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Report: U.K. ISPs Could Reap $155M From Music Services

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 8, 2010 - 10:02am.
London - Bundled digital music services could potentially earn ISPs in the U.K. an extra $155 million in revenues by 2013, according to a report conducted by Ovum and commissioned by record label trade group BPI on behalf of major label Universal Music Group. The figure depends on a "medium adoption" scenario from consumers; an "accelerated adoption" scenario could up the figure to as much as $306 million in 2013. The "medium adoption" figure would also be equivalent to 41% of the total U.K. digital music market in 2009.
tags: Music | Reports | Universal Music | BPI | Research | Ovum | TalkTalk |

Universal Music Taps Aspiro for European Streaming Service

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 11, 2010 - 11:27am.
Stockholm, Sweden - Apiro, a provider of mobile entertainment services in northern Europe, announced on Thursday that it will provide a white-label music streaming music service for the local branch of major record label Universal Music Group. Aspiro's music service launched in beta last year in Norway, with music retail chain Platekompaniet.

tags: Music | Universal Music | Aspiro |

Bally Total Fitness Taps Universal for Music Download Promotions

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 9, 2010 - 11:56am.
Los Angeles - Universal Music Group on Tuesday announced a two-year deal with Bally Total Fitness, to provide MP3 downloads to be used as enticements to acquire new members, reward loyal members and incentivize employee sales. Under the deal, Bally agreed to buy 4.5 million downloads from Universal. Next month, most new Bally gym members will receive 20 music downloads with their Bally membership, redeemable at a co-branded site accessible via Ballyfitness.com.

tags: Marketing | Music | Universal Music | Bally Total Fitness |

Yahoo Hires Universal Music's Bronikowski to Head Music Unit

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 9, 2010 - 9:48am.
New York - Yahoo has hired senior Universal Music Group executive Jeff Bronikowski to head Yahoo Music, Billboard reported.
tags: Music | Moves | Universal Music | Yahoo | Jeff Bronikowski |

Universal Music Taps Netbiscuits for Mobile Artist Sites

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 28, 2010 - 2:03pm.
New York - Universal Music Group said on Thursday that it ahs partners with Netbiscuits to expand its direct-to-consumer mobile content and services. Under the deal, Universal will use Netbiscuits' platform to launch additional artist-branded mobile sites and services, offering features like the ability to make purchases directly from their phones.

tags: Mobile | Music | Universal Music | Netbiscuits |

Labels Lose $9 Million Suit Against Baidu Over MP3 "Deep Links"

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 26, 2010 - 10:21am.
Beijing - A Chinese court has ruled that search engine Baidu (NASD: BIDU) is not infringing the copyrights of major record labels by providing "deep links" to unauthorized song download files on third-party sites, TorrentFreak reported.
tags: Law | Lawsuits | Music | Universal Music | Search | Sony BMG | Copyright | Warner Music | Baidu | Deep Links |

Report: Vevo Censoring Music Videos to Attract Sponsors

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 22, 2010 - 10:11am.
New York - Vevo, the music video portal joint venture between Sony (NYSE: SNE) Music, Universal Music and Abu Dhabi Media Company, has begun to censor the videos that appear on its service in a bid to encourage brands that may be weary of appearing next to objectionable content, AdAge.com reported.
tags: Video | Music | Universal Music | Music Videos | YouTube | Sony Music | Vevo |

Court Revives Antitrust Suit Against Major Record Labels

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 13, 2010 - 8:48am.
New York - A federal appeals court has reinstated a lawsuit that alleges the major record labels have engaged in the fixing of prices and terms for selling music online, according to published reports. While a lower federal court dismissed the antitrust claims in October 2008, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York said that the allegations are "sufficient to plausibly suggest" a conspiracy among the major labels, Reuters reported.
tags: Law | Lawsuits | Music | Bertelsmann | Universal Music | Warner Music | EMI | Vivendi | Time Warner | Sony Music |

Labels Petition Swedish Court Make Pirate Bay Pay Fines

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 12, 2010 - 11:19am.
Stockholm, Sweden - The four major record labels have petitioned the courts in Sweden to compel two operators of file-sharing hub The Pirate Bay to pay fines resulting from their convictions on charges of copyright infringement last year. The court ordered Gottfrid Svartholm and Fredrik Neij to cease operating the site, or else face fines of $71,000 each.
tags: Video | Law | Lawsuits | P2P | Music | Universal Music | RIAA | Copyright | Warner Music | IFPI | The Pirate Bay | EMI | Sony Music | Gottfrid Svartholm | Fredrik Neij |

Ad-supported Download Site FreeAllMusic Licenses Universal

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 11, 2010 - 12:03pm.
Atlanta - FreeAllMusic.com, an ad-supported music download service, announced on Monday that it has signed a deal licensing major record label Universal Music Group's catalog for its service. Currently in a private beta, FreeAllMusic.com offers users up to 20 free downloads per month, at a rate of five per week -- provided they watch "one brief video commercial per download." Users' music selections and sponsoring brands -- which currently include Coca-Cola, Warner Bros. TV, Lionsgate and Zappos -- are then promoted externally via an opt-in digital advertising network.

tags: Advertising | Music | Universal Music | FreeAllMusic.com |

Universal Music Sues Grooveshark for Copyright Infringement

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 11, 2010 - 10:01am.
New York - Major record label Universal Music Group has sued music download service Grooveshark, alleging that the site is offering pre-1972 Universal recordings for free, Courthouse News Service reported.
tags: Law | Lawsuits | Music | Universal Music | Copyright | EMI | Grooveshark | Escape Media Group |

Music Video Portal Vevo Experiences Hiccups at Launch

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 9, 2009 - 12:32pm.
New York - Music video portal Vevo experienced some hiccups on its first day of availability, with videos reportedly loading quite slowly, according to published reports.
tags: Video | Music | Universal Music | Music Videos | CBS | EMI | Sony Music | Vevo |

Artists Sue Canadian Labels Over Compilation Albums

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 8, 2009 - 1:32pm.
Toronto, Canada - Recording artists have filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against the four major label members of the Canadian Record Industry Association (CRIA), seeking between $50 million and $6 billion in damages for uncompensated use of their songs on compilation albums, Ars Technica reported.
tags: Law | Lawsuits | Music | Universal Music | Copyright | Warner Music | EMI | Sony Music | CRIA |

Vevo Licenses EMI Content for Music Video Portal

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 7, 2009 - 8:15am.
New York - Confirming a report from CNET from last week, Vevo, the music video portal joint venture between Universal Music, Sony (NYSE: SNE) Music and Abu Dhabi Media Company, has announced that it has licensed content from major label EMI Music for the service, which will debut in the U.S. and Canada tomorrow.
tags: Video | Music | Universal Music | Music Videos | Warner Music | EMI | Sony Music | Abu Dhabi Media Company | Vevo |

Report: Vevo Music Video Portal Near Deal with EMI

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 4, 2009 - 9:44am.
New York - Vevo, the music video portal joint venture between Universal Music, Sony Music and Abu Dhabi Media Company that plans to launch next week, is close to adding content from major label EMI to its service, CNET News.com reported. "EMI is in discussions with Vevo," EMI spokeswoman Jeanne Meyer told CNET.
tags: Video | Music | Universal Music | Music Videos | Google | YouTube | EMI | Sony Music | Abu Dhabi Media Company | Vevo |

Universal Music Backs Dutch Online Distributor Target Media

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 4, 2009 - 8:29am.
Hilversum, The Netherlands - Major record label Universal Music Group's Netherlands-based unit has invested an undisclosed sum in Target Media, an online music store and digital distributor, Billboard reported.
tags: Deals | Music | Universal Music | Investments | Target Media |

Vevo Music Video Portal Adds CBS Radio, Last.fm Content

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 3, 2009 - 1:15pm.
New York - Vevo, the music video portal joint venture between Universal Music, Sony (NYSE: SNE) Music and Abu Dhabi Media Company, said on Thursday that it has signed a deal to include music programming from CBS (NYSE: CBS) Interactive Music Group's properties, including Last.fm and over 90 CBS Radio stations. The deal will include live performances, in-studio appearances, interviews and other video content from CBS Radio stations. CBS-owned music discovery service Last.fm will "be featured across the Vevo Network."

tags: Video | Music | Universal Music | Music Videos | CBS | Sony Music | last.fm | Abu Dhabi Media Company | Vevo |

Vevo to Debut Music Video Portal on Dec. 8

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 18, 2009 - 1:23pm.
New York - Vevo, the music video joint venture between Sony Music and Universal Music that will use technology from Google's (NASD: GOOG) YouTube, is set to launch on Dec. 8, the company announced via its Twitter feed. The labels hope the standalone site will help them further monetize their music videos -- which are the most-watched content on all of YouTube.

tags: Video | Music | Universal Music | Music Videos | Google | YouTube | Sony Music | Vevo |

Universal Music Licenses Ad-Supported Download Site Guvera

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 18, 2009 - 1:21pm.
New York - Universal Music Group on Wednesday announced a deal to provide free, legal downloads to Guvera, an Australia-based, ad-supported download site that plans to launch in the U.S. in February. Launched in 2008, Guvera asks users to fill out demographic profiles and brand preferences, and in turn receive free downloads accompanied by targeted advertisements.

tags: Advertising | Music | Universal Music | Guvera |

Universal Music Taps TuneCore for Branded A&R Portals

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 11, 2009 - 2:33pm.
New York - Major record label Universal Music Group on Wednesday announced a deal with TuneCore, a provider of flat-fee digital music distribution for artists to services like iTunes and eMusic, to create Universal-branded portals where unsigned artists can have their music heard by A&R executives from Universal labels. Three such branded sites have been created, for Interscope Geffen A&M, Island Def Jam and Universal Motown. In addition to distribution to iTunes via TuneCore, artists submitting through the Universal-branded sites will receive "potential access to such coveted major label services as worldwide distribution and marketing."

tags: Marketing | Music | Universal Music | TuneCore |
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