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Microsoft Pays $8.5 Billion For Skype

Microsoft has jumped squarely into the communication sector with its purchase of Skype Technologies SA for $8.5 billion in cash. The VOIP phone service will headline a new division at the aging tech giant under the leadership of Skype’s Tony Bates. Bates will report directly to Microsoft’s Steve Balmer. News of the sale was first […]

Kerry O’Neil: Label Logistics

The Assets They Control Are Incredible. So when people talk about the demise of the labels it sounds a bit ridiculous to me. Traditional record label models have always been about creating and owning assets. But…

WMG Sold For $3.3 Billion

Digital Music News and the Los Angeles Times report that Warner Music Group has agreed to be purchased by Len Blavatnik’s Access Industries for approximately $3.3 billion. Included in the “merger agreement” are both recording and publishing divisions plus Access Industries will assume WMG debt of approximately $2 billion. The purchase price calculates to about […]

Baldrica Becomes An Average Joe

MUSICROW EXCLUSIVE: Are label co-heads Shannon Houchins and Colt Ford really just a couple of Average Joe’s as the name of the label might have you believe? Not according to newly hired label President Tom Baldrica. “It feels to me like this model is the future,” says Baldrica “I like the authenticity that the artists radiate from the stage. These folks are out there touching the fans.”

Easter Puts Hippity Hop In Country Sales

According to Nielsen SoundScan, Easter sales added a 7% hip hop to Nashville’s weekly country album sales compared with the previous week, whereas all genre sales only boosted 2%. However, a lack of high profile releases has kept YTD country album sales quite a bit below the all genre benchmark.

Hollywood Growing Pains Echo Music Industry

…as the Walrus and the Carpenter smiled at the hapless oysters [before eating them] in Lewis Carroll’s classic poem, technology has now arrived to visit the film industry. So is Hollywood managing change more efficiently than the music industry?

McCurdy Raises $140k For St. Jude Children’s Hospital

When marketing a new single joins hands with raising funds for a worthy charitable cause it elevates the artist involved and becomes even more unique when that artist is a teen. Jennette McCurdy, star of Nickelodeon’s iCarly, decided to promote her new single with a cross country mall tour, Generation Love For St. Jude. And […]