Indie labels outraged as EU approves Sony BMG deal

Media News - Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Indie labels outraged as EU approves Sony BMG deal

The European Commission has given Japanese electronics giant Sony the green light to purchase outright the record label Sony BMG in an EUR 840m buy-out from German media firm Bertelsmann. The EU executive sees no competition worries resulting from the merger, but indie music labels say Brussels is missing the point - it is cultural diversity concerns that are under threat from the creation of such a music titan. On Monday (15 September), the EU executive said that after examining the deal, it was unlikely that the transaction would harm competition, over howls of protest from independent music firms. In August, Sony announced it intended to purchase Bertelsmann's 50 percent stake in Sony BMG, jointly owned by the two companies, for EUR 630m, as well as some EUR 210m in cash of Sony BMG revenues. Following the purchase, Sony will become the sole owner of Sony BMG, which will be renamed Sony Music Entertainment Inc. The Japanese firm would now become the second largest music company in the world. The commission said that the transaction would not lead to any 'horizontal overlaps in the music recording markets,' as Sony has no other music recording activities in Europe. The European independent music label trade association, IMPALA, however strongly disagreed, saying the merger threatens cultural diversity and that the commission did not carry out an in-depth investigation as to the consequences of the deal. (EU Observer)

E assim vai a Indústria Fonográfica em 2008....

Universal embraces MP3 for "lost classics" store

13:50 | Wednesday July 30, 2008

By Ben Cardew

Universal is making a major foray into the world of MP3s, with the launch of a new download store dedicated to exclusive tracks, rarities and “overlooked classics”.

Lost Tunes (www.losttunes.com/) opened today, offering 134 download albums that are available exclusively through the site. The initial batch of digital-download exclusives includes The Walker Brothers’ Live In Japan, three albums by Comsat Angels and Bill Fay’s eponymous album.

All downloads on the site are available as 320kpbs MP3s, without digital rights protection. Universal has previously experimented with MP3s in the UK and all downloads sold from its Classics and Jazz online store are in the DRM-free format.

However, this site represents an important move towards embracing DRM for the major.

niversal Music Catalogue head of digital and media Azi Eftekhari says, “We wanted Lost Tunes to replicate the experience of going to a favourite local record shop where browsing and discovering music is a real pleasure and an adventure. We only include music that we love.”

To mark the launch, Fiction Records’ Delays are recording their four favourite “lost tunes” to be released exclusively via the site on Monday September 1.

The site will also offer eight previously-unreleased recordings from The La’s including the John Leckie and Steve Lilywhite mixes of Come In Out Come Out and John Leckie and the Bob Andrew mix of ‘Way Out’.

A further 500 exclusive download albums are scheduled to be launched on the store in the coming six months, including previously unreleased music from the Trojan, Fiction and Decca archives.

Lost Tunes is powered by 7 Digital and has been designed by One Shoe. International versions of the site will launch in the coming months.

Fonte: Music Week

Sony BMG posts loss

13:16 | Wednesday July 30, 2008

By Ben Cardew

Sony BMG recorded a net loss of $49m (£24.75m) in its first fiscal quarter of 2008, with sales down $55m (£27.78m) year-on-year at $820m (£414.35m).

The loss compares to a profit of $21m (£190.61m) in the equivalent quarter of 2007, a result that parent company Sony says reflects the decline in the physical market and an increase in re-structuring costs.

The company says that its best-selling release in the quarter included Usher’s Here I Stand and Leona Lewis’s Spirit.

Meanwhile, the Nikkei Business Daily today reports that Sony is continuing in talks to buy Bertelsmann’s 50% stake in Sony BMG, with the two companies aiming to reach agreement in August.

Fonte: Music Week

A tendência do consumo digital..

Reflecte-se nas diferentes plataformas de distribuíção comercial, sendo que a lógica das restrições tecnológicas não é uma delas..

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E a luta pelo poder.. económico continua..

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