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Songs from Europe’s independent record labels will be available on Apple’s iTunes download service after a deal resolved a dispute between the sides. Songs by artists like The White Stripes and Franz Ferdinand – who are signed to indie labels – were not available at iTunes’ European launch in June. The labels complained they were being dictated unreasonable terms by Apple. But the Association of Indie Music (Aim) has secured terms it says are “on a par with those agreed by the majors”. Aim chairman Alison Wenham said: “The industry’s future is wedded to the success of iTunes and similar… Read more »

So the FCC wouldn’t let him be, wouldn’t let him be he…and now Eminem is making the move to satellite radio. On Monday, the Grammy-winning rapper announced his plans to team up with Sirius Satellite Radio to “deliver an uncut hip-hop radio station like never before” beginning this fall. “Once upon a time not too long ago, the feds wanted all my music off the air,” Eminem said in a statement. “Now we’ll be on Sirius 24 hours a day, playing the best hip-hop…not just from Shady Records, but from everywhere. “I can’t wait to start dropping new material, exclusive… Read more »

When Britney Spears fell down during a video shoot for “Outrageous” earlier this month, the impact was immediate. Her fall has set off a chain of events that’s resulted in the cancellation of her summer tour – something insiders are estimating will cost her as much as $1 million a week in lost revenue from ticket and merchandise sales. But what of the fall itself? Still pictures from paparazzi showed a play-by-play of the incident but failed to capture the essence of the moment – the onset of injury, the expression on the singer’s face, her puzzled dancers’ reactions as… Read more »

JUST days after the European launch of Apple Computers’ online music store, a chorus of customers are voicing their complaints. The lack of songs from artists on independent record labels – which account for a quarter of the UK market – has left iTunes looking like a poorly-stocked American import store, lacking local talent such as Travis and Franz Ferdinand. “Most Scottish acts are on independent labels,” says Alison Wenham, chairman and chief executive of the Association of Independent Music (AIM), which represents the majority of the UK’s indie labels. “Celtic acts typically start off very strong in their home… Read more »

For the first time, the No. 1 album in the United States is loaded with anticopying protections, marking a clear step into the mainstream for the controversial technology. According to figures released by Nielsen SoundScan, Velvet Revolver’s “Contraband” was the top-selling album in America last week, despite being prominently labeled on its cover as being “protected against unauthorized duplication.” The success of the album is likely to prompt more experiments from BMG, the band’s label, and other record companies, industry watchers said. “It’s too soon to tell whether the rest of the industry is going to be heartened by this,”… Read more »

When a pop artist leaves the shelter of a major-label nest, the stark reality of being on one’s own can be a sobering experience. But learning to fly solo can also bring tremendous rewards. Although many rock artists have self-released their music after leaving the major-label fold, most pop artists are so dependent on radio play that they have often sought the deep pockets of another major or a large indie label to foot the bill. But several acts – including Evan & Jaron, Sophie B. Hawkins and Alana Davisare forging their own path. Former Columbia duo Evan & Jaron… Read more »

The weekend’s biggest party was off the hizzy at 4 p.m. Saturday. More than 50,000 teenagers were crowd-surfing and moshing with their pushy, sweaty peers – and loving it. The HFStival rocked RFK Stadium with performances by the Offspring, Violent Femmes, Jay-Z, P.O.D. and the Cure, to name a few. The rock star anger, angst and edge vanished as soon as the musicians left the stage and entered the backstage Elephant Room. In the blue-clad VIP oasis they ate mac-and-cheese and chicken kebabs, drank as much free beer as they could, and partied with celebs including Redskins linebacker LaVar Arrington… Read more »

Sometimes, Washington is as hot as Bangkok. OK, I stole that line, but it was baking hot at RFK Stadium Saturday for the HFStival, the annual, all-day, relentlessly eclectic rock extravaganza put on by local radio station WHFS-FM (99.1). An estimated crowd of 60,000 blazed under a pre-summer sun, moseying in and out of the stadium from parking-lot attractions that included a forest of beer trucks, giant inflatable corporate logos, two more bandstands – one for national acts, the other for local acts such as Washington Social Club and Jimmie’s Chicken Shack – and, for the truly adventurous, a Ferris… Read more »

A Delaware Chancery Court judge has ruled that Los Angeles should be the venue for the hearing of the bitter legal clash between Warner Music Group (WMG) and top Warner act Madonna’s Maverick Records. WMG filed its preemptive action against Maverick in Delaware on March 24, seeking a declaratory judgment. Maverick filed its own suit the following day in California Superior Court in L.A., claiming that WMG had breached its 12-year-old joint-venture pact with the label, which is gearing up for the May 18 release of Alanis Morissette’s new album. The suits are believed to be tied to ongoing disputes… Read more »

Canadian pop superstar Avril Lavigne is coming back home. Hot off the tails of her North American 21-city mall tour, Ms. Lavigne will be dropping by Toronto’s MuchMusic headquarters on Friday, May 28 at 8 p.m. ET, for an Intimate & Interactive special. Lavigne has visited MuchMusic several times in the past, twice as a special guest on Much On Demand, several feature interviews and two MMVA appearances. However this is the her first live Intimate & Interactive special. The 90-minute event, hosted by the ever-dreamy George Stroumboulopoulos, will feature a one-on-one interview, as well as live performances by Lavigne… Read more »