Music Week articles from February 2006

Music Week archives from February 2006

New-look Sony BMG in the Pink.
February 4, 2006... Pink's new album will be among first releases under Sony BMG's new structure, after it last week announced the creation of the RCA and Columbia label groups. Pink's releases will go through RCA Label Group, which will be run by her former...

Monkeys do the business: debut scores record first-week sales.(Retail)
February 4, 2006... Arctic Monkeys have swept away the industry's usual January blues in spectacular fashion, achieving record-breaking sales for the opening month of the year. The Domino-issued Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not sold 363,735 units...

MoS deal secures Hed Kandi label.(Bottom line)
February 4, 2006... Ministry of Sound has acquired the Hed Kandi record label, alongside the Enterprise Records division of Smooth FM from Guardian Media Group. The deal, which is for an undisclosed sum, includes all associated labels of the GMG Radio Records...

James Blunt.(Bottom line)
February 4, 2006... James Blunt has hit another new peak in the US by simultaneously breaking into the Top 10 of the singles and albums charts for the first time. His Atlantic-issued single You're Beautiful moves up seven places to a new peak of number eight on...

Sony BMG.(Bottom line)
February 4, 2006... Sony BMG revenues in the quarter leading to Christmas 2005 experienced a 1% year-on-year drop to 840m [pounds sterling], while income before tax reached 141m [pounds sterling]. Strong sales from artists such as Il Divo, Kelly Clarkson and Kenny...

Brit Awards.(Bottom line)
February 4, 2006... Gorillaz and Jack Johnson have been confirmed as performers at the 26th Brit Awards taking place at London's Earls Court I on February 15.

Bertelsmann.(Bottom line)
February 4, 2006... Bertelsmann, whose interests include 50% ownership of Sony BMG, has announced it is preparing for a stock market flotation in May, its chairman and CEO Dr Gunter Thielen made the declaration last Friday after financial holding company Groupe...

Tesco is to dedicate floor space in its Milton Keynes store to Apple's iTunes and iPod products.(Bottom line)
February 4, 2006... Tesco is to dedicate floor space in its Milton Keynes store to Apple's iTunes and iPod products, in a trial which could be potentially rolled out across the UK.

Napster.(Bottom line)
February 4, 2006... Napster has made 10 employees worldwide redundant, rather than 10% of its total workforce, as reported in the US press last week. UK staff are not affected.

Universal Music Group International.(Bottom line)
February 4, 2006... Universal Music Group International has entered into a consultation process with its staff over a reorganisation at its St James Square headquarters. A number of jobs are under threat in the move. It is understood that SVP strategic marketing...

WH Smith.(Bottom line)
February 4, 2006... WH Smith experienced tough trading conditions over the Christmas period with total like-for-like retail sales down 5% for the seven weeks to January 21. However, the group stated that gross margin improved due to improved buying, Far East...

German independent Edel Music says Ebitda for the period October 1 2005 to December 31 2005 increased by 29%.(Bottom line)
February 4, 2006... German independent Edel Music says Ebitda for the period October 1 2005 to December 31 2005 increased by 29% from 5.1m [euro] to 6.6m [euro].

Xfm to launch in Manchester.(Exposure)
February 4, 2006... GCap announces today (Monday) that Xfm Manchester will launch on 97.7FM on Wednesday, March 15, with a line-up including comedian Paul Tonkinson at weekday breakfast and shows hosted by Elbow frontman Guy Garvey, Inspiral Carpets' Clint Boon,...

DirecTV.(Exposure)
February 4, 2006... US satellite TV network DirecTV has launched CD USA, an American version of the British show CD:UK. The weekly, hour-long show is available exclusively to its 15m subscribers and will feature guests including James Blunt and Franz Ferdinand.

Shockwaves NME Awards.(Exposure)
February 4, 2006... The Kaiser Chiefs, Oasis and Franz Ferdinand lead the nominations for the Shockwaves NME Awards, which take place on February 23 at London's Hammersmith Palais.

Gorillaz.(Exposure)
February 4, 2006... The planned Gorillaz tour has been put back to 2008 to allow revenue to be gathered to fund the huge costs of the holographic live show. At Midem, the band's manager Chris Morrison said the live show would use "quasi-holographic technology".

KCRW.(Exposure)
February 4, 2006... Influential LA-based radio station KCRW is to re-launch its online music channel in March. The new service will offer shortened versions of its music programmes, with geographical and time-specific references edited out.

BBC3.(Exposure)
February 4, 2006... Digital TV station BBC3 has confirmed that it is in the early stages of developing a songwriters' talent show with Guy Chambers, provisionally titled Only Words.

Carnaby International.(Exposure)
February 4, 2006... British independent film company Carnaby International has launched Redemption TV, a new alternative music channel on the Sky platform. Redemption airs nightly from 10pm on Sky channel 475, offering live performance footage and interview...

Duo bid for IFPI board places.(People)
February 4, 2006... Dramatico Records founder Mike Batt and Revolver Records' Paul Birch are bidding to win places on the IFPI's European board. The pair are among five contenders put forward for election to secure two independent places up for grabs. A result is...

Johnny Bienstock.(People)
February 4, 2006... US music industry executive Johnny Bienstock has died at Naples, Florida, following a long illness. The 83-year-old, whose younger brother is veteran music publisher and Carlin Music Corporation founder Freddy Bienstock, spent six decades in...

EMI Group.(People)
February 4, 2006... EMI Group has appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers' former entertainment and media practice global leader Kevin Carton as a non-executive director of the company.

Myleene Klass.(People)
February 4, 2006... Classic FM has confirmed Myleene Klass is joining the GCap-owned station to host the Sunday morning breakfast show, starting February 12.

Velocity Communications.(People)
February 4, 2006... Velocity Communications has recruited Stuart Kirkham from EMI Records, where he has been senior press officer since 2000, while Lee Haynes joins from Planet Publicity.

Chris Moyles.(People)
February 4, 2006... Chris Moyles' weekly podcast was downloaded nearly 500,000 times in December, according to BBC Radio. Radio One's Best of Moyles MP3--a 20-minute broadcast, featuring speech highlights from the week--was downloaded 446,809 times during the...

Universal in deal with Concord.(Sign here)
February 4, 2006... Universal Music Group has gained international access to one of America's leading independently-owned catalogues after striking a deal with Concord Music Group. Under the agreement, the major will handle international distribution and licensing...

EMI has inked a deal with Ericsson to make available around 12,000 ringtunes and 200,000 full-track downloads across Europe.(Sign here)
February 4, 2006... EMI has inked a deal with Ericsson to make available around 12,000 ringtunes and 200,000 full-track downloads across Europe. They will be distributed to European mobile operators through Ericsson's Personalised Music Portal.

V2 and City Slang have launched the German arm of indie label association Cooperative Music.(Sign here)
February 4, 2006... V2 and City Slang have launched the German arm of indie label association Cooperative Music. Cooperative Music Germany will be based in City Slang's German offices, under the responsibility of V2 Germany general manager Dietrich Eggert.

Loudeye.(Sign here)
February 4, 2006... Loudeye has unveiled an agreement with EMI Music to provide dual-delivery digital downloads to EMI Music's European customers, allowing users to search for, listen to and download full-length songs to their mobile device and simultaneously to a...

Gut Records and its imprint Gusto have formed a partnership with Galaxy Radio to set up a competition for up-and-coming DJs and producers.(Sign here)
February 4, 2006... Gut Records and its imprint Gusto have formed a partnership with Galaxy Radio to set up a competition for up-and-coming DJs and producers. Chrysalis Radio's Galaxy network is hosting the on-air competition called Mash It Up, in which DJs will...

Notting Hill Music Group.(Sign here)
February 4, 2006... Notting Hill Music Group has signed a publishing agreement with Fightstar, the band fronted by former Busted frontman Charlie Simpson.

Published By Patrick.(Sign here)
February 4, 2006... Minder Music firm Published By Patrick has signed a deal with Ferry Corsten's Corsten Music to represent the DJ's catalogue in the UK and Ireland. The publisher also recently concluded a long-term deal for Sandy Linzer's share of the Kool & The...

Music Week online poll.(Digest)
February 4, 2006... Welcome to the Music Week poll. To vote, simply visit our website at musicweek.com and click on the poll link. This week we ask: Is 13,500 [pounds sterling] a fair penalty for someone found guilty of online piracy? See the story opposite...

Sony/BMG sets out plan for growth: reshuffle sees RCA handle pop and R&B, with Columbia focusing on alternative and rock.(Labels)
February 4, 2006... Sony BMG is preparing for a period of continued growth over the coming months and years, after confirming a restructuring of its frontline record division last week. The new structure will see RCA handling the major's pop and R&B...

BPI adds new warning after High Court imposes fines.(News)
February 4, 2006... Illegal file-sharers who refuse to co-operate with the BPI can expect short shrift in the courts, the organisation's executive chairman Peter Jamieson has warned. Jamieson made the comments following the conclusion of two cases, which were...

The Music Week playlist.(News)
February 4, 2006... YELLOWCARD Down On My Head (Capital) This anthemic, commercial hit looks certain to break Yellowcard in the UK. Punchy, energetic rock--this is their best yet. (single, tbc) PRIMAL SCREAM When The Bomb Drops (Columbia) Primal...

Technology makes mark: MW picks the top Midem launches.(Digital)
February 4, 2006... The Midem exhibition hall, within the Palais des Festivals, was awash with new technologies promising much for the future development of the industry last week. From new mobile handsets and download services to new-style ticketing systems,...

Sway.(SNAP SHOT)
February 4, 2006... British At Midem showcases once again helped deliver results for several of the acts who performed at the Cannes conference. The showcases were one of the highlights of Monday night, with hundreds of spectators packing into the Martinez,...

US companies boost numbers at Midem: involvement of American indies group helps lift turnout.(Conferences)
February 4, 2006... An increased US presence boosted Midem numbers by 6%, as nearly 10,000 delegates attended last week's 40th annual event. By last Tuesday, 9,766 people had registered for the event in Cannes, compared with 9,231 last year, as US numbers were...

Government primes music initiatives.(Midem news)
February 4, 2006... Three government initiatives were unveiled at Midem designed to improve the competitiveness of the UK music industry. As part of an overall drive to boost the creative services, the DCMS is to host a music industry summit in late spring at...

Global indies unite as writers join forces: international societies to represent labels and writers.(International)
February 4, 2006... Independent labels and songwriters announced separate initiatives at Midem which will see them build their representation on the international stage. The independent record company sector announced the creation of a formal structure for...

The remarkable achievements of IFPI chairman and CEO John Kennedy, promoter Harvey Goldsmith and Sir Bob Geldof as Band Aid trustees were recognised with two honours at Midem.(Midem news)
February 4, 2006... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: The remarkable achievements of IFPI chairman and CEO John Kennedy, promoter Harvey Goldsmith and Sir Bob Geldof as Band Aid trustees were recognised with two honours at Midem. The trio were honoured as...

BPI lines up Musexpo event.(Launches)
February 4, 2006... The BPI has organised a networking event at April's Musexpo conference in Hollywood to put UK delegates in contact with key US music industry executives. The trade association has formed a partnership with event organiser A&R Worldwide to allow...

Mersey Beat.(Launches)
February 4, 2006... Bill Harry, the founder of the legendary Liverpool magazine Mersey Beat, is preparing to celebrate this year's 45th anniversary of its launch with a range of merchandise connected to the title. Rockandpopshop.com, which is managing the sale of...

Handleman buys Blueprint stake.(Deals)
February 4, 2006... Physical distribution specialist Handleman has made its first move into the digital arena, acquiring a stake in the Blueprint group. Handleman, which handles distribution to Asda and Waitrose in the UK and Wal-Mart in the UK, bought a...

Jenny Abramsky.(Deals)
February 4, 2006... BBC Radio and Music director Jenny Abramsky has spelt out the Corporation's role in helping the industry drive sales in the digital age. Speaking in a MidemNet Forum panel discussion about the impact of digital technology on radio, Abramsky...

O2.(Deals)
February 4, 2006... O2 has entered into an exclusive agreement with live music firm Network Live, America Online, XM Radio and Millennium Dome owner AEG to deliver live music events to mobile. 02 will make available exclusive performances from worldwide, headline...

Consolidated Independent.(Deals)
February 4, 2006... Digital consultants and service provider Consolidated Independent has inked a deal with distributor Pinnacle to power its digital archiving and delivery services. All labels distributed by Pinnacle will be automatically offered the services of...

Swedish music publishing companies Cosmos Songs and Bonnier Music Publishing have agreed a creative collaboration to jointly sign and develop new songwriters and artists.(Deals)
February 4, 2006... Swedish music publishing companies Cosmos Songs and Bonnier Music Publishing have agreed a creative collaboration to jointly sign and develop new songwriters and artists. The two independents will work together on projects for both domestic and...

Cherry.(Deals)
February 4, 2006... British singer songwriter Cherry has signed a four-year publishing deal with A&G productions. The 18-year old singer, who was signed by 24/7 management at the age of 14, co-writes with Andy Wright (Simply Red), Andy Hayman (Appleton) and Tim...

EMI Music Publishing has signed a deal with mobile phone content specialist BlingTones to promote original tracks by its artists via mobile phones.(Deals)
February 4, 2006... EMI Music Publishing has signed a deal with mobile phone content specialist BlingTones to promote original tracks by its artists via mobile phones. The partnership will allow EMI Music to benefit from BlingTone's expertise in the multi-platform...

UK audio manufacturer Sound Performance has teamed up with packaging specialist Modo Production.(Deals)
February 4, 2006... UK audio manufacturer Sound Performance has teamed up with packaging specialist Modo Production to offer a single source supplier for labels looking for manufacturing and CD/DVD replication services.

French record industry.(Deals)
February 4, 2006... Despite a difficult year for the French record industry, 2005 saw the number of concerts by French artists increase in all territories, including a 43% rise in the UK and a 50% increase in Japan, in North America, the number of concerts by...

UK acts shine at NRJ Awards.(Awards)
February 4, 2006... Robbie Williams, Coldplay and James Blunt headed a strong British presence at Cannes' NRJ Awards. Blunt fought off competition from Daniel Powter to be named best male newcomer, while Williams and Coldplay picked up accolades for best...

Dominique Leguern.(Awards)
February 4, 2006... Midem director Dominique Leguern has been named Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) by the French Government for her contribution to the arts. Leguern received the award from French culture...

Impala calls for EU reform.(Digital debate)
February 4, 2006... European independent label association Impala is calling on the EU to develop a plan for building a digital environment which will lead to better access to cultural content for consumers. The association wants the EU to approach legislative...

EMI Group.(Awards)
February 4, 2006... EMI Group chairman Eric Nicoli voiced a preference for flexible pricing in the online arena, as he made a keynote address at MidemNet. Nicoli said, "I completely understand the attraction of single pricing, but ultimately we would all like to...

Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres.(Awards)
February 4, 2006... French minister of culture Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres outlined France's role at the forefront of the debate over digital rights at a Midem press conference. He said he was proud the issue had been put on the table and added it was important for...

The Orchard.(Awards)
February 4, 2006... Digital music distributor The Orchard has launched a digital video distribution service, offering music videos sourced from independent labels as well as film and television content. The company will market and merchandise video content...

Livegigsonline.(Awards)
February 4, 2006... Livegigsonline is offering fans the opportunity to watch concerts via its website. The company captures a video stream of the performance and sends it to a bank of computers in each continent. From there, fans can log on to the company's...

Digonex Technologies.(Awards)
February 4, 2006... Digonex Technologies has unveiled Digital Online Exchange software which is a pricing service that systematically adapts prices based on behavioural principles, identifying the "sweet spot" where prices generate maximum economic return.

Options still open for Parr Street.(News)
February 4, 2006... Liverpool's Parr Street studios could still be saved for the UK's recording business, despite a planning application to turn the complex into apartments. The three-studio complex, which has hosted sessions by Coldplay, The Verve, Doves and...

Skills set to lead agenda of government-backed study: creative & cultural skills to examine educational routes into industry.(Training)
February 4, 2006... The music industry is being handed its first opportunity to shape the skills of its future employees by influencing and delivering training and education through schools, colleges and universities. Government-backed body Creative & Cultural...

Sophie Solomon.(SNAP SHOT)
February 4, 2006... When Sophie Solomon's debut album is released on March 6, the artist will be following in the footsteps of KT Tunstall by becoming the second member of the group Oi Va Voi to issue a solo record. The virtuoso violinist, who in the past has...

Nettwerk joins RIAA court battle.(News)
February 4, 2006... Nettwerk Music Group is taking a stand against the RIAA's online piracy crackdown, by paying the legal costs of the 15-year-old American girl who hit headlines worldwide last year after being sued for file-sharing. Nettwerk, the management...

Clear Channel inks Wembley deal.(News)
February 4, 2006... A battle of the London arenas is taking shape, with Live Nation--formerly known as Clear Channel Entertainment--taking over the long-term promotion and management of Wembley Arena. The deal puts the world's two biggest music venue and...

Monkeys top sales league: Sheffield band's record first-week album sales take retail by surprise.(Retail)
February 4, 2006... Retail knew it was going to be big, but the sheer volume of sales for the Arctic Monkeys' album last week took even the most seasoned campaigners by surprise. Despite all the hype surrounding the arrival of Whatever People Say I Am, That's...

MW launches free online contacts bible: MW opens up its directory to the world, with new free-to-access website offering more advanced functionality.(Awards)
February 4, 2006... Music Week is significantly expanding its online proposition this week, with the launch of a free-to-access version of the Music Week Directory. The site, which launches at www.musicweekdirectory.com, makes the 10,000-plus listings...

MW Awards secures high-profile judges.(News)
February 4, 2006... Some of the music industry's biggest hitters have been secured as judges for this year's Music Week Awards. Radio Two head of music Colin Martin, Q editor Paul Rees, NME editor Conor McNicholas and EMI Music Publishing senior vice president...

The Knife.(SNAP SHOT)
February 4, 2006... Growing UK independent Brille Records has signed Swedish electro-pop act The Knife to a long-term global deal. The duo, who previously won a Swedish Grammy and are currently enjoying UK chart success with Jose Gonzalez' cover of their song...

Warner appoints new heads of A&R.(News)
February 4, 2006... Warner Bros UK has looked overseas to find new heads of A&R, as its sister operation Atlantic promotes within to fill the position of A&R director. Warner Bros managing director Korda Marshall has appointed as joint heads of A&R the...

Indie pluggers take shots at Capital slots.(News)
February 4, 2006... A new plugging appointments system implemented by revamped Capital Radio has been criticised for giving the independent sector just two weekly meeting slots in total every week. Under the newly-drawn-up schedule, the four major record...

Major publishers set to follow EMI's lead: more pan-European online licensing deals on the cards.(News)
February 4, 2006... A string of major publishers are expected to follow EMI Music Publishing's lead over the coming months and strike their own pan-European online licensing deals. After EMI formally announced its deal with the MCPS-PRS Alliance and Gema last...

What does EMI music publishing's deal mean?
February 4, 2006... EMI's agreement with the UK's MCPS-PRS Alliance and Germany's Gema is designed to create an easier environment for digital music services to license music across Europe. If an international download store--or mobile service--wants to sell...

Sparks fly into the future: after a career spanning four decades, pioneering US duo Sparks are gearing up to release their 20th album.(Tribute)
February 4, 2006... It seems to have left an indelible impression on the memory of everyone who witnessed it. One brother with wide-eyed choirboy good looks and a falsetto voice to match, contrasting with a sibling sporting a toothbrush moustache, a collar and...

Four decades in music.(Tribute)
February 4, 2006... 1968 Former child actors and models, brothers Ron and Russell Mael, on keyboards and vocals respectively, form Urban Renewal Project, later renamed Halfnelson, with guitarist Earle Mankey and drummer John Mendelssohn, 1971 Halfnelson, now...

Mixed blessings of mobile music: we are on the cusp of a music-on-mobiles boom, but how will this affect catalogue?(EDITORIAL)
February 4, 2006... The technological and philosophical leap from one January to the next was clearly apparent at last week's Midem conference. A year ago, the music business was looking forward to a year when mobile music services would begin to hit the...

A pan-European body will help us talk to Brussels.(VIEWPOINT)
February 4, 2006... Across Europe there is a growing realisation among music writers of a need to find a way to have their collective voice heard by politicians and EU commissioners. An example of this is that media composers across Europe met and decided,...

How do you rate Midem in its 40th anniversary year? Midem celebrated a landmark anniversary this year but, after 40 years, can it still cut it or is life just beginning?(The big question)
February 4, 2006... Daniel Bladon, Dan Bladon Management "It's very different from something like In The City, but it has been well run and everything from the seminars was interesting. I've met a Int of contacts, so I would say it was very vibrant." ...

The lowdown from Midem.(DOOLEY'S DIARY)
February 4, 2006... Remember where you heard it: While most of us were freezing in subzero temperatures in chilly or Blighty, some 10,000 lucky executives could enjoy the sunshine of Cannes for the 40th Midem conference last week. The five-clay event started with...

Goldie Lonkin' Chain managed to take Midem by storm despite one of its number being incarcerated in the Big Brother houses.(Forum)
February 4, 2006... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Goldie Lonkin' Chain managed to take Midem by storm despite one of its number being incarcerated in the Big Brother houses. So, while Maggot was locked in heated debate with George Galloway, his bandmates...

Among many other things, the British presence at Midem included a performance from Nizlopi, which prompted the rare phenomenon of a politician making a half-decent gag.(Forum)
February 4, 2006... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Among many other things, the British presence at Midem included a performance from Nizlopi (pictured, under the gaze of BPI executive chairman Peter Jamieson), which prompted the rare phenomenon of a...

Fast chart.(Datafile: Britain's most comprehensive charts service: Week 4)
February 4, 2006... SINGLES NUMBER ONE NOTORIOUS B.I.G./DIDDY/NELLY/ JAGGED EDGE/AVERY STORM NASTY GIRL (Bad Boy) The second UK number one for Diddy's Bad Boy imprint comes nearly two years after Mario Winans' I Don't Wanna Know, which also had...

Monkeys swing to the top spot.(The Market)
February 4, 2006... Arctic Monkeys' debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not exceeded the industry's highest expectations by selling a massive 363,735 copies last week, comprehensively beating the previous record for highest first-week sales set...