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EMI Group, the world’s fifth-biggest music company, and Bertelsmann’s BMG music unit may call off merger talks, reports said on Monday. EMI’s labels represent popular artists such as the Spice Girls,Ý Fat Boy Slim, and Radiohead. BMG’s artists include Whitney Houston, David Bowie, and Christina Aguilera. Both companies continue to talk but are awaiting merger conditions from the European Commission early this week. Those conditions could mean that the combined group may have to sell businesses to get regulator approval. Talks to form the world’s biggest music company have been ongoing for the last six months and have at times… Read more »

www.warpedtour.com – The Vans Warped Tour and Blink-182 come together for a one-time only show on July 14 in Minneapolis, Minn. at Somerset Park. LAUNCH Media Inc. today announced that MCA recording artist Blink-182 will join this summer’s Vans Warped Tour for a one-time only performance in Minneapolis at Somerset Park on July 14. Veterans to the Warped Tour, Blink-182, first played the punk and skate festival back in 1997. Since then, they have experienced worldwide success, with their records reaping platinum status and their concert tours packing ’em in all across Europe, Australia, Asia, and the Americas. Just six… Read more »

Tickets In Select Markets To Go On Sale This Weekend. Four-time Grammy Award winner Janet Jackson today announced one of the most anticipated concerts events of the year, “All For You World Tour 2001.” Named after her just released 7th album, the tour will be her first since the critically acclaimed sold-out Velvet Rope Tour of 1998. July 5th, at Vancouver’s 16,000-seat GM Place, will mark the first of 56 performances in the United States and Canada, concluding on October 13th in Denver, Colorado’s Pepsi Center Arena. Jackson will then head to Europe, where she will perform 25 shows in… Read more »

Bertelsmann’s plans to merge with EMI appear to have stumbled over regulatory hurdles, putting in jeopardy the two company’s desire to join forces to offer a vast music library to consumers. Negotiations have been going on for more than five months and, according to a report from Reuters, both sides claim they still want the merger to take place. Regulators’ concerns stem from the fact that, should a Bertelsmann-EMI merger occur, the galaxy of the world’s largest music companies would be trimmed from five to only four. Some believe that in order for the two sides to get a deal… Read more »

Vivendi Universal said yesterday that the movie, music and print media behemoth enjoyed double-digit gains in revenue across its vast holdings. The company reported that earnings before interest, taxes, and depreciation, climbed to $809 million at its media businesses in the latest quarter, raising revenue to $5.28 billion. Slight losses from Universal Studios were offset by gains in music, television, publishing, and telecom operations. Vivendi Universal has telephone and wireless businesses throughout Europe. Additionally, Vivendi Universal Chairman Jean-Marie Messier said in a speech to shareholders today that the company will offer downloadable music on mobile phones in September. The new… Read more »

Eyeing the music television biz, German media giant Bertelsmann may end up the majority shareholder in fast expanding German music channel Viva if a series of deals come off. Bertelsmann will acquire an 18.9% stake held by U.K. music giant EMI if a proposed merger between Bertelsmann’s music division BMG and EMI goes ahead. Company is considering the acquisition of an additional 12.1% stake held by German music group Edel Music. Listed on Germany’s Neuer Markt exchange, Viva is expanding across Europe and has set up outposts in Poland and Hungary, with Switzerland and Italy to follow this year. Company… Read more »

The dimensions of Moby’s Area: One festival were solved Monday (April 23) when the electro-rocker unveiled lineup additions as well as dates and venues for his musically diverse roadshow. At a New York press conference, Moby heralded the addition of a side stage that will feature artists from the DJ/electronic scene, including Paul Oakenfold, Carl Cox, the Orb and Timo Maas. Also scheduled to play under the air-conditioned tent that will serve as the second stage are Detroit techno pioneers Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson. “Without them I wouldn’t be here,” Moby said. The tour will also feature… Read more »

The music industry has blamed free online music and the US economic slowdown for a fall in sales. In the US, the world’s largest market, singles and cassette sales fell by 38% and 46%, which the record companies blamed on free download services applied by Napstar, MP3.com and other online music services. We also saw the first evidence of the impact of free online music, as well as damage done by unauthorised CD-R copying in some major markets. IFPI report Sales in the global market, worth $36.9bn ( £25.8bn) last year with 3.5bn recordings sold, fell by 1.2% when compared… Read more »

Pop icon’s Drowned World Tour, kicking off June 5, is her first outing in eight years. Madonna announced on Monday (April 16) the 18 dates of an international outing that will launch June 5 in Cologne, Germany, and end September 9 in Los Angeles. Dubbed the Drowned World Tour, the trek will be the most extravagant stage spectacle of the singer’s illustrious career, according to Madonna’s spokesperson. Madonna will be promoting last year’s neo-cowgirl endeavor Music, which includes the title track and the current single, “What It Feels Like for a Girl” , though organizers promise plenty of past hits,… Read more »

Bertelsmann’s planned merger with British music giant EMI is expected to be scrapped shortly, highly placed sources close to the action reported yesterday. Official word of the nixing of a BMG-EMI joint entity will likely come from the congloms in the next couple of weeks. Surprisingly, the companies dropped plans for a merger before a finalized proposition was even formally presented to the EU regulatory board for approval. In an attempt to make the BMG-EMI deal happen, sources said, Clive Calder and his Zomba/Jive Records were going to play a major role in solving some of the monopolistic concerns raised… Read more »