EMI Digital Music Store In The Works

Sarah Skates – 10/08/2008

EMI plans to open an online digital music store in time for the holidays. The Financial Times reports that EMI.com will be redesigned as a “learning lab” where consumers can discover new music. Audio and video content will be available for purchase and download; unique content and free items are also expected. According to reports, the site is not being developed to compete with major online music retailers such as iTunes or Amazon.

Provident Launches Publishing Arm

Sarah Skates – 10/08/2008

Holly Zabka

Provident Music Group has launched publishing division Essential Music, headed by Senior Director of Publishing Holly Zabka. She will report to Provident President and CEO Terry Hemmings. Zabka served for more than eight years as a Creative Director of Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing. While there, she managed the creative development of a team of over 60 staff and artist writers, worked with writers in song development and pitched songs into multiple markets and genres from a catalog of over 70,000 songs. Zabka earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from Southwest Missouri State University and began her career in the music industry as a Director of Membership at the Gospel Music Association.

Dionne and McConnell Celebrate Book Release

10/08/2008

Music Row publishers gathered in BMI’s Writer/Publisher lobby Oct. 7 to celebrate the release of new book Songplugger: The Cuts and The Bruises. Co-authored by Penny Dionne and Troy McConnell, the book explores the real world of songpluggers through anecdotes from and interviews with top Nashville song men and women.

(L-R): BMI’s Clay Bradley, McConnell, BMI’s Jody Williams, Crossfire3’s Steve Markland and Dionne. Photo: Reverba Onassis

Forecasting The Country Year 2008

David M Ross – 10/08/2008

Rapper T.I. sent units flying in all directions this past week (ended 10/5/08) topping the Current Albums chart with a debut of 568,383 units which included digital album sales of 68,487 units or 12%. Jennifer Hudson followed in the No. 2 spot with scans of 217,185. Her digital sales component was 8% or 17,731 units.

The Music City sales engine was unable to keep pace with its pop brothers this week as Kellie Pickler’s sophomore album debuted with sales of 43,165 units and digital sales of 10% or 4,428. Faith Hill’s Christmas album notched the No. 6 spot on the Country list with 11,298 units.

With only a dozen or so 2008 sales weeks remaining, final sales predictions are starting to surface. In 2006 country album sales totaled 74.88 million units; 2007 dropped 16.3% to 62.7 million. YTD 2008 we are at 31.5 million...and counting. With country sales off about 17% as we begin the final quarter, the question becomes, can we make up ground based upon upcoming releases and what they will sell, compared to last year? Last year included some pretty big shoes to fill with debuts from Rascal Flatts (546k), Carrie Underwood (527k), Eagles (711k) and Garth Brooks (352k). This year’s prime mover slate includes Tim McGraw (Greatest Hits), Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts (Greatest Hits), Brad Paisley, Toby Keith and Taylor Swift. Factor in the economy and the reality that unit sales are averaging lower this year than in 2007 and it appears country will land somewhere in the low 50s range. If these predictions prove accurate it would signal a drop of about 33% over two years. Stay tuned...

SOLID’s Women Rock For The Cure Is A Pink Success

10/07/2008

In celebration of breast cancer awareness month, SOLID presented the 2nd annual Women Rock For The Cure event on Oct. 2 at 3rd & Lindsley Bar and Grill to benefit the Nashville Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The night featured Capitol Nashville recording artist Emily West and songwriters Rachel Proctor (co-wrote Jessica Simpson’s latest hit, “Come On Over”) and Jessi Alexander (recent cuts by Little Big Town, Toby Keith, Trisha Yearwood). Special guests Jon Randall and Bonnie Baker joined the round to play a few tunes and WKRN News 2’s Stephanie Langston emceed the festivities. The packed crowd sipped on delicious pink cocktails, made even more tempting by the fact that 50% of the pink concoctions sold went to Komen. All in all Women Rock For The Cure raised more than $10,000 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s Greater Nashville Race For The Cure®.

L-R: Jensen Sussman (SOLID member/WRFTC), Rebekah Lee Beard (SOLID alumni/WRFTC), Rachel Proctor, Jessi Alexander, Emily West, Liz Lee (SOLID alumni/WRFTC), Tara Austin (SOLID member/WRFTC) and Stephanie Langston (WKRN News 2/Step In The City)

Country Singing Game Coming To PlayStation 2

Sarah Skates – 10/07/2008

SingStar, the popular singing experience game for PlayStation®2, will release a Country version on Oct. 28. Among the songs on SingStar Country will be hits by Brad Paisley, Gretchen Wilson, Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift, Faith Hill, Big & Rich and more. The interactive singing experience—described as “not your parents’ version of karaoke!”—will hit shelves in time for Christmas.

More than 12 million franchise units of PlayStation 2 have been sold worldwide.

Screenshot of SingStar Country

Music Producers Institute To Welcome Radney Foster and Raul Malo

Sarah Skates – 10/07/2008

Steve Fishell’s Music Producers Institute (MPI) will host fall sessions Oct. 23-26 and Nov. 20-23 at Sound Emporium studios in Nashville with Radney Foster (Oct.) and Raul Malo (Nov.) as guest lecturers. The crash-course in record producing gives ten students the opportunity to experience a "real world" recording session from pre-production through mastering. MPI focuses on the creative side of producing records, as opposed to the engineering or technical side, but does include mixing and mastering days with world-class engineers.

Founded by GRAMMY-winning producer, former record label executive and veteran musician Fishell, MPI concentrates on the producer's role in the studio including song selection and arranging; band pre-pro rehearsals and preparation; recognizing stellar studio performances; and lead and background vocals.

MPI will also partner with the Recording Academy Nashville Chapter to present the GRAMMY U MPI Workshop and Studio Tour on Thurs., Oct. 23 at Sound Emporium.

Future MPI sessions are being planned for winter 2009 with Jerry Douglas and a special spring 2009 session at Pedernales Studios in Austin, Texas with Reckless Kelly. For more information on MPI and log-on to www.musicpi.com, e-mail sessions@musicpi.com, or call 615-337-0092.

Big & Rich Release Super Galactic Fan Pak 2

Sarah Skates – 10/07/2008

Big & Rich's Super Galactic Fan Pak 2 is out today (10/7) on Warner Bros. Nashville. The CD/DVD collection captures the multi-platinum duo’s live performances and the previously unreleased tracks "Woodstock," "Everybody's Rockin'," and "Find a Heart."

Filmed originally for a DirecTV special at "Country Concert" in Fort Laramie, Ohio, the HD DVD features many new and old Big & Rich favorites, including "Lost In This Moment," "8th of November," "Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)" and many others. The DVD also features special guests Cowboy Troy and James Otto. The live performance originally aired on DirecTV on Feb. 19, 2008 and will re-air on DirecTV's 101 Network. For a sneak peek of the new release, check out the trailer starting tomorrow at www.bigandrich.com.

Industry News Tuesday (10/7/08)

The International Entertainment Buyers Association will host its annual conference Oct. 12-14 in Nashville, including showcases, panel discussions, and an awards dinner where the organization will honor Loggins & Messina, the CMA’s 50th Anniversary, and Agency...

Cary Ryan Upped at Sony Music

Sarah Skates – 10/06/2008

Cary Ryan

Cary Ryan has been promoted to Senior Director, Production for Sony Music Entertainment Nashville. He is a 17-year company veteran who was most recently Director, Production. He reports to Kathy Woods, Senior Vice President, Legal and Business Affairs.

In his role, Ryan directs release planning, manufacturing, inventory management, and distribution of music and related products in both the physical and digital supply chains for Sony’s four record labels: Arista Nashville, BNA Records, Columbia Nashville, and RCA Nashville. The Owensboro, Ky. native is a 1990 graduate of Belmont University’s Music Business program.