Category Archives: marketing

MTV launching new platform for artists

Posted on March 16, 2012 by b

MTV is now launching an artist-focused, DIY platform called ARTISTS.MTV.  Artist pages will live on MTV.com with lots of MTV distribution potential, and Topspin wil power key components of the backend.  Right now, artists can jump onto the beta at artists.mtv.com.

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Canadian Music Week March 9-13, 2011

Posted on March 4, 2011 by b

This March, Canadian Music Week celebrates 29 years as one of North America’s premier all-media events with conferences, award shows, a trade exposition, film festival, and Canada’s biggest new music festival – Canadian Music Fest. http://canadianmusicfest.com/

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Rappers move into selling headphones

Posted on January 10, 2011 by b

At this years Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is an expansion by rap artists into selling audio hardware, namely headphones.  Beats headphones by Dr. Dre have been around for  a while and now others getting into the game. … Continue reading →

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Jack White defends eBay auctions

Posted on December 3, 2010 by b

Jack White responded to complaints of fan exploitation, saying his decision to sell limited-edition vinyl from his label to the highest bidder on eBay cuts out the opportunists who were profiting  from secondary sales of his label’s material. My favorite … Continue reading →

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Toys to replace CDs at Barnes & Noble

Posted on October 28, 2010 by b

Retailers have been reducing their CD floorspace for years.  Now, according to Digital Music News, Barnes & Noble is eliminating its music selection entirely in several locations. The space will be re-purposed for a higher-growth category called “Educational Toys”.  Clerks … Continue reading →

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Google vs Apple = Happy Major Music Labels

Posted on September 2, 2010 by b

Google is talking with music labels on their plans for a download store and a digital song locker that would allow its Android-based mobile users to play songs wherever they are. The music industry hopes to benefit from the competition … Continue reading →

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Lady Gaga + Rock Band = Eric Cartman

Posted on March 29, 2010 by b

Lady Gaga is signing on with Rock Band, a somewhat atypical pairing given the lack of a traditional rock band set up in GG’s music.  Rock Band designers MTV Games and Harmonix will have to stretch the instrumentation a bit.  … Continue reading →

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Advertising: On-line overtakes print

Posted on March 11, 2010 by b

A study by Outsell, to be released Monday, reveals that U.S. advertisers are spending more this year on digital media than on print. Long predicted, this Madison Avenue milestone has finally arrived thanks to a 9.6% boom in digital advertising … Continue reading →

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Kindling without the Kindle

Posted on March 5, 2010 by b

In a move similar to Apple using the iPod on Windows users to get people to consider a Mac, Amazon is offering the Kindle app as a free download for Windows desktops, along with free content, plus the ability to … Continue reading →

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Scalping 2.0

Posted on March 3, 2010 by b

From DigitalMusicNews: The Ultimate Scalping Heist Hits a Wall… Forget about the scruffy scalper outside the venue, that’s just pennies compared to the money floating online.  And, for a clique of devious hackers, the ultimate ticketing scam produced millions before … Continue reading →

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iTunes Store hits 10B

Posted on February 25, 2010 by b

Reuters Apple’s iTunes Store hit a landmark on Wednesday with the download of its 10 billionth song. A counter on the company’s home page hit the 10 billion mark at 4:43 p.m. ET — approximately 6 years and 10 months … Continue reading →

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Sam Phillips goes subscription route with fans

Posted on February 8, 2010 by b

By this fall, singer-songwriter Sam Phillips will have released five EPs and a full-length studio album.  She’s taken the step of making her music available through The Long Play, a subscription-only service on her website that gives members access to … Continue reading →

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Music: Too Expensive to Be Free, Too Free to Be Expensive

Posted on November 23, 2009 by b

MySpace, rumored to be on the verge of purchasing the free music streaming site imeem, is struggling to keep up with its own payments to music copyright holders, according to a top News Corp executive — a problem that has … Continue reading →

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Boyle Is Back: Amazon Pre-Orders ‘Breaking Records’

Posted on November 20, 2009 by b

edited from Digital Music News Susan Boyle just got an extension on her fifteen minutes of fame, and this time, she’s cashing in.  Instead of ad-free, non-monetized YouTube views, Boyle is now positioned for a serious windfall and setiing a … Continue reading →

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This Is It , Part Two – iTunes Concedes, Just a Bit

Posted on October 16, 2009 by b

Sony (the label) had been unable to finalize iTunes Store inclusion based on a demand to force-bundle the entire album download, one that conflicts with the iTunes singles approach. On Thursday afternoon, Apple reached out to confirm that a deal … Continue reading →

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