Universal extends music market share

According to the Informa Telecoms and Media publication Music & Copyright, Universal continued its strong success in 2007, dominating both the recorded and music publishing sectors. It grew its market share of the recorded music market to 28.8 percent from 25.7 in 2006. Sony BMG was second with 20.1 percent, ahead of Warner at 14.4 percent and EMI with 10.9. (The Guardian)

MySpace Settles With Universal Music

News Corp.'s MySpace has settled a long-running copyright lawsuit with Universal Music Group, a deal that gives the social network the go-ahead to launch its own music joint venture. Universal gets a "huge" cash payment in return for settling the 2006 lawsuit, perhaps in the $100 million range. WMG and Sony-BMG will also get cash from the deal, but much smaller payments. (Silicon Alley Insider)

MySpace and Record Companies Create Music Site

As part of the deal, MySpace will spin out its popular MySpace Music service as an independent joint venture in partnership with Universal Music, Sony BMG and Warner Music Group. EMI, the fourth major label, is not a part of the deal at this time, but people involved in the negotiations said it would probably join soon. The music companies will own minority stakes in the venture and will make their entire music catalogs available. (NY Times, LA Times, Financial Times, Business Week, Billboard, AP, PaidContent, PR)

Universal Music Invests in Digital Distributor INgrooves

Universal Music Group announced on Tuesday that it has made a strategic investment in digital music distributor INgrooves, and will partner with the company to distribute music. San Francisco-based INgrooves recently served as the exclusive digital distributor for Dolly Parton's "Backwoods Barbie" album, and also provides distribution and marketing services for partners including ESL Music, VP Records and Stones Throw Records. (Digital Media Wire, PR)

Buzznet Gets Investment From Interscope-Universal Music; Buys Stereogum; Acquisitions Coming?

Pop culture-focused social media site Buzznet, based in Los Angeles, has raised a big-ish third round of funding, as much as $25 million, we have learned, and that Universal Music-owned Interscope has invested a few million in it. A source close to the company tells us that Qloud, the music application maker backed by Steve Case, has been sold to Buzznet for a “little over their last round valuation. Qloud makes the “My Music” application on Facebook (with similar products on Bebo, Friendster, and hi5), which has 1.8 million installed users. (PaidContent, Mashable)

Online, Mobile Percentages Keep Tilting at Majors

Just last month, top digital executives Ted Mico (Island Geffen A&M) and Thomas Hesse (Sony BMG) pointed to breakdowns of nearly 40 percent during discussions in New York. And earlier this week, Rio Caraeff, a top mobile and digital executive at Universal Music Group, offered more data. "Our mobile business is about half of our digital business, and our digital business is about 40-60 percent of our new releases," Caraeff told Digital Music News during the Mobile Monday symposium in Los Angeles. (Digital Music News)

Accenture to provide digital supply chain for Vivendi's Universal Music Group

Under the agreement, Accenture will provide a managed digital supply service that Universal Music will operate outside of North America. Accenture said it will collate and store Universal Music Group's audio and video content, artwork and metadata to distribute to the music company's mobile and digital business partners. (Thomson Financial, Trading Markets)

Live Nation in running for the Rolling Stones archives

Live Nation, the world's largest concert promotion firm, has emerged as a surprise bidder for the Rolling Stones back catalogue of hits as the band considers ending its relationship with EMI. Sir Mick Jagger has already taken the new live album, Shine A Light, to Universal Music, which owns earlier Stones recordings and was believed to be in pole position to secure further rights. But Live Nation, which poached Madonna from Warner Music in a £60 million deal and produces Rolling Stones global tours, which have grossed $1.5 billion (£748 million), is understood to have made a counteroffer. (Times Online)

Universal Music Group to Acquire Univision Music Group

Universal Music Group and Univision Communications Inc., a leading Spanish-language media company in the U.S., today announced a definitive agreement under which UMG will acquire Univision Music Group, including its music recording and publishing division. Univision Music Group is the #1 Latin record company in the U.S. (PR)

Fabchannel.com to record and distribute live concert of Universal Music Artists videos online

Fabchannel.com, a multiple-award-winning live music platform, announced a recording and multi-territory digital exploitation agreement with Universal Music Netherlands, a division of the world’s leading music company, for live recordings of Universal Music artists performing at the Paradiso in Amsterdam. Fans from around the globe will have access to live concert videos from international and local up-and-coming as well as established Universal Music artists performing at the Paradiso and other Fabchannel related venues. (PR, Billboard)

Universal France Launches Blog For Web Entrepreneurs

Universal Music France has launched a blog designed for Web entrepreneurs to submit new projects linking music with new technologies. Projects posted on the blog will be only visible by the Universal team, a spokeswoman tells Billboard.biz. The fate of those projects that prove to be of interest to the major remains vague at press time. (Billboard)

Chrysalis auction narrowed down to last four

Four bidders will enter the final phase of an auction for Chrysalis’s music publishing catalogue, according to people familiar with the process. The company is valued by analysts at between £160m and £170m ($310m-$330m). The bidders for Chrysalis Music – a catalogue that contains David Bowie and Ray LaMontagne – include EMI, Warner Chappell and Bug Music, a US minor label supported by Spectrum Equity Investors. (Financial Times)

UMG Hits Billion Mark On YouTube

Universal Music Group has streamed 1 billion music videos on YouTube, making it one of the site's most popular video channels, the two companies announced today. More than 8 million UMG videos are streamed each day on YouTube, keeping it on top of YouTube's Most Viewed- All Time chart for more than a year. UMG is streaming hundreds of millions more videos on the site than fellow major media companies CBS and NBC. (Billboard)

Google Elbows Into China With Free Music

In an effort to boost its market share in China, Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) Latest News about Google is reportedly in the final stages of a deal with Universal Music Group that would enable the Internet search giant to provide free music downloads to Chinese users. Citing sources close to the negotiations, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that two other global music labels -- EMI and Sony BMG -- are also being courted by Google and venture partner Top100.cn, an online music retailer out of Beijing. Warner Bros. Latest News about Warner Bros. is also said to have indicated its interest in the project. (eCommerce Times)

Universal earnings fall to £3.6bn

The record labels and music publishing business owned by French media conglomerate Vivendi said it increased market share in 2007 but revenues were down 1.7% to €4.9bn (£3.6bn) as the wider music industry continued to suffer. Once the group's acquisition of BMG Music Publishing and UK music group and merchandising business Sanctuary were taken into account revenues were up 3% on a constant currency basis. Without those new additions, revenues were down 3%, partly "reflecting a difficult music ­market". (The Guardian, News Observer, Coolfer)

Universal, Sony BMG Team on Digital Licensing in Asia

Universal Music Publishing Group and major record label Sony BMG on Tuesday announced a digital licensing agreement for the Southeast Asia and India markets, in some areas creating licensing rules in countries where none previously existed. the deal covers audio and video downloads, streaming and subscription services, and mobile products including ringtones and video; it does not cover the countries of Japan and Korea, where deals were already in place. (DigitalMediaWire)

Universal cements music publishing lead: report

Universal Music's publishing division has overtaken EMI as the world's leading major music publisher, according to market research on Monday. Music & Copyright (M&C), which is published by Informa said Universal's market share among major music groups rose to 24 percent in 2007 from 11.9 percent a year earlier. (Reuters)

Rolling Stones get no satisfaction from EMI

Sir Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones are preparing to follow Sir Paul McCartney and Radiohead and abandon EMI, the crisis-stricken British record label. The Rolling Stones have a five-year deal worth an estimated £14 million that expires in May. he Times has learnt that EMI’s rival, Universal Music, moved into pole position after winning the rights on Tuesday to distribute a one-off live album. In March, The Stones will release a CD to accompany the Martin Scorsese film Shine a Light, in which they are filmed playing two live gigs at New York’s Beacon Theatre. It will be released by Universal’s Polydor label. (The Times)

Ad2One to handle Universal online sales in UK

Universal Music Group (UMG) has appointed Ad2One as the exclusive digital sales house for its portfolio of music websites, including the official sites for artistes Girls Aloud, Amy Winehouse and Razorlight. Ad2One will sell UMG's UK sites, as well as selling online advertising, sponsorship deals and integrated campaigns across the group's US artiste sites. Universal Music is rolling out a number of advertising tools in 2008, including "in video" profiling, plus opportunities for advertisers to tie up with video premieres of high-profile musicians. (Brand Republic)

Universal Music Group Pacts With SendMe Mobile

Universal Music Group, the world's leading music company, and SendMe, Inc., a leading mobile media company, today announced a licensing agreement whereby UMG's extensive catalog of chart-topping hit songs would be made available to members of SendMeMobile.com. (PR)