Added 19/11/2008 by ronni

Music sales down in France despite growth in digital

The wholesale value of the French recorded music market in the first nine months of 2008 decreased to €382 million, down 13.9% from the corresponding period last year, according to new figures issued by labels trade body SNEP. It follows a 20.5% year-on-year shortfall registered for the first nine months in 2007.

The reduction in the rate of decline is mainly due to a stronger growth in digital sales, up 52.6% to €52.8 million. Digital represented 14% of the French market during the period.

"These are good figures," commented Christophe Lameignère, chairman and CEO of Sony BMG France and president of SNEP at a press conference held in Paris.

Lameignère said that the digital growth was mainly attributable to new deals signed by French mobile carriers Orange and SFR, which included fees paid to record companies as part of a guaranteed minimum income. Streaming and subscription services represented 21% of digital sales, compared with 33.7% for Internet download and 45.1% for mobile income.

Overall, classical repertoire represented 8% of France's recorded music market, down from 9.4% in the corresponding period in 2007.

The share of local repertoire in non-classical music was 58.3%, down from 59%.

SNEP director general Hervé Rony expressed his hopes for the "Internet and creation" law currently in the adoption process in France, designed to help circumvent online piracy.

"We know the law won't eradicate online piracy," added Lameignère, "still, we hope it will help reduce it to acceptable levels."

In his Sony BMG France role, Lameignère committed to abandon DRM on a-la-carte download services as soon as the law would be adopted and hinted other major companies would be ready to do the same. "It is crucial that we act altogether at the same time in order to send a strong message to the public," he said.

According to Billboard

Added 18/11/2008 by ronni

WME picks up new electronic clients after agency closure

New York-based electronic booking agency Vital Talent, founded by agent Gerry Gerrard, has closed its doors.

Gerrard has left the agency business to pursue artist management and promotion under his original company Chaotica.

As a result of the closure, Vital Talent clients the Chemical Brothers, Underworld, the Prodigy, Sandra Collins, the Orb and Mark Knight will join the roster of William Morris Electronic (WME), the electronic music division of Los Angeles-based talent firm William Morris Agency (WMA).

"I am looking forward to working with Sam Kirby and the William Morris team to take electronic music into the mainstream where it belongs," Gerrard said in a statement via WME. He was not available for further comment at deadline.

WME, a joint venture between the William Morris Agency and British DJ Pete Tong, launched in August. The new electronic music division aims to create a "boutique agency model within the larger agency," WME’s Joel Zimmerman recently told Billboard.

In addition to Tong and Zimmerman, WME is overseen by WMA booking agents David Levy in London, Kirby in New York and Marc Geiger in Beverly Hills, Calif.

The division's roster includes Paul van Dyk, Soulwax, Thievery Corporation, Basement Jaxx, Deadmau5, Fatboy Slim, DJ Shadow, Goldfrapp, Groove Armada and the Crystal Method, among many others.

According to Billboard

Added 17/11/2008 by ronni

Music dominates German Live Entertainment sector

Live music in Germany generated revenues of €2.8 billion in 2007, according to the first full survey of the country's live entertainment business since 1995.

According to the survey by Nuremberg-based research company GfK, music events accounted for some 70% of revenues and 82% of ticket sales during 2007, with the remainder including comedy, cabaret and theatrical performances. In total, the live entertainment sector generated revenues of €3.87 billion.

Music's share of that total overshadows the €1.6 billion in trade value reported by IFPI for the recorded-music industry in 2007. The survey, conducted on behalf of the Hamburg-based German Federal Live Entertainment Association (IDKV), found that stage musicals accounted for the largest individual segment of live entertainment revenues with a 21% share (€813 million).

The survey also revealed that 53% of all Germans attended one or more music performances last year and a total of 127.3 million tickets were sold for all live performances. Ticket-buyers over the age of 50 bought €1.9 billion worth of tickets, 49% of the grand total.

According to GfK, concert-goers paid an average of €44 per ticket for rock/pop concerts and €60 for musicals.

According to Billboard