The Orchard: Still Searching for the Fruits of Profitability…
Can the Orchard ever turn the corner on profitability? Despite record-setting revenues during the recent quarter, the company is still showing losses. And, continued layoffs and cost-cutting, a pare-down that helped reduce the bleeding. During the period, the company shed $0.4 million, better than a year-ago deficit of $1.1 million Revenues grew 16 percent to $17.8 million.
Cost-Cutting + More Digital = Less Losses at Warner Music…
Hardly a case of soaring financial excess, though Warner Music Group managed to narrow its quarterly losses and beat Wall Street expectations. And, in this market, that is probably as good as it gets.
Terra Firma Seeking Investors’ OK on $159M More for EMI
Terra Firma, the private equity firm that owns major record label EMI, has secured “verbal commitments” from investors to cover a loan payment due to Citigroup, but needs the vote of 75% of its 200 investors in order to prevent a possible takeover by the lender who helped finance its acquisition of EMI, the Times Online reports.
$17 Billion: What the Global Recording Industry Is Worth Today…
The banks of the recording industry continued to erode in 2009, according to the latest data from the IFPI. The global trade group noted that ‘trade revenues’ declined 7.2 percent last year to $17.03 billion, while physical assets tanked another 12.7 percent to $11.93 billion. The figures were disclosed in the annual ‘Recording Industry In Numbers’ report.
Those Curiously Strong Music Retail Stocks…
Wall Street was flat overall on Wednesday, despite a nice bump from Apple and other overachievers. After posting stellar earnings, AAPL bumped 5.98 percent to $259.22, a once-unthinkable high.
Good News: There’s A Little More Funding Floating Around…
The funding picture continues to crawl back from the brink, part of an economic recovery that remains slow and plodding. The latest comes from Dow Jones VentureSource, which pegged first-quarter funding levels in the US at $4.7 billion, up 11.9 percent from the same period in 2009. That was culled from a total of 597 deals, up from 522 previously.
Satellite Radio Firm Sirius XM Reports Subscriber Turnaround
Satellite radio broadcaster Sirius XM (NASD: SIRI) said on Wednesday that it added more than 171,000 net subscribers during the first quarter, compared with a net decline of more than 404,000 the prior year.
Apple Third Largest on Wall Street, Again…
Apple (AAPL) is once again the third-largest company on Wall Street, as measured by market capitalization. Earlier this month, the company pushed past Walmart (WMT) as iPad anticipation bubbled. Positions then reverted, though Apple is third once again, thanks to rumors of an iPhone expansion beyond AT&T.
Stateside Spotify: Coming Q3, Or Something Like That…
BusinessWeek just reported that Spotify is expecting a US-based launch during the third quarter. But that is not quite accurate, according to the company, which is now more loosely pointing to a ‘later this year’ arrival. The more vague timetable comes from communications executive Jim Butcher, who clarified (or fogged) the matter with Music Ally.