Label:Life

Celebrating one year since launching their online promo & reaction service, thewhitelabel.com is running a survey on opinions about the online music industry and their own services.

Go to the Demo page at www.thewhitelabel.com to do it online, or www.thewhitelabel.info to get the survey file – all participants will receive a free survey report. The survey period ends on 26 June.

An original concept by Robin ‘Pop Muzik’ Scott, thewhitelabel.com has handled over 300 pre-release & breaking tracks in dance and other genres. Co-founder Nic Vine explained “everyone can use early feedback – secure streaming is a fast, low-cost way to test new material with the people who really matter – the buyers”.

Apple®today announced that music fans have downloaded over five million songs from the iTunes® Music Store since its launch eight weeks ago today. In addition, over 46 percent of the songs have been purchased as albums, and over 80 percent of the over 200,000 songs available on the online store have been purchased at least once. Apple also announced that it will ship its one millionth iPod™ this week. Apple introduced the third generation of its ultra-portable digital music player in April, and it has become a huge hit with music lovers worldwide. [more @ www.prnewswire.com]

Over 100 people attended the BMC’s first anniversary debate ‘Black Music & Violence: scapegoat or influence?: debate at City University London on June 14. Panellists were: Chief Inspector Leroy Logan (Black Police Association chair), Lee Jasper (London Mayor’s policy director for equalities and policing), Tony Sewell (educationalist and journalist), Marc Wadsworth (journalist and community activist), Viv Ahmun (In-volve youth development director), Tee Max & Fusion (hip-hop consultancy) and Charlie Parker (FasFwd Records/57th Dynasty)

A Home Office statement to the BMC read in part: “The Government does not blame music for the rise in gun crime. We accept that there is a lot more to the problem, not least poverty and lack of opportunity. But music is influential. The glamorisation of violence and gun culture in a medium listened to mostly by young people could affect perception of how acceptable it is to carry guns among some of those who may be tempted to do so.” [www.blackmusiccongress.com]

OUVER ENTERTAINMENT would like to know the availability of your catalogue for license and manufacturing in Brazil.

Please contact Alexandre Zumbi with the following information.

-Which phonograms and/or full albums are available

-The products schedule and priorities from your catalogue

Simon Fuller has sketched out his plans for further world domination by outlining the launch of his I Love Music brand. A pilot launch is planned early next year for the multi-platform project which is intended to ‘reconnect’ lapsed buyers with music purchasing. I Love Music will see third-party owned music content offered to consumers via new mediums such as interactive TV and mobile phones as well as making an impact online and through traditional retail. [Original story from Music Week 28/06/03]

BMG has a string of chart and sales successes around the world including a No. 1 debut from Luther Vandross in the U.S., top 5 debut from Annie Lennox in the U.S., Germany and the U.K., and the No. 3 spot for Eros Ramazzotti in Europe. In the past ten days alone these artists have each sold more than a million albums worldwide.[more @ BMG]

TOKYO – The government is considering clamping down on piracy of Japanese music and video content such as animated films by cutting foreign aid to countries that tolerate it, trade ministry officials said Tuesday. [Japan Today]

EMINEM gave one fan the shock of her life last night (June 23), when he removed his necklace, allegedly worth $450,000, and gave it to her.

One onlooker said, “She looked so astonished! She almost fainted with disbelief but her friends held her up.” He added, “At one point I thought she was going to puke up over Eminem’s shoes!” [more @ NME]

A Federal Court Judge denied a motion by a veteran score composer to be paid the same amount for his work as a pop songwriter when their work is broadcast on radio, TV and the Internet.

Federal Court Judge William Conner said that ASCAP, the worlds largest Performing Rights Organization, (PRO) was within their discretion when they pay film composers only 16 cents for every $1 they pay songwriters for the exact same usage of a musical work.
musicdish.com

Vivendi Universal on Tuesday underlined the severity of the crisis facing the world’s record companies as it announced that Universal Music Group, producer of one in three albums sold in the US, had slipped into operating loss in the first quarter.

The world’s largest record company recorded an operating loss of 28m Euros in the first quarter, its first since the crisis created by the combination of stagnant sales, internet theft and rampant piracy started to hit the sector in the mid-1990s. Ft.com