Monday 28 October 2013, 12:00 | By Aly Barchi

Flaming Lips gloss over ‘split’ rumours

Artist News

The Flaming Lips aren’t splitting, just in case anyone thought otherwise. And you’d be forgiven for thinking otherwise, because the band announced it via their official Twitter account last week. Or did they?

Well, no, they claim they didn’t, and that actually their feed was hacked by someone or other who issued the false split announcement. Which all sounds like a very likely story. In that it’s very likely to be true, particularly given the band have a split EP with Tame Impala, and a new “extended play six song thang” based on a track they taped for new film ‘Ender’s Game’, both on the way.

To recap the confusions, it all started with a tweet sent, as I said, via the Lips Twitter feed last Thursday, which read: “We have sad news. We’ve broken up…” This was followed shortly after by another message that ran “lol just joking guys”.

A third tweet, permitted to stay on the band’s tweet page, states: “That last announcement was a bit premature”. It’s accompanied by an image that appears to celebrate the band’s 30th anniversary.

And meanwhile, Wayne Coyne allayed fans fears’ a bit more by saying: “The Flaming Lips Twitter has been hijacked!”

And that’s that. Now let’s not mention any of this silliness ever, ever again.

Greg Ginn’s Black Flag releasing new LP

Artist News Releases

‘Black Flag’, or at least the Greg Ginn version of Black Flag (as opposed to BF spin-off band FLAG, which features exiled members Keith Morris, Bill Stevenson and Dez Cadena), is/are releasing a new LP. This, via Brooklyn Vegan, is its terrible, terrible artwork. Its nearly-as-terrible title is ‘What The…’, by the way.

Ginn lost a lawsuit against his one-time bandmates (including former BF frontman Henry Rollins) earlier this month after a Californian court found he had no individual rights to use the Black Flag trademark.

Moving past that and back to ‘What The…’, the LP is listed on iTunes with an expected release date of 5 Nov. Oh, and 22 tracks, including ‘Go Away’, ‘Get Out Of My Way’, ‘You Gotta Be Joking’ and ‘Shut Up’. Think Rollins and FLAG can consider themselves ‘told’.

Gigs & tours round-up: Sophie Ellis Bextor, The Killers and Cass McCombs

Artist News Gigs & Festivals

Sophie Ellis-Bextor (pictured) is back! With a one-off show, and the outline of her new LP ‘Wanderlust’, produced, co-written and arranged by Ed Harcourt. The gig, which is at London’s Bush Hall on 21 Jan, will follow ‘Wanderlust’, which is due to come out the previous day. Info is here.

Sticking with live goings-on, The Killers have also announced a one-off date. Like Sophie EB’s, it’s in London, only at the Hammersmith Apollo on 6 Nov, which coincides quite slickly with the 10 Nov release of the band’s new ‘best of’ collection ‘Direct Hits’. Spooky tickets to the show will go on sale on Halloween.

Now, to a tour. A Cass McCombs tour in support of his new LP ‘Big Wheel & Others’ to be precise. Starting at Bristol’s Colston Hall on 8 Jan 2014, it’ll progress through three further stops, winding up at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London on 13 Jan. Find full listings at this URL.

One Direction win Best UK & Ireland Act pre-EMAs

Artist News Awards

What a shocker, One Direction have seen off the likes of Ellie Goulding, Olly Murs and Calvin Harris to win the title of ‘Best UK & Ireland Act’ at this year’s MTV EMAs.

And no, you didn’t miss the EMAs – they’re happening on 10 Nov – this particular vote was to choose a ‘regional’ best act who’ll then be in contention with four other North European best acts to be elected to the ten act shortlist of finalists for the Worldwide Act category. It’s really pretty simple, I think.

Anyway. The EMAs are being broadcast from Amsterdam this year, and will feature live performances by Katy Perry, Robin Thicke and Miley Cyrus. And shall we now cut to 1D’s new ‘Midnight Memories’ single ‘Story Of My Life’? Yeah, let’s, please.

Radio 2 rings in the hour change with some double Bob

And Finally Business News Media

Listeners to Bob Harris’s Radio 2 show in the very early hours of Sunday morning got double the entertainment for 20 minutes at 1am, when two portions of the programme were aired at the same time.

It seems that the hour change may have been behind the slip up on the pre-recorded show, with two segments of the programme possibly set to air at 1am, meaning 1am British Summer Time and then 1am GMT. But play was presumably pressed on both bits at the first 1am.

While listeners quickly started to tweet their confusion at the double output, it took Radio 2 staff 20 minutes to spot the cock up. Listeners to the show then got a little bit of daytime Radio 2’s playlist – Abba and Olly Murs – from the station’s emergency tape while the error was rectified.

A spokesman for the station told reporters: “Last night between 1am and 2am there was a technical glitch which affected Bob Harris’s show. We are currently looking into the cause and apologise to listeners tuning in at that time”.

Meanwhile Harris said on Twitter: “I am so sorry about the technical problems on my show last night. I’m particularly disappointed that you weren’t able to hear Nick Capaldi. We will be re-broadcasting the Nick Capaldi session as soon as we can. So sorry that a technical fault had such a big impact on the show”.

Approved: Random Magic at Fire

Club Tip CMU Approved

Taking over all three rooms of the Fire club in Vauxhall, this only slightly early Hallowe’en themed night sees Omar S from FXHE Records jet in from Detroit to promote his third album along side the Futureboogie crew with Maxxi Soundsystem, Hackman & Lukas, Christophe and the Futureboogie DJs.

Room two is hosted by the Classic Recording Company vs Horse Meat Disco, with Luke Solomon, Dan Beaumont and Honey Dijon live. And is that wasn’t enough to be getting on with, in room three you get JD Twitch & JG Wilkes doing an “All Night Long Set”. Looks like a big knees up South of the river.

Saturday 26 Oct, 10.00pm-7.00am, Fire, South Lambeth Road, SW8, £12.50-£17.50, more at this link.

YouTube-mp3 loses legal battle with German labels

Business News Digital Labels & Publishers Legal Top Stories

YouTube-mp3, a tool that enables web-users to convert the audio of a YouTube video into an MP3 file, has lost a court battle with the German record industry, though it could continue to operate if it alters what happens behind the scenes.

As previously reported, YouTube-mp3 initially found itself in conflict with YouTube itself last year, when the Google-owned site started to take action to restrict the use of the audio-ripping tool.

Labels who gladly put their content onto YouTube, where they can earn ad-split royalties every time their music is consumed, won’t want users taking copies of tracks way with them for repeat listening away from the ads. And Google itself, of course, has an interest in keeping music fans within the YouTube eco-system.

But it was the German record industry which actually pursued legal action against the audio-ripping company. For it’s part, YouTube-mp3 initially said it was simply providing software than has legitimate uses, and was not itself involved in copyright infringement. Though precedents set in numerous file-sharing court rulings in various jurisdictions has set a principle that means, under many copyright systems, that excuse wouldn’t stand up.

That principle says: if a company distributes a software that is primarily used to enable copyright infringement, and if the company could refine the software to limit infringing usage but chooses not to, and especially if the company implies through its communications that its technology should or could be used to infringe, then the distributor itself can be held liable for contributory or authorising infringement. Even if it doesn’t actually host any infringing content, and its technology has legitimate uses.

Though in the German case, pursued by trade body BVMI, that wasn’t actually the argument employed. Rather, the labels discovered that behind the scenes YouTube-mp3 was keeping back-ups of audio-files ripped from YouTube, so that if multiple people wanted to rip the audio from the same video, the ripping service only had to actually access the YouTube platform once. Subsequent rippers would get a copy of their desired audio file directly off the YouTube-mp3 server.

Which means YouTube-mp3 was itself making, storing and distributing unlicensed copies of copyright recordings – nice, straight forward copyright infringement. According to Torrentfreak, the BVMI said: “Contrary to the common assumption that YouTube-mp3 is a streamripper that allows users to record songs from the internet (much as cassette recorders were used to record music from the radio back in the day), in fact the online converter often simply made the pieces available for download without a license”.

YouTube-mp3 actually admitted that this element of its service was infringing copyright before the dispute got to court, and committed to voluntarily cease and desist, an agreement that led to the Hamburg courts closing the case.

Of course YouTube-mp3 can still distribute its software and comply with that agreement providing it stops the backing-up element of what it does. Though the BVMI or other content owners may as yet pursue further action arguing the contributory infringement point.

The BVMI adds: “One thing is clear: this platform, as well as most other streamripper sites, generate considerable advertising income that is not shared with the artists or their partners. This has nothing to do with fairness, nor does it fit with our current digital age, when many music sites – some of them free – can be used perfectly legally on the internet”.

Google considering backing new Lyor Cohen venture

Business News Labels & Publishers

Google is amongst the companies backing the new music venture from former Warner Music recorded music boss Lyor Cohen, according to the New York Post.

As previously reported, Cohen departed the Warner music company somewhat suddenly just over a year ago, with rumours immediately circulating that he would launch his own label and management firm.

And reports suggest that, once Cohen’s non-compete obligations are up with Warner, he will do just that, though he will likely retain good relations with his former employer through a distribution deal with the major.

Cohen has been in talks with various possible backers for the new venture for sometime. It’s not yet entirely clear what Google’s interest would be, nor whether any deal would include a content partnership as well as a cash investment.

It is now thought the former Warner man will make some formal announcement about his new venture before the year is out.

Michael Kiwanuka launches a new Movement

Business News Labels & Publishers

One-time Mercury Music Prize hopeful Michael Kiwanuka is co-founding his own “organic” and “soul-rooted” label, Movement Records, with a group of musicians from London and NYC.

Kiwanuka, who is still on Communion Music’s books as a solo artist, will act as Movmement’s A&R and sit on its board of directors. He’ll also collaborate with its signed acts on various singles and a compilation recorded live and on vintage equipment at the Movement Records studio in London, set to be released in 2014.

On the Movement ethos, Kiwanuka says: “Music from the heart goes straight to the heart. Music that can move you is good music and that’s what Movement Records are focused on doing”.

Independent Label Market announces beer-fuelled edition

Business News Labels & Publishers Retail

FAO fans of vinyl/CD/merch bazaars of an ‘indie’ persuasion (and drunk shopping), the Independent Label Market and Association Of Independent Music have joined hands with the London Brewers’ Market to present an extra special, extra independent, extra beery Christmas event at London’s Old Spitalfields Market on 30 Nov.

Representing the record side of things will be over 80 labels including Bella Union, Big Dada, Warp, Domino, Drag City, Young Turks, Erased Tapes, Fierce Panda, !K7, Modular, PIAS and Ninja Tune, whilst a league of brewers will supply the ale. Live music, DJs and “sampling” will go on throughout the day, info on which is here.

Hop Farm Festival to return at new site

Business News Live Business

The Hop Farm Festival, which has had a rocky couple of years after its owner, Vince Power’s Music Festivals plc, went under, and then a planned 2013 event was cancelled due to poor ticket sales, will return in 2014. Though not at the Hop Farm. Where a new festival is apparently being planned. Possibly to be called the Hop Farm Festival.

So far, so confusing. Power, of course, reclaimed the Hop Farm Festival brand after the collapse of Music Festivals plc, and after the 2013 set back he says he is confident he can revive the event at its new home, also in Kent and not too far from the Hop Farm.

Noting reports that another festival is now being planned at his event’s original site, Power’s company said in a statement yesterday: “Reports suggest that another festival is to be hosted on The Hop Farm Family Park site, called the Hop Farm Music Festival, but this event has no association with the well established Hop Farm Music Festival. This is an unfamiliar event organised by an entirely different promoter and team. Despite the naming of this event it is not in any way connected with the esteemed Hop Farm Music Festival”.

Meanwhile, on the future of his Hop Farm Festival, Power told CMU: “I have been building the Hop Farm for six years now. Unfortunately due to the economic climate we had to cancel this last year, but the festival is not over. We have a strong brand in the festival market, an instantly recognisable festival and you can’t keep a good festival down”.

Warehouse Project streamline output

Business News Live Business

The Warehouse Project has announced that it will be scale back its output in 2014, and “take a break from the current format” with its events.

The announcement came as the dance-music promoter announced the line-ups for its end of year parties, which will feature Annie Mac, Sasha, Jamie Jones and Carl Craig. It’s not clear whether commercial, logistical or creative reasons are behind the seven year old promoter’s decision, possibly a combination of all three.

Sam Kandel, Director at The Warehouse Project, issued this statement: “Since it all started we’ve had the privilege of booking almost everyone that we wanted to be part of The Warehouse Project. This season especially, the programme is totally beyond where we ever expected it could go”.

He continues: “WHP has always been about not standing still and has kept that idea at the forefront. We do have exciting plans for 2014 that should continue that ethos and at the same time it feels like the right moment to perhaps do fewer WHP events and take a break from the current format. Reaching the tenth season in 2015 will be a landmark moment for WHP but of course we have some things in the pipeline before we get to that”.

Annie Mac, Sasha, James Zabiela and TEED lead the line-up for the Warehouse Project’s New Year’s Eve event this year, while Jamie Jones, Carl Craig, Dixon, Ame, Maceo Plex, Ben UFO and Joy Orbison head up the promoter’s New Year’s Day listings.

BPI backs new YouTube-based music channel from LoveLive

Business News Media

LoveLive has announced it is launching a new YouTube channel in partnership with label trade body the BPI that will “promote British music”. And amongst the artists already set to appear on the channel are, erm, Irish band The Strypes, Kansas-born Janelle Monae and famous Jamaican Sean Paul.

Though some Brits will get a look in too, with on-demand and live shows planned that aim to increase the opportunities for bands to share live performances with their fans. Called Transmitter, the channel will also have a weekly magazine show called Live At 5.

Confirming it was backing the venture, BPI boss man dude Geoff Taylor told CMU: “YouTube has become the most popular place to listen to music online, but until now it hasn’t been as easy as it should be for fans to discover new artists and keep up with the latest releases. Transmitter will feature a wide range of the UK’s most exciting artists week in, week out in high-quality, original, new programming with a YouTube twist”.

Meanwhile LoveLive’s Will McGillivray added: “Transmitter aspires to be a genuinely new music channel for our times: By giving artists the opportunity to use the channel as a playground to collaborate, curate and celebrate the music that they love, we will create authentic and entertaining content that embraces pop culture in a fresh new way”.

Michael Jackson tops dead rich list again

Artist News

Having ‘lost out’ in 2012 to Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Jackson has again been named the highest earner in the Forbes’ rich list I’d least like to feature on, that of bankable dead celebrities.

The late King Of Pop, who died in 2011, drew an estimated £98.8m in the past year, beating his living parallel, highest earning not-dead celebrity Madonna, who only made £77m.

The majority of Jackson’s posthumous income is thanks to Cirque Du Soleil’s two MJ tribute shows, ‘Immortal’ and ‘One’, whilst his estate also receives substantial earnings from his music (obviously) and his 50% stake in the Sony/ATV Lady Gaga/The Beatles/Taylor Swift-encompassing music publishing catalogue.

Find the full dead rich list, which includes Elvis Presley, Bob Marley, John Lennon, and a ‘new entry’ in Mexican-American singer Jenni Riveraon, who died last year in a plane crash, on the Forbes site.

Elton John biopic is on

Artist News

First rumoured in 2011, Elton John’s long-in-the-pipeline biopic ‘Rocketman’ is now looking like it’s about to um… come out of the pipeline.

Actor Tom Hardy (who looks like this) will play Elton (who looks like this) in the film, which is being made with the cooperation of John and his business partners, and so will include his songs on its soundtrack. Hurrah. Shooting is mooted to begin in late 2014.

Steve Hamilton Shaw, the CEO of John’s production co Rocket Pictures, gushes thus: “Tom is a stellar talent who will add extraordinary depth and nuance in bringing Elton’s story to life. We are excited to have such a gifted actor on board”.

Next The Who tour to be the last

Artist News

The Who have said they will cease touring after a series of fiftieth anniversary dates in 2015, which at least gives fans time to experience all five stages of grief at a leisurely pace.

Revealing all that via the Evening Standard, Pete Townshend says: “For the 50th anniversary we’ll tour the world. It’ll be the last big one for us. There are still plenty of places we’ve not played. It would be good to go to eastern Europe and places that haven’t heard us play all the old hits”.

Talking of which, a memorial box-set of The Who’s 1969 LP ‘Tommy’ is released on 11 Nov.

Blue’s Simon Webbe in the red

Artist News

Oh dear. Simon Webbe has joined his bandmate Duncan James in Blue’s burgeoning bankruptcy club, having reportedly filed papers in late September, around the same time as his Blue buddy.

Covering the story, the BBC cites an interview Blue gave earlier this year when their latest LP, ‘Roulette’, was released, in which James, Webbe et al said they had “sent themselves off to business school” to study music management so they could take control and release the new record themselves.

Blue apparently said at the time that the LP was all “a bit of a gamble”, which explains the name, if not the pay off.

Instant grat sales of new Gaga track not chart eligible

Artist News Labels & Publishers Releases

Lady Gaga’s rather haphazard ‘ARTPOP’ campaign has hit the skids, well, a little bit, with the news that her new single ‘Do What You Want’ has been declared “chart ineligible” in the UK.

First released as a so-called ‘instant grat’ incentive to Little Monsters paying for ‘ARTPOP’ in advance, the song – a collaboration with R Kelly – was later promoted to an official single once it got a positive fan reaction, so that people can also buy the song on its own, rather than getting access to it by pre-buying the new LP, which is out on 11 Nov.

As previously reported, the Official Charts Company changed its rules earlier this year so that individual tracks distributed via an ‘instant-grat’ promotion could still count for the singles chart, even though in theory they have been sold as part of an album package. But the exception can only apply to one track per album.

Gaga already did the instant-grat thing with ‘ARTPOP’ track ‘Applause’, so ‘Do What You Want’ instant-grat tracks can’t count for the UK singles chart. But more than that, because the data provided by download stores doesn’t distinguish between tracks sold as part of an album package and tracks sold as individual singles, the OCC can’t count the latter either.

Which means, the Charts Company has confirmed, sales of ‘Do What You Want’ will only “become eligible to chart once the current chosen promotional period ends and the full album is released on 11 Nov”.

And here is that bit of ineligible Gaga:

Arcade Fire stream Reflektor

Artist News Releases

So, Arcade Fire’s highly-hyped new LP, ‘Reflektor’, is streamable right now online.

And that’s all there is to say, really.

It’s released officially next week, and yet, here it is, via this here ArcadeFireSonovox:

Festival line-up update: Le Guess Who, LEAF, Bloodstock and more

Artist News Festival Line-Up Update Gigs & Festivals

So, Dutch indie puzzle Le Guess Who? has signed up the unanimously good likes of Dirty Beaches, PINS and Darkstar to its unanimously good line-up, which is headed up by Yo La Tengo, Mark Lanegan, Damien Jurado, Destroyer, Ty Segall and Glasser.

And hey, news next on Megadeth, who are confirmed as headliners of next year’s Bloodstock Open Air festival, and will play all of their 1994 LP ‘Youthanasia’ to boot. Of that, they say this: “Every year Megadeth and our UK fans get closer and celebrate another year of metal greatness together. This is the beginning of 2014… the best is yet to come”.

Indeed, it is. If by ‘best’ they meant lists of artist additions to aaaalll the following festivals…

BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR, Catton Hall, Derbyshire, 7-10 Aug 2014: Megadeth. www.bloodstock.uk.com

CHAGSTOCK, Whiddon Down, Chagford, Devon, 18-19 Jul 2014: Pauline Black, The Selecter. www.chagstock.info

FREEZE, Clapham Common, London, 27 Nov – 1 Dec: AlunaGeorge, Toddla T, Clean Bandit, Route94, Knytro, Nicola Bear, Ste-V-Something, K1r3y, Dan Gleeson, Captain Woody, Liam Bone, Thick Bleach. www.freezefestival.com

LEAF, various venues, London, 7-10 Nov: French Fries, Martelo, Cadenza, Sophie, Auntie Flo. www.leaflondon.net

LE GUESS WHO?, Utrecht, Netherlands, 28 Nov – 1 Dec: Mad Professor, Eric Copeland, Dirty Beaches, PINS, Mickey Lightfoot, Dump, Darkstar, DM Stith, Roly Porter, Superhumanoids, Adult Jazz, Piano Interrupted, Magnetix, Michael Feuerstack, Séan Rua, Michael Chapman, Glenn Jones, Ashraf Sharif Khan, La Flama Blanca, Mike Donovan, DJ Fitz, DJ Quesadilla, Filho da Mãe. www.leguesswho.nl

MOSELEY FOLK FESTIVAL, Moseley, Birmingham, 29-31 Aug 2014: Lau. www.moseleyfolk.co.uk

REBELLION, Blackpool Winter Gardens, 7-10 Aug 2014: The Chameleons, King Kurt, ATV, Americans Total Chaos, Israeli punks Useless ID, Demented Are Go, The Cravats, Klingonz, Germany’s Razors, The Agitators, Americans Toxik Ephex, Blest Mess, 3CR, Blatoidea, Noise Agents. www.rebellionfestivals.com

CMU Beef Of The Week #180: HMV v Apple

And Finally Artist News Beef Of The Week Business News Digital HMV Timeline Retail

So the recently rejuvenated Nipper the dog took a bite out of the Apple this week, though it remains to be seen if the fruit was poisoned like the legendary tragic apple Steve Jobs famously didn’t base his company’s logo on. By which I mean, HMV has been beefing with Apple this week. And why the hell not?

The old HMV had reason enough to despise the big bad Apple of course. While HMV bosses and their major label buddies were all enjoying the taste of the sand ten years ago, the tech firm built the iPod, launched the iTunes music store, kick-started a revolution, and kept much of the spoils for itself.

By the time HMV management had successfully scheduled a meeting titled ‘The Massive Opportunities Presented By Digital Music’, Apple and its boss man Steve Jobs had already nailed it, achieved market domination, and rescued their business in the process.

And while Apple celebrated by expanding their digital store, inventing the iPhone and persuading the world we did all need tablet computers after all, HMV marked the occasion by launching one of the shittest digital music stores ever, the original HMV Digital.

Of course the indie labels who had long bemoaned HMV for not stocking their releases, or giving priority racking to cash-rich majors, possibly smiled at this turn of events (well, they possibly did once Apple finally started talking to the indies and opened up the potential of iTunes to all).

But fast track to today, and the all new HMV, bought out of administration by Hilco earlier this year, and feeling much more youthful for it. HMV’s sack of spite towards iTunes wasn’t part of the acquisition; the new guard are all able to admit to their predecessors’ self-inflicted misfortune, and Team Hilco must know they’d never have got to buy a classic British music brand like HMV for the price they paid had the firm not so spectacularly screwed up digital.

So why the new feud? Well, now its Apple who controls a vital route to market, and is busy exploiting that power. Last week the all new HMV launched its download store, a mobile-centric platform that aims to link the firm’s in-store experience with the online world: get out your smart-phone, take a photo of any CD in-store, and download the digital version there and then over that there mobile internet.

The new service centres on proprietary Android and iOS apps which enable customers to browse HMV’s digital store (actually the 7digital store rebadged), buy tracks and download them to their device, all through the app. Well, except with the iOS app the transaction actually occurs via the user’s mobile web browser, which is interesting because that violates one of Apple’s well known app rules, which are designed to ensure that any selling to iPhone owners is done via the tech giant’s own infrastructure, so it can take a cut.

That HMV was able to offer that functionality, despite it contravening Apple’s app rules, was surprising; indeed even HMV bosses seemed surprised they were getting away with it, but the app had been approved by the iPhone-maker they said, so all would be fine, right? Well, no. Apple may have green-lighted HMV’s app, but they hadn’t noticed the rule-breaking transactional element, and their terms and conditions allow approval to be quickly withdrawn if rules are not followed.

And so within 24 hours of HMV going live with its new apps, the call came in from Apple HQ, lose the rule-breaking functionality or we’ll suspend the app for our store. HMV initially seemed to refuse, but as it became clear Apple wasn’t bluffing the retailer instructed its developers to rework its iOS product. Though said work wasn’t complete before Apple’s “unrealistic” (tweeted Hilco chief Paul McGowan) deadline, and so the app was suspended from the tech firm’s store.

Having documented his company’s Apple squabbles on Twitter, McGowan formally hit out at the iPhone company after the HMV app was suspended. “It is disappointing that Apple has chosen to suspend an app that has proven to be very successful in only a few short days despite Apple having already approved the exact same version on 15 Sep”, he said. “We are unable to explain the change in Apple’s position as we have been given no explanation by them as to any difference they view between the approved version and the one suspended this evening”.

Given HMV’s app clearly violated an Apple rule, several developers have since said that the retailer really should have specifically raised the transactional element of their app with Apple before going live, to ensure there would be no issues. That they did not possibly suggests a little naivety on the part of the new Team HMV, just as they try to convince the music industry that this time the company really knows what it’s doing with digital.

Unless they knowingly walked into the field of conflict.

It’s no secret that many digital music retailers resent Apple’s app policies, and see those regarding in-app commercial transactions as a blatant exploitation of the firm’s walled-garden ecosystem in order to protect the iTunes business from its competitors. And some of those digital content sellers wonder whether the practice shouldn’t be causing some concern for competition regulators like the UK’s Competition Commission. Perhaps a high profile dispute on this issue could be a catalyst for some sort of investigation?

Fighting a PR war with Apple is always risky, and there’s nothing to actually suggest that HMV actively wanted to fight such a fight. But the firm’s trade body, the Entertainment Retailer’s Association, which counts numerous digital music operations amongst its membership, but not iTunes, was quick to use the HMV v Apple skirmish as an excuse to bring up the bigger issue.

“The dispute between HMV and iTunes highlights, we believe, serious issues of competition in the digital entertainment world” it said. “iTunes is by far the dominant player in music downloads with a marketshare estimated to be over 70%, but just as importantly it also maintains an iron grip on access to the hugely powerful iPhone/iPad platform, which effectively hinders competitors from reaching millions of consumers and stands in the way of innovation. With market power comes responsibility and we urge iTunes to act responsibly and allow the development of a free market in music online”.

So far Apple has said nothing, which isn’t really in the spirit of the Beef Of The Week, but it will be interesting to see if this dispute just fizzles out, or whether some more serious beefing is upcoming.

Some Blunt tweets

And Finally Artist News

And finally, to celebrate the release of James Blunt’s brand new album this week (you’re all excited, right?) let’s just pause to remember that, whatever you think of the man’s insipid shit music/marvellous moments of musical magic (delete as applicable), he’s become an undeniable king of the Twitter put-down.

Amongst the tweets Blunt has recently retweeted with response are…

@lizziea1: I want to kick James Blunt… repeatedly… I dont know why
@jamesblunt: Easy spelling mistake as K and L are right beside each other.

@blackeyelined: Who is a bigger twat: James Blunt or Robin Thicke?
@jamesblunt: Me! Me! Pick me!

@MigsterMMA: Jesus christ, James Blunt’s got a new album out. Is there anything else that can go wrong?
@jamesblunt: Yes. He could start tweeting you.

@RobMakin: James Blunt’s back with a new single! This may be the worst thing that’s happened in my life.
@jamesblunt: Good sense of perspective there.

@AtaraMcBooth: Who the fuck is cheering for fucking James Blunt.
@jamesblunt: My mum’s in the audience.

@nattikate: Really annoyed at myself for liking the new James Blunt song cos I really don’t like him!
@jamesblunt: Massive compliment! I think.

@laurenlyall: Why does James Blunt sing like his willy is being stood on?
@jamesblunt: Damn thing’s always getting caught under my feet.

Approved: Kelela – Go All Night

CMU Approved

More from the previously CMU approved Solange, who as boss lady of young label Saint Records is shooting at “100% artistic control”, assuming its true bosses Sony allow that, via a new compilation spotlighting her fave artists. Whilst some of its featured tracks are still TBA, they’ll be by Solange (duh), Cassie, Sampha and Jhene Aiko, and relative freshers BC Kingdom, Jade de la Fleur, Iman Omari, Petite Noir, Starchild and India Shawn.

And the also CMU approved (and officially ‘Rising’, says Pitchfork) Kelela, who became R&B’s shock scoop of 2013 (I think so, anyway) via her excellent – and still-free – ‘CUT 4 ME’ mixtape. Kelela’s gift to the Saint compilation, titled ‘Saint Heron’, will be inky slow jam ‘Go All Night’, which might sound familiar because short blasts of it are on ‘CUT 4 ME’.

Hear it here:

YouTube planning streaming service

Business News Digital Top Stories

YouTube is plotting a premium on-demand music service, according to various sources.

The Google-owned video site is, of course, arguably already the world’s biggest streaming music platform, even if it’s not officially billed as such. But it’s thought that the new service, although delivered within the YouTube framework, will be designed to accommodate audio-only content, albeit with some sort of photo-based visual display, and would take tracks direct from labels, rather than relying in part on user-uploads.

The new service would also offer both freemium and premium options, the former relying on YouTube’s existing advertisers to pay royalties to rights owners, the latter being the video site’s first major move into the subscription domain, beyond the small number of YouTube partners already dabbling with pay-to-view. Aside from ad-free music, it is thought the premium version would offer more mobile functionality, pretty much in line with the other on-demand streaming services that charge extra for offline mobile listening etc.

Given how many people, especially younger consumers, already see YouTube as their primary online destination for on-demand music, there is a logic to the site more formally moving into this territory, though whether it can persuade that audience – likely attracted in no small part by the fact YouTube content is free – to sign-up for a premium option remains to be seen.

A YouTube streaming platform would, of course, compete with Google’s existing streaming service that operates under the web giant’s Play brand, and could quickly supersede it. Given YouTube’s usual autonomy from the rest of Google, it’s not clear how much joined up thinking there is between YouTube Music and Google Play, though Billboard suggests that the licensing deals done with the majors for the latter included provisions for the former.

It would also put YouTube more readily in competition with Vevo, the Universal/Sony owned music video service which reaches a sizable chunk of its audience via the Google video plaform, and which increasingly brings the official label content to the YouTube site.

While the new service would be more audio based, of course, there is evidence some music fans already use YouTube/Vevo more as an audio than video platform, and if YouTube search started pushing people looking for specific artists more to its own streaming platform than Vevo content, well that could possibly have an impact on the latter’s traffic.

Although insiders are pointing to a launch of the new YouTube service before the year is out, a spokesman for the company told Billboard: “We’re always working on new and better ways for people to enjoy YouTube content across all screens, and on giving partners more opportunities to reach their fans, however we have nothing to announce at this time”.

Sony sues United Airlines over in-flight music system

Business News Labels & Publishers Legal

Quite how a major airline could be providing its customers with access to music via its in-flight entertainment system without the appropriate licences, and how that could have gone unnoticed by the labels until know, I’m not sure. But Sony Music is accusing United Airlines of making its content available without licence, and is suing, pushing for an injunction to stop the on-plane music service and compensation for past infringement.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Sony got wise to the allegedly infringing music service via a consultancy hired by the airline and another company, Inflight Productions, to advise on rights issues. That consultancy is now also listed as a defendant in Sony’s lawsuit, and the major is reportedly also reviewing other in-flight music platforms looking for other operators in the sky who might also be breaking the copyright laws of their home jurisdictions.

Of course under American copyright law there is no general public performance right for sound recordings, which is presumably how a company like United Airlines ended up operating an unlicensed service, but Sony insists that the nature of the airline’s content system means a licence is required, not least because the platform makes copies of recordings as well as playing them.

The lawsuit also reckons that United couldn’t rely on the kind of statutory licence utilised by Pandora et al, because of the fully on-demand nature of the service. Though, just to be certain on that point, the litigation also specifically references pre-1972 Sony recordings used by United Airlines, on the basis that the statutory licence, created by federal American law, can only apply to works protected under the federal copyright system (ie recordings since 1972). This argument, of course, has cropped up in several American lawsuits in recent years, and the rights and wrongs of it are yet to be fully resolved.

Nokia Music expands into more Asian markets

Business News Digital

Nokia has announced it is launching its Nokia Music service in Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, following a recent move into Indonesia. The announcement possibly means the phone firm has recognised that its various music endeavours have had more success (aka some success) in emerging markets where there is less competition.

Speaking about the target territories for Nokia Music, the firm’s Jyrki Rosenburg told MusicAlly: “We have recognised the importance of music for consumers in these markets. South Africa is another example where we’ve been there for several years already, and some of the major players are not there. Places like China and India are very important for us, and we’ve made great progress there. And now we have the music service for our Asha range of devices in Russia too”.

RAJAR round up

Business News Media

Yep, it’s RAJAR time people, that quarterly moment when we look at the official listening figures for British radio. And here’s five things to know about them…

1. The BBC’s big breakfast shows both saw decline this last quarter, compared to the previous one. Grimmy at Radio 1 saw his listening figures slide by 300,000, meaning his average audience is now a million plus down on that enjoyed by his predecessor Chris Moyles, because an arrogant mouthy tosser will always please more people than an amiable music fan. Over on Radio 2, Chris Evans may still front the UK’s biggest breakfast show, but his listening figures are down 405,000 quarter-on-quarter, though are still up considerably year-on-year.

2. Elsewhere at the Beeb, the good summer hit radio listening pretty much across the board. Radio 1’s average weekly audience was 10.8 million, 1.8% down quarter-on-quarter; Radio 2 saw its overall listening figures slip 3.3% on the previous quarter to 14.9 million; 6 Music scored an average weekly audience of 1.73 million, 3.4% down on the previous quarter, but 6.9% up year on year; and the Asian Network saw its audience slip on both the previous quarter and year to 555,000.

3. In the race to be the biggest in London, one time leader Heart slipped into fourth place, behind sister station Capital, which retained its place atop the London listening chart, followed by Bauer stations Kiss and, newly in third place, Magic.

4. Absolute Radio, now part of the Bauer Radio empire of course, saw it’s London audience slip 30.7% quarter-on-quarter and 16.9% year-on-year, to 691,000. UK-wide Absolute’s audience was also down quarter-on-quarter, but up year-on-year, to 1.6 million. On digital, the Absolute 80s station is closing the gap with its sister flagship station, now boasting an audience of 1.2 million.

5. Despite many stations seeing audiences slip quarter-on-quarter, the year-on-year figures were generally pretty good; with RAJAR reckoning that a million more people were listening to radio this summer, compared with the July to September quarter in 2012. The portion of listening done via digital platforms (DAB, online and via TV) was also up year-on-year, though down ever so slightly quarter-on-quarter. The digital-analogue split is still around 50/50, slightly in digital’s favour.

Commercial radio great, says listener survey

Business News Media

Commercial radio is damn fine, is the basic conclusion of a bit of research by Kantar Media into the UK’s commercial radio sector, timed to coincide with the medium’s 40th birthday.

The survey says that of those commercial radio listeners surveyed, 65% reckoned that their station or stations of choice provided a unique service not available elsewhere, 77% said stations kept them informed while 66% said they thought commercial broadcasters had a positive impact.

Though 57% said they thought having presenters with local knowledge was important, which possibly flies against the frequent networking of programmes across multiple regions employed by many commercial broadcasters these days.

The survey also asked respondents what they would be willing to pay to access commercial radio services, with £42 a year being suggested as a fair price, if the medium was ever to go that route over free-to-access ad-funded programming.

Commenting on the research, which was presented to a political audience last night, the stand-in boss of commercial radio trade body RadioCentre, Linda Smith, said: “Listeners believe commercial radio delivers really valuable content that is important to them personally – whether it’s in music, entertainment, news or information – and we’re exceeding expectations across the board. Our message to government and [media regulator] Ofcom is that this value is at risk unless they provide clarity on digital radio and take a fresh look at commercial radio regulation”.

China to limit number of talent shows on TV

Business News Media

The Chinese authorities are reportedly cracking down on reality and talent shows on TV, which, like everywhere, have become very popular and rather abundant in recent years.

According to the Xinhua News Agency, broadcasters in the country will need approval to air shows akin to ‘American Idol’, and each channel will only be allowed to air one such programmer in prime-time each quarter. Which would still amount to a lot of wannabe singers warbling overall.

Some have predicted that the move could actually aid online services in China, where talent-show hungry viewers will likely be able to still access more of that kind of programme once the limits are in place on the traditional TV networks.

NME writers elect The Queen Is Dead as greatest ever LP

Business News Media

nmelogo2013

NME writers past and present have collectively deemed The Smiths’ ‘The Queen Is Dead’ to be the best LP that ever was, in the physical/digital mag’s Kanye West-esque Greatest Albums Of All Time list.

Morrissey and co’s 1985 LP, which features ‘Bigmouth Strikes Again’, ‘The Boy With The Thorn In His Side’ and ‘Frankly Mr Shankly’, only made it to #5 in NME’s Best Albums Of All Time poll back in 2006, but that was voted for by fans, not journalists. And it was ‘best’, not ‘greatest’, which are different superlatives entirely. And thirdly, it was 2006.

Celebrating a new era in NME’s lifetime, the results of the ‘Greatest LPs’ survey are being slowly unveiled, 100 by 100, on NME.com. Or, simultaneously to those buying this week’s issue. And if you don’t feel like waiting or buying, why not review sneak peaks of twelve writers’ top tens here. And please, no one point out how much Laura Snapes loves The National.

Monday 28 October 2013, 12:00 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: The Flaming Lips | Wayne Coyne

Monday 28 October 2013, 11:59 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: Black Flag | FLAG | Greg Ginn

Monday 28 October 2013, 11:58 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: Cass McCombs | Sophie Ellis-Bextor | The Killers

Monday 28 October 2013, 11:57 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: EMAs | MTV | One Direction

Monday 28 October 2013, 11:55 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: BBC Radio 2 | Bob Harris

Friday 25 October 2013, 11:27 | By Paul Vig

READ MORE ABOUT: Fire | Omar S | Random Magic

Friday 25 October 2013, 11:26 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: BVMI | YouTube | YouTube-mp3

Friday 25 October 2013, 11:25 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Google | Lyor Cohen | Warner Music

Friday 25 October 2013, 11:24 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: Michael Kiwanuka | Movement Records

Friday 25 October 2013, 11:23 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: Independent Label Market

Friday 25 October 2013, 11:22 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Hop Farm Festival | Music Festivals plc | Vince Power

Friday 25 October 2013, 11:21 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: The Warehouse Project

Friday 25 October 2013, 11:20 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: British Phonographic Industry (BPI) | LoveLive

Friday 25 October 2013, 11:19 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: Forbes | Forbes Rich List | Michael Jackson

Friday 25 October 2013, 11:18 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: Elton John

Friday 25 October 2013, 11:17 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: Pete Townshend | The Who

Friday 25 October 2013, 11:16 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: Blue | Duncan James | Simon Webbe

Friday 25 October 2013, 11:15 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: Lady Gaga | Official Charts Company

Friday 25 October 2013, 11:14 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: Arcade Fire

Friday 25 October 2013, 11:13 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: Bloodstock Open Air | Chagstock | Freeze Festival | Le Guess Who | LEAF | Moseley Folk Festival | Rebellion

Friday 25 October 2013, 11:12 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Apple | HMV

Friday 25 October 2013, 11:11 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: James Blunt

Thursday 24 October 2013, 11:17 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: Kelela | Saint Records | Solange

Thursday 24 October 2013, 11:16 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Google | YouTube

Thursday 24 October 2013, 11:15 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Inflight Productions | Sony Music

Thursday 24 October 2013, 11:14 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Nokia | Nokia Music

Thursday 24 October 2013, 11:13 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: RAJAR

Thursday 24 October 2013, 11:12 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Kantar

Thursday 24 October 2013, 11:11 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: China

Thursday 24 October 2013, 11:10 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: NME | The Smiths