DeWolf: MySpace Actively Talking to Independents

A ramped-up MySpace Music will include participation from the independent label sector, according to information offered by MySpace chief executive and cofounder Chris DeWolf on Thursday. "They will definitely be involved in it," DeWolf told Digital Music News. "We are actively reaching out to different groups that are representing independent labels," the executive continued, though specific companies were not disclosed. "Independent artists are what helped us get started," DeWolf indicated. (Digital Music News)

Paying the Piper

Independent musicians express skepticism about industry idea to levy internet fee to pay for music. After Portfolio.com reported that Warner Music Group was exploring the idea of adding a monthly fee to consumers' internet-access bills to pay for music downloads, the digital music community rose up to ask: What about us? "It's the talk of the industry right now," Phil Crosland, the marketing chief of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, said. (Portfolio)

The 2008 conference video series: Domino Records' Laurence Bell

Laurence Bell, founder, of pioneering UK label Domino Records (Arctic Monkeys, Junior Boys, Franz Ferdinand...) was interviewed by A&R Worldwide's Sat Bisla as part of MIDEM 2008's Talent Only initiative. (Midemnet's Blog)

Indie labels take e-commerce into their own hands

With their digital download sites, a growing number of indie rock labels have begun to answer the prayers of fans who would love to hear long-out-of-print singles on their iPods or other mobile devices. Merge Records became the latest to join the field with the recent launch of its online emporium, which, according to label president Mac McCaughan, features "high-quality MP3s and full FLAC (free lossless audio codec) files of recent, older and out-of-print titles. (Reuters, Ars Technica)

SanDisk Promotes DRM-Free Music from More Than 50 Emerging Artists

SanDisk Corporation announced the company will promote DRM-free music from more than 50 new and emerging artists on a microSD card. This U.S.-based program is the first of its kind to use microSD cards, and helps launch the new 8GB (gigabyte)1 Sansa Fuze MP3 player. The “Sansa Sessions” microSD card is comprised of a collection of rock, pop, and hip hop songs, music videos, and photos from more than 30 labels. Featured artists include All Time Low, Ladytron, Magnet, Nada Surf, Of Montreal and The Coup. (PR)

The Orchard Launches a New Suite of Digital Sales & Marketing Label Tools

The Orchard, a global leader in digital music, video and new media services, announced the launch of an innovative, next-generation business-to-business tool set called the Artist/Label Workstation (ALW). The ALW offers Orchard’s artist and label clients with powerful online administration and reporting tools, digital marketing reporting and analysis, accounting administration and royalty analysis. (PR)

Beggars Group and QTRAX Sign Digital License Contract

Chairman and CEO of QTRAX Allan Klepfisz announced that Beggars Group has signed a digital distribution licensing agreement with QTRAX, the free and legal ad-supported peer-to-peer music network. Beggars Banquet, 4AD, XL Recordings, Rough Trade Records, Mantra Records, Mo'Wax Records, Locked On Records, Matador Records, Too Pure Records and Wiiija are all part of Beggars Group. The labels are distributed by Alternative Distribution Alliance in the United States. (PR)

Terry McBride: “ A True 360 Deal Should Include Stock Options”

In order to align the musicians' interests with those of their record label or management company, they should get stock options, much like the company executives get. That way, it would be a true partnership in building the artists' brands for the long run, according to Terry McBride, CEO Nettwerk Management. (Digital Media Wire)

blinkx expands partnership with Ministry of Sound

Video search engine blinkx has expanded its partnership with Ministry of Sound TV (MoSTV), a digital content provider for dance music entertainment, adding hundreds of MoSTV videos to the blinkx platform. (Digital Media News)

Pitchfork to Launch Online Music TV Channel April 7

As a visual extension of the music coverage Pitchfork has provided for more than a decade, and a means of updating and advancing the music television format, Pitchfork.tv, the first-ever music video channel dedicated to documenting independent music as it happens, will bring you closer to the artists you love, through original mini-documentaries, secret rooftop and basement sessions, full concerts, exclusive interviews, and the most carefully curated selection of music videos online. (Pichtfork)

Major Indie Artists Release Albums On AmieStreet.com, Giving Pricing Power To Fans

Cat Power, The National, and Of Montreal are among the many distinguished artists releasing their music on AmieStreet.com today. The release of top artists from industry leaders Beggars Group, Matador Records, and Polyvinyl Recording Co. reinforces the growing trend of fan- driven pricing as the future of the music industry. All songs on Amie Street, including the thousands being released today, are initially free to download and then rise in price based on popularity, up to 98 cents. (PR)

TVT's Bankruptcy A Warning For Chart-Driven Indies

TVT's bankruptcy is not terribly surprising. Its top artists represent two of the genres that are lost in a transitioning market. First you have rappers like Lil' Jon. Rap has lost crossover fans, and they won't return any time soon. Then you have radio-friendly rock bands like Default that have less of a place in today's marketplace than they did at the beginning of the decade. (Coolfer)

Rental Redefined: eMusic Strikes Avis Partnership

Rent a car, get some independent MP3s.  That is a proposition being presented by eMusic and Avis, an unusual pairing.  According to information shared Tuesday, Avis renters will be given access to a handful of free downloads supplied by eMusic.  Additionally, eMusic will offer a collection of playlists geared towards seasons, destinations, and other pertinent themes. (DigitaMusicNews)

Music Label TVT Records Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

TVT Records, long ranked as one of the top independent labels in the recording industry, filed for bankruptcy protection Tuesday as part of an overhaul that involved staff cutbacks and the closing of certain international offices, the company said. Until recently, TVT, based in New York, had been able to weather the industry’s sales falloff with hits from artists like the rapper Lil Jon. But the company was hit last year with a $9.1 million court judgment after a federal jury in Miami decided that it had interfered with another company’s plan to release old recordings of the rapper Pitbull, who is now on TVT’s roster. (NY Times, Reuters)

Exclusive Interview: OurStage.com's Ben Campbell

4QFor (Four Questions For) series with Ben Campbell, the CEO of indie music site OurStage.com which takes a "Let The Fans Decide" contest approach to music discovery. (Hypebot)

eMusic Launches A&R Program

eMusic, the world's largest retailer of independent music -- and the world's second-largest digital music service after iTunes -- announced today the creation of eMusic Selects, a highly curated boutique music space launching February 12 on eMusic that will showcase unsigned and underexposed new artists. (PR)

Luddite and paranoid - why the big record labels failed at digital

After hearing from IFPI chairman John Kennedy here this week, you'd expect a very different view of the music business from Martin Mills, chairman of British indie the Beggars Group - and you'd be right. Mills helped create IMPALA, the indies' European trade association, which successfully challenged the Sony BMG merger in 2006, and the proposed Time Warner-EMI merger in 2001. He was awarded an MBE in the New Year's Honours list. (The Register)

Merlin conjures up first board meeting

Merlin, the global licensing agency announced a year ago to represent independent record labels, had its first board meeting at this year's Midem music market and chairman Bob Franck said Tuesday that it is not far from announcing its first deals. "The business has been turned upside down and they're cutting deals with all the large companies, so Merlin is about gaining access that individual labels cannot get," Franck said, speaking on a panel during the International Indie Summit. (Hollywood Reporter)

eMusic Bolsters Classical, Jazz Roster

Digital entertainment retailer eMusic has bolstered its classical/jazz roster with a number of label signings including UK-based Chandos Records, Telarc and Harmonia Mundi. (Billboard)

Rhino Website Goes Live

The Rhino label has launched its own music site, primarily to promote its U.K. releases. The site, at www.rhino.tv, offers some 2,000 free-to-access videos, exclusive content, artist interviews and information. Rhino claims that the free, high quality nature of the material makes this a first for a label. (Billboard)