November 25, 2003
Mmm Mmm Good
Posted in Quoi? | 25 November 2003 at 02:42 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (202) | Link
November 24, 2003
Quickly Becoming an Industry Watchdog Blog
Time Warner just sold off part of the "Warner" bit (from reuters.com):
Time Warner Inc. on Monday said it sold its Warner Music business to a group led by media mogul Edgar Bronfman Jr. for $2.6 billion, in a move to trim the media group's debts and signaling a return of the former Seagram chairman to the music business.
The Bronfman group beat out a bid by EMI for the recorded music portion of the business Group for an estimated $1 billion. By choosing the Bronfman bid, Time Warner company is forsaking $250 million to $300 million in cost savings it could have realized by combining with EMI.
On the other hand, Time Warner is getting more cash up front by selling the entire business, which includes the music publishing company, and will have an easier path to regulatory approval. In the past, European and U.S. regulators have frowned on consolidation within the music business.
Wheeee! More businessmen fucking things up!
Posted in Corporations and Creativity | 24 November 2003 at 11:24 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (41) | Link
November 21, 2003
Just Because I Do It On My Own Doesn't Mean I Can't Kick Your Ass
To continue with my "fat, white, managerial ass" rampage from the previous post, there is news that the major labels are not content to be even a three-headed monster any longer. It seems that while Universal is swallowing up DreamWorks, Sony and BMG will be merging to form one super-company (pending the positive outcome of antitrust investigations). Hopefully, this is just the beginning of the downward spiral, though I am not keeping my hopes up too high about the extinction of these lumbering beasts.
In happier news, digital singles recently outsold physical singles for the first time, and here is a little piece from p2pnet.net on how indie labels are using digital technology to improve their business model, as well as how labels and programs like Berklee Shares are prompting responsible and constructive uses of the GPL and P2P technology.
Posted in Corporations and Creativity | 21 November 2003 at 03:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (22) | Link
November 14, 2003
And Money Wins Again
From punknews.org:
Yesterday, MP3.com announced that it has been (partially) acquired by CNET Networks Inc. According to the release: "all content will be deleted from our servers and all previously submitted tapes, CD-ROMs and other media in our possession will be destroyed. We recommend that you make alternative content hosting arrangements as soon as practicable."
This may prove to be bad news for the many, many independent and unsigned bands out there who counted on MP3.com to get their music heard. It's not clear what the new services to be provided will be, and whether they will be pay-only or not.
Not to get on my high horse or anything, but why is it that these companies think that shafting small-time artists is a really great way to make money? The rumor is that MP3.com will become a "membership" service, meaning that bands will have to pay for the ability to offer songs through the database. May the venture flop and cause the people at CNET to fall on their collective fat, white, managerial asses!
Posted in Corporations and Creativity | 14 November 2003 at 05:36 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (301) | Link
