The M.I.A. Effect: Does Controversy Still Sell?
Artists need lots of attention to survive, and sometimes, controversy does the trick. Case in point? Madonna handcrafted the art of stoking controversy in the 80s and 90s, though in the 2010s, getting sustained attention – and resulting sales – is a much trickier craft.
Another Wonderful Longshot: MySpace Offers Opening Slot for Ozzy…
Bands can get their breaks in the craziest ways, and that includes long-shot contests. And the latest opportunity? Over the weekend, MySpace launched a contest to fill an opening gig for Ozzy Osbourne at the iTunes Music Festival in London.
Love Remixing? Indaba Has Another Contest Worth Looking At…
Diddy invented the remix, just like Al Gore invented the internet. Twisted histories aside, the remix and the internet have been dancing together in some funny ways over the past decade or so. Now, music collaboration platform Indaba is asking fans to remix a remixer, and score some great distribution and cash prizes in the process.
Yorke to Artists: Avoid the Music Industry “Sinking Ship”…
Radiohead was propelled by the major label system. But looking forward, Thom Yorke is telling bands to skip the machine. In a recent interview, Yorke warned young artists that the music industry establishment is a “sinking ship” with “months rather than years” before a collapse.
Twitter for Audio? audioBoo Announces Funding, Partnerships…
Twitter obviously resonated with the masses, and forged a totally different form of communication and interaction in the process. But does that translate into audio?
RIAA Asks Court to Shutter LimeWire File-Sharing Service
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on Friday asked a federal judge for a permanent injunction that would shut down the LimeWire file-sharing service, and a court hearing scheduled for Monday could decide the service’s fate, according to published reports. A federal court last month granted summary judgment in the labels’ copyright infringement lawsuit against LimeWire and its founder, [...]
A Different Sort of Clean-up: Hilary Rosen On BP Damage Control…
Where are they now? Well, ex-RIAA chief Hilary Rosen now has a new gig at BP, specifically running damage control. The details are now spilling on Rosen and a serious team of PR and lobbying pros being tapped by the oil giant. Rosen comes through the Brunswick Group, and others on the force include ex-Bush strategist Alex Castellanos of Purple [...]
OK Go New Label Gets Serious; RED Distributing…
After wriggling out of its EMI Music contract, OK Go is now structuring its own label and distribution arrangements. The new label is dubbed Paracadute Records, and was actually announced in March by the band. But that label is now getting distribution through RED, owned by Sony Music Entertainment.<!–more–> So what next? EMI Music holds the rights to the older [...]
Post-Schwartz, Rumors Reignite Around EMI…
Surprise. Another week, another fresh batch of EMI rumors, though this time, the speculation is turning inward. Instead of Terra Firma and its endless wrangles with Citigroup and investors, sources are now pointing to another wave of ‘employment instability’ across both the recording and publishing sides. But concrete information is difficult to pin down at this stage.<!–more–> The latest dust-up [...]