After launching in the U.K., Australia, New Zealand and Brazil, VEVOlaunched yesterday in Spain, Italy and France.  The entertainment network has had a strong presence in each of the three countries for awhile now, but the full VEVO platform, including VEVO.com and the free apps for smartphones and tablets, is now available. Access through Xbox and mobile Web will bow in each new region…

While Congress gets ready to consider the  Internet Radio Fairness Act of 2012 later this month, which some say is designed to lower pureplay webcasters royalty rates to record labels, the National Music Publishers’ Assn. and other songwriter publishing organizations have sent a letter to Congress opposing the legislation — adding that Pandora doesn’t pay songwriters enough….

Take a look at how cell phones will play an huge part in the future of music consumption. [AlLindstrom]

The time is quickly approaching for SXSW so we will make things a little easier for you. Check out the full list of panels that will be featured this year. AfroBeats (Ammo Talwar, Punch Records) Asia’s Seeping Influence Into Western Music (Rob Campanell, Blastro Networks) Brands and Bands: Opportunities Beyond Licensing? (Roger Wojahn, Wojahn Bros Music) Brands Are Music Fans Too,…

And it gets even uglier. American radio has a long history of shafting Black artists, especially when it comes to older performers.  Unfortunately, Pandora now seems to be stepping on the wrong side of that very unfortunate history, at least according to the NAACP.  In a letter sent to members of Congress by NAACP Washington bureau…

There are two ways to look at this, and frankly, only one of them involves long-term survival. The better version is that digital is finally starting to replace physical on the global stage, and heralding a freshly-laid bottom for recordings.  The other version – espoused by analysts like Mark Mulligan – is that downloads in…

The following comes from Oregon Senator Ron Wyden during a speech at the Future of Music Coalition Summit in Washington, DC on Tuesday.  Wyden is a major backer of the Internet Radio Fairness Act, or IRFA, which aims to lower, or at least normalize, royalty rates for internet radio. For much of the last half century, the…