Label:Life

Cash strapped French media giant Vivendi Universal has closed the European arm of MP3.com, the online music site that it bought for #265m two years ago.

Its decision to dump the expensive acquisition is part of its ongoing purge of the excesses of former chief executive Jean-Marie Messier.

The site, which was worth over #3bn at the height of the dotcom boom, will close on August 8 with around 20 redundancies in Europe. The US arm of the site has been placed up for sale, although analysts are doubtful whether a buyer will be found willing to operate it as a going concern. [more @

media.guardian.co.uk]

Music fans who download songs from the internet go on to buy more albums, a survey has suggested.
The survey’s findings oppose the music industry’s long-standing argument that internet downloading is responsible for a slump in CD sales, with album sales falling 5% in the last year.

Market research company Music Programming Ltd (MPL) said 87% of its respondants who downloaded music admitted they bought albums after hearing tracks through the internet.

An MPL spokesperson said: “Downloading is actually a ‘try before you buy’ tool for a significant amount of people. [more @

news.bbc.co.uk]

Over one thousand artists from across Europe have signed petitions urging a VAT cut on sound recordings.

Artists from all across Europe called on the EU today to give music a break. They want an end to the unjust system where recorded music is classed at standard VAT rates while other cultural products books, newspapers, magazines, theatre and cinema tickets benefit from reduced rates.

Alex Callier of the Belgian pop group Hooverphonic and the German singer of children’s songs Rolf Zuckowski presented to the media a VAT Petition that has been signed by over 1,200 artists from across Europe. The Petition, which has been sent to the 20 European Commissioners, calls on the EU to put an urgent end to cultural discrimination against music.
To Sign an On-line version of this petition visit: www.givemusicabreak.com

In the U.K., A.I.M. are asking for their members and others involved in the industry to send letters to their governments (Ministers Of Finance and Culture,E.U.Commissioners Etc.) As soon as possible as they have learned that the decision is to be taken this Monday or Wednesday. They have draft letters to the British and Irish Commissioners. To Obtain these contact: info@musicindie.com

The Music Engine is currently inviting record labels to participate in trials of their new online payment system, tailored for the music industry during the next two months. They plan to showcase the pilots and a demo at PopKomm rolling out the service to a wider audience in September.

Please contact
rob@TheMusicEngine.com or
kris@themusicengine.com

Ninja launched their new mobile content page this week using YR’s C:LIVE platform to give away a variety of mono and polyphonic ringtones for Mr Scruff, operator logos for Hextatic and a wallpaper of the infamous Ninja logo itself. In only 2 days the site sent out over 1400 pieces of mobile content with the majority of people requesting the Mr Scruff Polyphonic tone and the Ninja logo itself.

Ninja is just one of the three YR Media clients launching their own mobile content promotions using the C:LIVE platform this month. Watch out for promotions coming up from XL and Take 2 Interactive in the coming weeks. To find out how C:LIVE could help your marketing push or provide you with revenue email: seth@yrmedia.com

We (Mi2n.com) have assembled a VIP panel of industry experts to examine and explain the world of direct licensing of performing rights royalties and discuss what composers and songwriters should consider when deciding between traditional and direct licensing music for their royalty income. These alternative forms of licensing represent royalty options that composers and songwriters cannot afford to be unaware of. We will explore the benefits and pitfalls of both Direct Licensing and Traditional Licensing, with a special emphasis on the benefits to composers and songwriters of each method.
[more @

www.mi2n.com]

Radio One is coming under concerted pressure from a music industry complaining about the station’s percieved lack of support for UK talent.

Industry leaders are indicating that a campaign for government regulation of the national pop station could follow if it does not overhaul it’s playlist policy.
(Musicweek 12/07/03)

Many apologies for the omission of ‘Pick Of The Week’ from the last two issues of Label:Life
.I’ve been away and you just can’t get the staff these days!

Anyhow, again, as the submissions to us for ‘Pick Of The Week’ have been sparce to say the least, This week’s track is one of our own! ‘Cast In The Sea’ Recorded in Manchester with Lee Stanley (Un-cut’s Producer)a few years ago, it’s a smokey little number that still pricks ears up allover. Can’t say too much about it for obvious reasons but we think you like! Have a listen to it at:
www.hostaudio.com If you like it, it is available for release/liscencing etc. If you don’t, send us something better!

Whilst away on tour with Goldfrapp (in my capacity as Midi-Tech),I met another young tech (ahem) with this tale to tale.

Upon arrival in Nice for a well deserved day off, aforesaid young man heads to the beach for some R&R. Having been in the water for ten minutes, a wave catches him and smashes his head into a rock. He comes to in hospital with a broken nose and a lump the size of a potato on his noggin. The doc prescribes NO sunshine, NO alcohol, NO smoking, No T.V. Etc… Nice day off.

After two days of fainting and Puking (and still working!) our intrepid tech finds himself with another day off in Milan. Lovely! Nice meal and on to a bar for a little Lone Ranger mission. Lovely looking bar, lots of pretty ladies. Too many pretty ladies. Is an escort bar. Young man decides to stay for a couple of drinks anyway (doh!). He decides to leave and is presented with a bill for 450 Euros!(#300). When his card is declined, he is marched to a cash point by Paulie from the Sopranos who relieves him of the contents of his account. This will not suffice so he is led through the kitchens to a small tiled room containing only a steel table, a card swipe machine and the rest of the Sopranos! The card is rejected once more and our young hero begins to say his prayers. Fortunately, the beeeautiful young escort who he’s been chatting up in french comes clattering in on her stilletoes and pleads with the gorillas to save this suave young man! As a result they decide to take only his watch (for which they gave him a reciept!) and give him a clip ‘round the ear! Without funds, he has no way of getting home until the beeeautiful lady drops him at the hotel herself! [Fuckwit! – ED]

Robbie Williams’s new single opens with the line “You can’t manufacture a miracle.” Well, he might be right about that, but he and his record company EMI are trying to manufacture something miraculous for their industry – the world’s first interactive music video where the TV audience votes for their favourite ending. [more @ www.guardian.co.uk] [ED: First? Nelly did this earlier in the year.]