File Sharing Harms Paid Music Purchases

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Jupiter_Research_study_on_o

Some observers believe that music file sharing can fuel paid purchases because it exposes listeners to new music they might not have heard otherwise. To test this theory, Jupiter Research surveyed 5000 European consumers to see how illegal trading affects music spending and found that the overall impact of file sharing is negative.

The results show that a majority of illegal music sharers do not buy music, and were deemed “freeloaders” because they showed little willingness or ability to pay for music. Jupiter said this group would be a good target for ad-supported “free” music services and subsidized “feels like free” offerings.

Elsewhere, the survey showed that physical CDs still dominate over digital product and that converting physical-format buyers to digital buyers, rather than losing them as paying customers, is a key goal for the future of the industry. Physical-only buyers represent 44% of European consumers.

Other findings show that a third of those who pay for digital music also share files illegally, spending an average of €98 per year, or $165.

Chesney 3D Movie Trailer Out Today

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cheneyThe trailer for Kenny Chesney’s upcoming 3D concert movie hits the Web today (11/18). Fans can get a preview of Kenny Chesney: Summer in 3-D at Noon PT at Moviefone, AOL Music, The Boot and KennyChesney.com.

The 3-D movie is slated for national theater release in April 2010 via Sony Pictures Entertainment’s The Hot Ticket. It was directed by Joe Thomas who used twenty-two 3-D camera rigs, a blimp and several ancillary cameras for filming at sold-out stadium shows in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Seattle, Boston and Indianapolis.

“It’s amazing to me how intense this footage is,” says Chesney. “It’s me in a way I’ve never seen myself – and I can’t wait to share it with my fans…This film captures every little detail in a way that makes it even more important than I thought it was when we were working on it, and it makes my fans even more in my face than when I’m onstage, which is great!”

The Rolling Stones and U2 are the only other artists who have had 3-D film events in theaters.

Hall of Fame Debuts New Web Site

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The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum launched a new Web site today at www.countrymusichalloffame.org.

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The redesigned site features tons more video, particularly of the Museum’s special programming such as the Poets & Prophets series, Nashville Cats, and events tied to the Williams Family exhibition. There are also more photos, facts, and information.

Tina Wright, the Hall’s director of media relations, says the new site is like a virtual trip to the Museum. She explains that developers wanted to use the site to make the institution, its events, and exhibits accessible to those who couldn’t attend in person.

The domain change from .com to .org emphasizes the organization’s focus on being a not-for-profit educational entity. Accordingly, staff e-mails have changed and they can now be reached at firstinitallastname@countrymusichalloffame.org.

Among the upcoming events at the Hall:

Sat., Nov. 14—Songwriter Session with Marshall Chapman at 11:30 a.m. Followed by an Interview and Performance with Norbert Putnam as part of Nashville Cats: A Celebration of Music City Musicians at 1:30 p.m.

Tues., Nov. 17—Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum Interview with Mary Martin at 6:00 p.m. (free)

CMA Honors Media Achievements

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The Country Music Association celebrated members of the national and international media this week while they were in town for the CMA Awards. Receiving trophies were PEOPLE’s Cynthia Sanz and BBC Radio 2’s Al Booth.

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Shelton and Sanz

Veteran print journalist Cynthia Sanz, Assistant Managing Editor for PEOPLE, received the 2009 CMA Media Achievement Award during the CMA Awards Media-Publicist Brunch on Awards day (11/11). On hand to present the trophy was Warner Bros. recording artist Blake Shelton.

BBC Radio 2 Executive Producer Al Booth was surprised at this week’s CMA International Media Reception when she was presented with the 2009 Wesley Rose International Media Achievement Award. A lifelong Country Music fan, Booth is the Country Music specialist at the United Kingdom’s most popular radio station BBC Radio 2, with a weekly reach of nearly 13.5 million listeners.

(l-r) CMA International Consultant Bobbi Boyce, Booth, CMA Board Member Victoria Shaw, and CMA Senior Manager of Membership & Industry Relations Hank Adam Locklin.

(L-R) CMA International Consultant Bobbi Boyce, Booth, CMA Board Member Victoria Shaw, and CMA Senior Manager of Membership & Industry Relations Hank Adam Locklin.

“People Country” Issue Out Tomorrow

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people2The new issue of PEOPLE Country comes out tomorrow (11/13), with Alan and Denise Jackson on the cover. Available only on newsstands it is the last of five special Country issues to be published by PEOPLE this year.

In the magazine, the Jacksons talk about the things that bring them joy, such as their 30-year marriage and their daughters Mattie, Ali and Dani. Other superstars who sat down with PEOPLE for the issue are Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, and Toby Keith.

Also included, Keith Urban discusses the 10 songs that changed his life and the magazine takes a look at Garth Brooks’ road from retirement. Carrie Underwood honors a childhood mentor who encouraged her to try singing, and Zac Brown takes stock of what made 2009 his best year yet, including having baby Georgia. Elsewhere in the magazine, Michelle Branch, Chuck Wicks and Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott share the secrets behind their favorite yuletide treats.

And PEOPLE Country is offering free downloads of songs from Sugarland, Gretchen Wilson and more at www.people.com/free.

Digital Tracks And Albums Set New Highs

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itracksAccording to Nielsen SoundScan, four artists have broken the digital track sales record set last year (2008) by Rihanna who sold 9.9 million tracks. Of course, the year is far from over, with respect to sales.

Year-to-date, Michael Jackson leads track sales for 2009 having sold 11.3 million. Lady Gaga fans have purchased 11.1 million tracks and Black Eyed Peas (BEP) have also shattered last year’s record with 10.3 million tracks. Fourth on the list of top selling track artists is Taylor Swift who has sold 9.98 million tracks YTD and will surely break Rihanna’s 2008 record next week.

SoundScan expects that total tracks sold will pass the one billion mark next week. Currently we are at 998.3 million tracks. The 2008 full year record of 65 million digital album sales will also be smashed next week. Currently digital album sales total 63.9 million.

Consumers Spending Less This Holiday

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graph2Thirty percent of consumers say they will spend less money during the upcoming holiday shopping season than in years past, according to leading market research company The NPD Group, Inc. This is a slight increase from last year’s poll of consumers asking the same question.

The National Retail Federation is projecting holiday retail industry sales to decline 1% this year to $437.6 billion. While this number falls significantly below the 10-year average of 3.39% holiday season growth, the decline is not expected to be as dramatic as last year’s 3.4% drop in holiday retail sales.

A 3% decline in annual retail industry sales is expected for 2009 as a whole.

A separate survey by Burst Media says 85.3% of respondents will shop online this holiday.graph1

Opry Show To Stream On MySpace

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carrie-newThe Grand Ole Opry, the world’s longest-running radio show, and MySpace are uniting to live stream an Opry performance with video for the first time. On Nov. 14, 9 – 10 p.m. ET fans can view the live show featuring Opry member and country superstar Carrie Underwood, CMA new artist nominee Jake Owen, and more. The show will be hosted on MySpace Music in cooperation with Ustream. For more information, go to myspace.com/grandoleopry.

Underwood will perform music from her just-released CD Play On, including the fastest-rising single of her career to date, “Cowboy Casanova.”

Opry performances are held every weekend of the year and the Tuesday Night Opry continues through Dec. 15. To plan an Opry visit, or to purchase packages, call (800) SEE-OPRY or log on to opry.com. The Opry is being staged at the historic Ryman Auditorium through Jan. 30, 2010. Fans can stay connected to the Opry via MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Videos: CMT’s Aldean Exclusive, Covington’s Hometown Shoot

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Jason Aldean

Jason Aldean

CMT will host the television premiere of Jason Aldean’s new video, “The Truth,” on Nov. 13. The week leading up to the premiere will include various multi-platform exclusives across CMT properties. Fans can visit CMT.com or m.CMT.com on their mobile phones for a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the video. Twitter followers of @jason_aldean and @FollowCMT get a “tweet” peek of the video Nov. 10, and it premieres at CMT.com and CMT Mobile on Nov. 12. The week concludes with a visit from Aldean to the set of CMT Top 20 Countdown, where he introduces the world television premiere of “The Truth,” on Nov. 13 at 10:00 a.m, CT.

The video, directed by Deaton Flanigen, was filmed in Nashville in 30-degree weather to achieve a cold and rainy look.

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Bucky Covington Photo credit: David McClister

Bucky Covington; Photo credit: David McClister

For his recent video shoot, Bucky Covington returned to his hometown Rockingham, NC. “Gotta Be Somebody” was directed by Devin Pense, and the live concert video was shot in the town square. Filmed during Covington’s homecoming concert, the video features a packed crowd of over 6,000 fans, friends and family. It debuted on CMT.com and is now in television rotation. The single is a country version of Nickelback’s No. 1 hit, and is from Covington’s sophomore album, I’m Alright, set for release in spring 2010.

Sony Moves McKinley, Reworks Marketing Dept.

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lmSony Music Nashville Marketing Vice President Tom Baldrica announced today (11/9) that Laura McKinley has assumed the post of Manager, Marketing & Artist Development for the label group’s Arista Nashville and RCA Nashville imprints. A seven-year company veteran, McKinley first became Manager, Marketing & Artist Development in 2007, most recently working with the BNA and Columbia Nashville labels.

Remarking on the shift in responsibilities, Baldrica praised, “Laura’s drive, focus, and creativity are undeniable. We’re currently in the process of filling a senior vacancy in the department, and having Laura’s experience and ability in place for these labels is ideally suited to keeping things on track and flowing smoothly.”

In her new role, McKinley will be a key member of the marketing team working with such artists as Brooks & Dunn, Jason Michael Carroll, Sara Evans, Danny Gokey, Alan Jackson, Jypsi, Martina McBride, Jake Owen, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Chuck Wicks, and Chris Young.

An announcement of a new head of marketing & artist development for Arista Nashville and RCA will be forthcoming.

Jon Elliot was previously VP of Marketing & Artist Development for Arista Nashville and the RCA Records label. In June he and fellow former Sony exec. Christian Svendsen formed W.A.Y. Entertainment, offering management and marketing services.