Thursday, April 17th, 2008
Daily News: Thursday
Universal invests in Buzznet: “After acquiring two significant music-related websites in the past two weeks, social media network Buzznet has signed on Universal Music Group as an investor. Tyler Goldman, CEO of Buzznet, said the Universal partnership will allow the site to integrate audio, video and original content into Buzznet’s music communities.” (via Variety)
Changes At Island: “Universal Music U.K. has confirmed that Island Records executives Darcus Beese and Ted Cockle have been appointed co-presidents of the group.” (via Billboard)
Music industry spent $2.8M lobbying federal government: “The recording industry’s trade group spent nearly $2.8 million pumping up the volume on its lobbying on Capitol Hill last year. The trade group spent $2.1 million lobbying in the second half of 2007, according to a form posted online Feb. 12 by the Senate’s public records office. It spent $659,000 on lobbying in the first half of the year. Its members include Warner Music Group Corp. and Sony BMG Music Entertainment, jointly owned by Sony Corp. and Bertelsmann AG.” (via CNN)
ASCAP Launches ‘Bill of Rights for Songwriters and Composers’: “Given the many issues surrounding the music industry today, it can be all too easy to overlook the source of it all — individual songwriters, lyricists and composers,” said ASCAP President and Chairman and Academy Award-winning lyricist, Marilyn Bergman. “That is why ASCAP has launched this Bill of Rights for Songwriters and Composers. Our goal is to remind lawmakers, the general public and music creators themselves of the rights that are inherent in their art. We simply cannot allow the original source of all music to be lost in the shuffle.” (via Press Release)
Tommy Hilfiger and Sony BMG Team Up: “Tommy Hilfiger and Sony BMG have now teamed on a tubular concept called TommyTV. The online video destination features concert footage, artist interviews, music videos, and other artist-related content, all within a 3D, flexible interface.” (via DMN)
