Month: February 2013

Warner Bros Thinks It Can Squeeze a Little More Out of “Harlem Shake,” Signs Worldwide Distribution Deal

While it may have run its course from meme to lawsuit fodder, “Harlem Shake” still has some life left in it, or so hopes Warner Bros. Word just came through that the label has come to a distribution agreement with the song’s creator, Baauer, and his label, Mad Decent. WB has acquired worldwide distribution rights to the song, leaving…


Diddy Launches AQUAhydrate

Ciroc isn’t the only way Diddy’s obeying his thirst. Today, the Bad Boy founder and rapper/actor Mark Wahlberg have partnered with the fitness water brand, AQUAhydrate. As part of the deal, the tandem will work with former Fiji water CEO, John Cochran overseeing business strategies in retail partnerships. In the press release, Mark says: “This is a…


J.Cole Speaks At Harvard University


Irving Azoff exit cost Live Nation $5.5m

The shock exit of former Live Nation chairman Irving Azoff cost the music giant no less than $5.5million, with 26 staff and 12 artists following the exec out the door. According to Live Nation’s full-year financial results for 2012/2013, the company saw an overall increase in revenues of 8.1% to $5.2m, but net losses across the company nearly…


Universal Completes EMI Divestments, Sells Last Two Assets

Universal Music Group has sold off its last two remaining EMI assets it was required to divest of as part of its acquisition of EMI’s recorded-music properties, a source close to the situation told Billboard.biz today. The assets are EMI’s European rights to the Now That’s What I Call Music!compilation series, which were sold to Sony…


Mumford & Sons’ ‘Babel’ No. 1 For Fifth Week On Billboard 200

While there was a lot of excitement on last week’s Billboard 200 thanks to the impact from the Grammy Awards, things get back to a (dreary) normal on this week’s tally. Mumford & Sons’ Babel remains at No. 1 for a fifth nonconsecutive week, but sells just 63,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. That’s down 66% compared…


ASCAP President Paul Williams, Songwriters Josh Kear, Dan Wilson Make Royalty Case to Congress

Above, L-R: Songwriter Josh Kear, co-chair of the Congressional Songwriters Caucus Rep. Martha Blackburn, songwriter Dan Wilson and ASCAP president Paul Williams Yesterday, at the Rayburn House Office Building on Washington D.C.’s Independence Avenue, ASCAP and two multi-platinum songwriters — Dan Wilson and Josh Kear — made, and sung, their case to a room of Congress…


‘American Idol’s’ Blake Lewis Signs With Republic, Lands Microsoft Campaign

Hot on the heels of the announcement that American Idol alum Blake Lewis has inked a deal with Republic Records, the season six runner-up has released his new single, “Your Touch,” in a major advertising campaign as the soundtrack to Microsoft Internet Explorer’s “Explore Touch.” The new track, which Lewis describes as “future pop,” is…


Waldorf Intros Rocket Synthesizer

Waldorf Music has introduced the Rocket Synthesizer – a new module they describe as ‘an ideal fun sound design machine’. Here’s what they have to say about it: It’s incredible sound is a powerful weapon of mass destruction, and never before has this been achieved with such an enormous fun factor. It features an analog multimode VCF with lowpass,…


Paul McCartney Explains The Mellotron

Sir Paul McCartney demonstrates the Mellotron, in this section of his Chaos and Creation at Abbey Road, a 2005 live show at Abbey Road Studios, Studio 2.