2010: The Year Of The Album Leak (The Majors Did It)

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.

Albums Just Don't Stay #1 Any Longer (Commerce vs Quality)

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 Sues Black Eyed Peas For Copyright Infringement

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 Returns To The Screen In "SouthPaw"

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."

Kandi Burress Releases Kandi Koated Today

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 Say Fiairness Doctrine Is Not Coming Back

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 Announces Concert Dates On "The View"

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.

Getting A Bar Code For Your Music

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

Billboard's Women In Music 2010 List (30 Power Players)

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

21. Kathy Spanberger, President/chief operating officer / Anglo-American region, peermusic

22. Mamie Coleman, Vice president of music and production / Fox Broadcasting

23. Melissa Ormond, Chief operating officer/bookings / MSG Entertainment

24. Marcie Allen, Founder/president / MAC Presents

25. Alison Smith, Senior VP of performing rights / BMI

26. Karen Sherry, Senior VP of industry affairs, Executive director / ASCAP Foundation

27. Diana Rodriguez, Senior vice president / Capitol Latin

28. Sarah Trahern, GM/senior vice president / Great American Country

29. Frances Moore, CEO / IFPI, Brussels

30. Kelly Rich, VP of sales, marketing and interactive / Big Machine Label Group

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS: THE FILMMAKERS DESTINATION (A PRODUCTION TOOL FOR THE FILMMAKER)

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.

Q-Tip Upset With Michael Rapaport On Tribe Called Quest Documentary

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's Album "Love Letter" Set To Drop On December 15th

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 Takes Back #1 Spot On Billboard With First Week Sales of 496,000

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.