It remains unofficial, but Music Row has learned that Echo Music Co-founder/CEO Mark Montgomery will soon exit the company to pursue new opportunities. Montgomery was involved in product development, plus a contributor to strategic direction. When Echo was purchased by Ticketmaster in March 2007, Sean Moriarty, Ticketmaster President/CEO said, “What echo has built is unique. […]
Happily, according to Nielsen SoundScan, the Top 75 Current Country albums for the week ending 1/25/09 bounced upward 8% over the previous week, without relying on new debut releases. Big Machine continued to control about 27% of that market share based mostly upon sales from its flagship femme, Taylor Swift. Despite the increase this week, […]
According to a Universal Music Group spokesperson, Executive VP Sales and Marketing Ben Kline is leaving the company, effective immediately, to pursue a new opportunity. Kline was a fixture at the Nashville label for 11 years and with Universal for a total of 17 years. He was a frequent voice in many Music Row articles […]
(Updated 6:40 pm) With country music sales dropping from 75 to 47 million units over the last two years, ”restructuring” has become a dreaded and unfortunately, all too familiar term on Music Row streets. Sony Music Nashville is the latest label to be affected by the softness in the CD marketplace and the weakness in […]
Clear Channel Communications has officially confirmed cuts that reduced its workforce by approximately 1850 employees or 9%. CC CEO Mark Mays wrote in a company-wide email: “As I’ve mentioned previously, we are facing an unprecedented time of distress in the general economy—and the ripple effects have hit some of our largest customers hard. Today, we […]
Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business will honor Donna Hilley with its Robert E. Mulloy Award of Excellence for accomplishments in the entertainment industry, as well as service to Belmont and the Nashville community. The award presentation will take place at the 2009 Best of the Best Showcase at Belmont’s Curb […]
The country music record business was especially hard hit as the previous year’s drop of 16.3% rose to 24% in 2008. Actual country album sales (physical and digital) toppled from 62.7 to 47.6 million, a new all time low under the SoundScan era. Country 2008: A Year End Report asks questions and presents much of […]
During a musical cornucopia of a show with 20 performances, Kenny Chesney was again crowned country music’s monarch at the 42nd annual CMA Awards. With his fourth Entertainer of the Year win, Kenny now ties Garth Brooks. His performance of “Everybody Want to Go to Heaven” with The Wailers was one of the CMA telecast’s […]
As the industry heads home for a dose of Thanksgiving family and fowl to replenish its fortitude reservoir, it leaves Black Friday week sales in the hands of retailers nationwide. During last year’s comparable holiday week the Country Top 75 hit a healthy 1.53 million units. This year expectations are more reserved with some insiders […]