. I've witnessed with my own eyes, some of these "promoters" charging for "duplication", and actually going to Staples, Costco, etc., purchase a 100 pack of cd', thermal print on the cd's, burn the music from a cd the artists has given them and then charge the artist thousands of dollars for those "duplicated cd's.
Even promises of radio airplay is not telling the truth of the current business model of radio. This was formerly the practice of radio; walking product into a station, talking with the program director, and then making subsequent calls to see if that product was being played and/or added to the playlist. Now stations that were previously independent have been gobbled up by radio broadcasting networks such as Beasley Broadcasting, Cox, CBS, Fox, Clear Channel, etc., and have corporate boards that hire radio consultants to determine what should be included on their entire network of radio stations' playlists. So program directors and even mix show dj's now have very little wiggle room when it comes to adding to or playing outside of that playlist sent down by the corporate board, yet these "promoters" make these outlandish promises to artists only to persuade the artists to pay an extravagant amount for their services.
Also there is the issue of the "ticket touting" which has become a plague. This is the practice of purchasing a large block of tickets, then reselling them via EBay, etc. at often more than double the price they were being offered on the ticket retailers site. mobile ticketing will soon eradicate this practice, I believe, but until then the artist pays a heavy price if they are depending on part of the gate for their performance fee. The promoter doesn't feel any pain, because even if the touters don't sell any tickets, they have made their money from the original sale.
Here is a clip of XZibit on the Mo'nique show speaking on the old music industry and adapting to the new music industry:
Could this be the long awaited single from the Detox album that Dr. Dre has been working on forever and century? Sit back and enjoy the ride with Dre, Snoop and Akon on "Kush"
Ne-Yo's girlfriend gave birth to a baby girl on Friday night named Madilyn Grace Smith. The singer then took to Twitter on Saturday to express his excitement. "As my life transforms due to the new life that sprung up on me last night, it's good to know my folks support. Luv y'all," the singer/songwriter wrote to Twitter followers. "Much luv to my twit fam and everybody showin' luv to my new addition! She's healthy and happy. Feels like I'm in luv for the first time."
Will this finally put to rest the rumors of Ne-Yo being gay to rest??
Ne-Yo's new album, Libra Scale, drops on November 22.
Hip-hop has gradually shifted away from the asphalt assault of hard-core '90s rap toward more melodic, tuneful fare. Ja-Rule, 50 Cent, and Pharrell Williams' rock/rap/R&B fusionists N.E.R.D. were at the vanguard, followed by Andre 3000 of Outkast and Gnarls Barkley's Cee Lo Green (formerly of rap group Goodie Mob). Previously acclaimed for their rap skills, the latter two's hybrid efforts, respectively, "Hey Ya" (2003) and "Crazy" (2005), respectively, became two of the '00s' top-selling records. Eminem has even tried his hand at crooning over a few of his hits, including his recent smash single "I'm Not Afraid".
Kanye West's largely Auto-Tune crooned "808s and Heartbreak" paved the way for Drake and Kid Cudi, two of the most popular artists of Generation Y, who balance singing and rapping in equal measure. Even Lil Wayne, who boasted of being "the best rapper alive," briefly abandoned the craft for this year's much-maligned rock-rap Frankenstein, "Rebirth."
No small label better signifies this shift than Stones Throw. Releasing contemporary jazz, soul and funk records, its output expanded to include anything with a deep groove. Camu Tao (deceased) and DJ Nobody are two other notable artists that have taken on this trend and made a shift in their music.
But the question still is, should everyone be using this technology on their albums just to support what otherwise would be a very weak project? Jay-Z's release of DOA (Death Of Autotune), proved that even Mr. Rock-A-Fella himself couldn't even put a dent in the current trend in the business.
With technology continually increasing the number of tools available to musicians, the ability to switch between styles is getting easier. Auto-Tune allows everyone to be the singer they want to be. I totally support change and innovation in the rap industry, but even with the success of Flo-Rida, T-Pain, Akon, and numerous others who have followed in the footsteps of the aforementioned artists, is it a trend that will fade away, or a career booster that will help further an artist's audience?
The lead single from the late King of Pop's upcoming "Michael" album will be "Hold My Hand," a duet with Akon, which will debut as a stream on michaeljackson.com this coming Monday (Nov. 15), at 12:01 a.m. EST. The news comes after this week's premiere of "Breaking News," a track that has fostered a chorus of criticism and controversy.
Written by Akon, "Hold My Hand" was recorded by the Senegalese singer/rapper and Jackson in Las Vegas in 2007. An unfinished version of the song leaked in 2008, but Akon completed the final production of the track after Jackson's death.
"The world was not ready to hear 'Hold My Hand' when it leaked a couple years ago," Akon said in a statement. "We were devastated about it. But its time has definitely come; now in its final state, it has become an incredible, beautiful, anthemic song. I'm so proud to have had the chance to work with Michael, one of my all-time idols."
According to the release, it was Jackson himself who wanted "Hold My Hand" to be the first single on his next project, as expressed in a handwritten letter that is now is the hands of his estate.
Akon's contribution to "Michael" is not the album's only collaboration. The tracklist reveals that Lenny Kravitz is featured on the song "(I Can't Make It) Another Day," while 50 Cent makes an appearance on "Monster." Jackson served as a co-producer on the album's ten tracks.
The initial U.S. shipment of "Michael" is 900,000, according to retail sources. Sony is projecting first-week CD sales of 340,000 and digital album sales of 60,000. That projection is similar to debut-week sales of Jackson's album "This Is It," though that album had the marketing strength of a major motion picture behind it as well. "This Is It" sold 373,000 units in its first week and has sold 1.6 million units since its release in October 2009, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
P!nk's career has spanned for the last 10 years, releasing five studio albums since 2000. On Nov. 16, she will release "Greatest Hits…So Far!!!"
The new single, "Raise Your Glass," is the rocky, up-tempo lead to the album with hot lyrics such as, "so raise your glass if you are wrong in all the right ways, all my underdogs." Produced by Max Martin, the track is bursting with her carefree attitude and huge mainstream potential. The song fills all the categories of what makes a great pop song. Electric guitar accompanied by a strong, pulsing beat, with P!nk's crisp, unforgettable vocals, it is bound to become a classic P!nk hit.
The album is available in three versions: explicit, edited for language and a CD/DVD deluxe edition. The only downside is there will be only one new song on the record.
MTV India says it has generated over one million friends on Facebook, seemingly successfully engaging its youth audience in the social media space as well as through the TV screen. “Getting a million thumbs up from this generation means we have evolved along with our audience,” said Aditya Swamy, head of MTV India. “Our social media marketing has been a constant learning process and I am delighted by the support we have got from our FB fans. This just goes to prove that MTV does have a vibrant parallel universe beyond TV.”
The channel’s Facebook page covers music and entertainment, but also social reform, politics and sports, and provides a platform for fans to air their opinions.
Read more: MTV India hits 1 mn friends on Facebook | News | Rapid TV News
LONDON (Reuters) - Warner Music is contemplating a $750 million (464.6 million pound) bid for EMI (LSE: EMI.L - news) 's recorded music division and could lodge a bid with private equity owner Terra Firma within weeks, the Observer newspaper reported on Sunday.
After breaching the terms of its debt, Terra Firma, run by Guy Hands, has been fighting to keep EMI out of the clutches of its main creditor bank, Citigroup. Warner has long been rumored to be interested if Citigroup assumes control of EMI.
If the deal goes down this would be yet another major distributor casualty of the MAPS agreement that slowly has eroded the music business.
On January 15, 2009 Tommy Silverman said at a seminar, " in 2008 out of the 1,500 obscurity-breaking releases, 227 artists broke the “obscurity line” for the first time ever. Out of the 227 first-timers, 14 artists did it own their own; approximately 106 were signed to a major; the rest were signed to indies. Those left were not even breaking even on their music releases".
Over 15 years ago, all 6 majors at the time, CEMA, SONY, WEA, MCA, PGD, and BMG got together and agreed on MINIMUM ADVERTISED PRICE PROVISIONS (MAPS) on new release, front line and back catalog product, as a means to curtail piracy. The FTC took them to court (http://elr.lls.edu/issues/v21-issue3/elahi.pdf) because it was believed that this move was a direct violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.
Distributors settled with the FTC by agreeing to postpone MAPs for seven years, but the FTC's findings had discovered long held suspicions of price gouging of consumers by the major conglomerates, only to pad profit margins. This caused a change in the infrastructure of the business model at that time. Companies became afraid that with such a move this would monopolize the infrastructure of the business, so larger wholesale distributors began to gobble up their smaller competition. Record labels began to merge. Radio broadcasting stations concerned of loss of ad revenue started to buy up radio stations by the hundreds. The only result of this MAPS agreement was that it didn't curtail piracy but actually encouraged it, and delayed the digital evolution in the industry.
Numerous "physical" distributors, jack robbers, one stops, and small specialty labels became afraid that this would cause them to lose business or go out of business altogether, so they began to merge in order to survive. In turn, independent radio stations also afraid of advertising revenue loss began to change formats and eventually joined large broadcasting networks like Beasley, ABC, Cox, Fox, Clear Channel, etc.., which changed their business model, because now the broadcasting companies would have the ability to dictate and control radio playlists nationally in a block group of stations owned by them. No longer would indie artists and companies be bale to just walk into a radio station and expect to have a sit down with a radio program director, now those decisions would be left up to independent "radio consultants'.
As the majors remained defiant to change their business model, more and more online digital companies began to spring up, Napster, LimeWire, Download.com, Bearshare, MP3.com, CDBaby, Itunes, Garage Band, Reverbnation, Amazon, and more recently Tunecore. This cut deeply into the revenue of the majors, and actually forced the former 6 majors to merge with one another because of profit losses.
They could have jumped on at the beginning of the digital revolution and struck deals with all these fledgling companies that have now reaped millions of dollars off the backs of artists, and now the majors have been forced to shut them down in court, but still work out agreements to allow them to operate as "pay" services.
It became apparently easier for independent record labels like Bell Mark, Tommy Boy, KOCH, TVT, and numerous others to operate freely of the broken major distribution system, by signing artists and small record labels to deals that were marginal at best, and then undercut the majors by lowering their prices on product, because they were not held to the MAPS provisions. It worked for a while until the age of digital ingenuity provided a means for artists and companies to produce, distribute, market and promote on the internet with very little cost, and slowly eroded the need to have a major distribute your product, although it is still a viable resource if you take care of your business first, and come to them with leverage on your side to negotiate the best possible deal.
Although cd's entered the pre-recorded market in the 80's, and became the primary medium for the delivery of pre-recorded music by the early 90's, cd prices have steadily increased. This paradoxical "trend" occurred despite increasing retail competition, and despite other factors that suggest decreasing prices, as in the digital revolution online.
So again trends can either be beneficial or hurt the business. If the major distributors had embraced the digital evolution instead of running from it, afraid that it would cut into their almighty profits", then the business would not be in a death roll like it is today. This is the direct result of them now willing to make deals with Limewire, Napster, and numerous other file sharing portals by shutting them down and allowing them to relaunch as "pay for" music services, and sign any garbage out here and be damned if they develop the artist, or even pay them. They are trying to play "catch up", and it's way too late in the game for that!!
Ke$ha has announced her first-ever headlining tour, set for early in 2011. Dubbed the "Get $leazy" tour, it kicks off in Portland, OR on February 15 and winds up in Los Angeles on May 6. Ke$ha is about to release Cannibal, the companion EP to her hit debut record Animal, on November 22.
Cannibal will also be available bundled together with Animal in a deluxe package. Tickets go on sale for the "Get $leazy" tour on November 19. Fans that pre-order Cannibal or Animal + Cannibal on www.keshasparty.com will have access to presale tickets for the "Get $leazy" tour from November 10-18.
Ke$ha revealed the "Get $leazy" tour in a video announcement, seen below:
Ke$ha "Get $leazy" 2011 tour dates: 2/15/11 Portland, OR 2/16/11 Seattle 2/19/11 Denver 2/20/11 Kansas City 2/22/11 St. Louis 2/24/11 Chicago 2/26/11 Detroit 4/05/11 Dayton, OH 4/06/11 Toronto 4/12/11 Boston 4/13/11 New York City 4/16/11 Clarion, PA (Clarion University) 4/19/11 Charlotte, NC 4/20/11 Atlanta 4/22/11 Orlando 4/26/11 Dallas 4/29/11 Houston 5/03/11 Reno 5/04/11 San Francisco 5/06/11 Los Angeles
Lil Wayne is facing a paternity suit from a women alleging that the Rap superstar fathered a child with her in 2002. According to TMZ, the child's grandmother obtained a court order to determine if Weezy is the father, with a court date set for December 9. In other news, to no one's surprise Wayne returned to the studio almost immediately following his recent release from jail. Mack Maine, President of Young Money, tweeted that Weezy hit a Miami recording studio on Tuesday and "laid his 1st verse!!!!"
Rihanna has clinched a rare Billboard Hot 100 chart achievement, as “What’s My Name” made the jump to #1 (a 59-point leap from #60-bullet last week) to become her eighth #1 single. Meanwhile, “Only Girl (In the World)” is still ranked at #4. Rihanna’s Top 5 duo of “What’s My Name” and “Only Girl (In the World)” puts her in the rare spot of acts who have managed two Top 5 singles at once.
Both songs are from Rihanna's new album, Loud, which drops on November 16. "Rihanna is a true original, a gifted hitmaker, with a style and a musical flair all her own," said Island Def Jam Music Group Chairman L.A. Reid. "In our collaborations on this project, we really honed in on songs and expressions that would bring out the best in her already incredible gift. So I am especially proud of this project, as I feel it perhaps best captures the spirit and essence of Rihanna."
The singer also will open this year’s 38th annual American Music Awards on November 21.
Unveiling Apple's new music-focused social network Ping in September, chief executive Steve Jobs described it as "sort of like Facebook and Twitter meet iTunes."
Facebook and Ping have yet to meet but Twitter and Ping got together overnight.
Twitter announced an integration with Ping that allows users who link their accounts to share previews of their favourite tunes with their followers on the micro-blogging service.
Jobs unveiled Ping in September as part of iTunes 10, the latest version of its online entertainment store.
Ping lets users view photos and videos of their favourite musicians, receive information about concert dates and connect with other users to discuss albums and songs and make musical recommendations.
An expected Ping integration with Facebook has never materialised, however, despite months of negotiations between the technology titans.
Can Michael Jackson posthumously help continue to turn the music business around along with the promising success of female artists this quarter like Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Rhianna?
While the rest of the world debated the authenticity on whether Michael Jackson's voice is actually present on the posthumous single "Breaking News," most music merchants say the controversy should stoke awareness and sales for the new album "Michael," due Dec. 14 on Epic Records.
Indeed, the debate on song quality and authenticity will likely be a moot point by Nov. 15. On that day, the Jackson website is scheduled to debut the first commercially available single from "Michael," a duet with Akon for the song "Hold My Hand," which is noticeably stronger and is clearly identifiable as Jackson. That track will be available for sale the same day at digital stores like iTunes.
Merchants hope the lead commercially available single will provide a stronger introduction to "Michael," which will carry a $10.25 wholesale cost and a $13.98 list price.The initial U.S. shipment of "Michael" is 900,000, according to retail sources. Sony is projecting first-week CD sales of 340,000 and digital album sales of 60,000. That projection is similar to debut-week sales of Jackson's album "This Is It," which sold 373,000 units in its first week and has sold 1.6 million units since its release in October 2009, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
This is the problem that a lot of entertainers are having today, connecting to the youth of today. They only want to hear garbage that they call music, denigrating women, glorifying drug use and drug dealing, and chasing celebrities, rappers, singers and actors alike who keep getting locked up, caught in numerous crimes, abusing women, etc....
All information displayed, transmitted or carried on the MUSICBIZINFO BLOG SITE(s) (including, but not limited to, directories, guides, news articles, opinions, reviews, text, photographs, images, illustrations, hyperlinks, audio clips, video clips, trademarks, service marks, and the like, collectively the “Content”) is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws, for MusicBizInfo, Earth Brothers Entertainment LLC, or the original copyright owner(s) unless otherwise stated.
You may not modify, publish, transfer, transmit, sell, lease, reproduce, create derivative work from, distribute, repost, perform, display, or in any way commercially exploit any of the Content or infringe upon trademarks or service marks contained in such Content, unless that permission is granted by MusicBizInfo, Earthbrothers Entertainment LLC, or under the original copyright owners "User Agreement and Terms of Use", if hyperlinked from their site.
Pingback/trackback “spam” will not be tolerated.
Posts
