Spaghetti Microphones: January 2009

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Rhymefest - SuperSonic Chucky Cheese (Charles Hamilton Diss)

EMI Music Keeps Broadening Its Skill Set...

Majors are insisting on all-encompassing, 360-degree deals, though artists and managers question whether the proper expertise is in place. Labels have been fine-tuning their specialization in areas like recordings, radio promotion, publishing, and distribution for decades, yet question marks surround expanded areas like merchandising, touring, sponsorships, and digital formats.

On Thursday, EMI Music took steps to bolster its all-encompassing know-how. Ronn Werre, president of the newly-created Music Services group, announced the addition of merchandising and sponsorship experts. That includes merchandising and packaged goods executive Peter Palmer, and ex-Live Nation executive Violet Gonzalez, who will head sponsorship initiatives. Dominic Pandiscia will lead the now-global Label Services unit.

The additions, according to the label, will help to fulfill the mission of providing a "global menu of commercial services and seamless access to an expanding range of revenue streams and business models," a fancier way of saying "360". The EMI Music Services division consists of four units, specifically Sales and Commercial Development; Brand Partnerships, Licensing and Synchronization; Label Services; and Merchandising.

Killer Mike interviews Jim Jonsin

UNN presents: GRIND TIME TV: KILLER MIKE INTERVIEWS JIM JONSIN from Urban News Network on Vimeo.

Traditional Radio Royalty Debates Bubbling on Capitol Hill... Again

The debate over traditional radio royalty requirements in the United States is bubbling once again on Capitol Hill, according to correspondence leaked Thursday to Digital Music News. An internal letter circulated amongst lawmakers urges against the passage of a measure that would further exonerate traditional broadcasters from paying royalties for the use of recordings, a longtime exemption. "In the coming days, you will likely be presented with a resolution supported by radio broadcasters, which advocates protections for the radio industry but in effect denies performers payment for their work," the letter states.

The letter was distributed by representatives John Conyers, Jr. (D-Michigan; Chairman, House Committee on the Judiciary), Howard Berman (D-California; Chairman, House Committee on Foreign Affairs), Darrell Issa (D-California; Ranking Member, Government Oversight and Reform Committee), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee). Those lawmakers are advocates for the Performance Rights Act, a bill that would require payments for the use of broadcast recordings.

Currently, radio broadcasters in the United States are only required to pay royalties to publishers, and not labels or master owners. That has been a sticking point for decades, though broadcasters argue that the promotional value of their platform offers enough benefit to labels. The argument probably holds water for current content, though it is less convincing on older, or heritage, songs. Broadcasters also argue that a royalty on recordings would create an unfair burden, especially for smaller stations.