Month: March 2013

Mac Miller & The Most Dope Family Ep. 4


Crate Diggers: J Dilla’s Vinyl Collection


UMG, DISNEY MUSIC GROUP RE-UP AND THEN SOME

Mickey and Uni have renewed their vows. UMG and the Disney Music Group have expanded their ongoing relationship through a new long-term global commercial and creative agreements. That’s how UMG chieftain Lucian Grainge and DMG EVP Ken Bunt characterized their new pact in a joint announcement this morning. What’s truly new about the new deal is that it provides for close creative collaboration between the…


What SXSW Teaches Us About The Geography Of Indie Music

Last year, UCLA’s Patrick Adler and I took a look at where the listed acts for the festival hail from. (Check out the 2012 analysis here.) This year, Adler assigned a location to each listed act performing at an official conference showcase. His analysis excludes the large number of acts doing unofficial performances during SXSW; and,…


Universal Music Launches New Label

Yesterday, Universal Music UK announced the merger of Virgin and Mercury Records. The new hybrid name is now Virgin EMI, and will act as host to some of U.S. & Canada’s biggest stars. Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, and Emeli Sande are just some of the names that will spearhead this label into success. Read more…


Justin Timberlake’s ’20/20′ Sales Forecast Rises: 750,000-Plus Debut Likely

Justin Timberlake’s new The 20/20 Experience album is selling at an extraordinary rate in the U.S. Industry sources are forecasting that the pop super star’s set could sell as many as 750,000 copies by the end of the tracking week on Sunday, March 24. That number could even grow larger — with 800,000 seemingly within range —…


Bon Jovi, David Bowie Among Six Debuts To Hit Top 10 On Billboard 200

It’s the most top 10 debuts appearing on the chart in four months. The last time there were more in a week was the Dec. 1, 2012, chart, when seven albums arrived in the region. That week, One Direction’s Take Me Home led the debut pack, starting at No. 1. As reported yesterday (March 19), What About…


Bon Jovi’s 2013 World Tour: Behind the Scenes

Ahead of their world tour, which runs from April to late July this year, Billboard’s Ray Waddell spoke to several key members of Bon Jovi’s management and production teams during the band’s March 6th stop in Nashville, including manager Paul Korzilius, production manager Jesse Sander, VIP coordinator Mike Savas — who gives viewers a peek…


YouTube, Partners Needs to Work Harder to Pay Songwriters, Publishers Fairly: Guest Post by Matt Pincus

From Billboard’s groundbreaking decision to factor YouTube views into the charts, to the “Harlem Shake,” to the historic agreements covering UGC content and Vevo videos, YouTube is becoming the mainstream music business. Yet, the ugly truth is that there are currently billions of streams of music being watched by millions of people on YouTube, for…


Bon Jovi Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200, David Bowie Trails at No. 2

Bon Jovi scores its fifth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart, as What About Nowdebuts with 101,000 sold in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It’s the act’s third straight studio album to debut at No. 1, following The Circle (2009) and Lost Highway (2007). Bon Jovi previously claimed No. 1s with New Jersey (1988) and Slippery When Wet (1986). The…