Each week, SphereMagazine.com reports the biggest business moves in the media industry.

- Further proof that the music industry is moving away from the standard major label model, Koch Records, once thought of as the “graveyard” for artists past their prime, has created a new outlet for independent, yet still commercially viable labels. Koch Label Services, acting as a go-between for artists’ labels and Koch distribution, is the newly formed division of the Koch family, which will allow labels access to the Koch distribution company while still giving them some semblance of creative independence. Ten years from now, when every hip-hop single on the radio is released by an indie label, just remember that this is where the movement started. Why pay some overpaid Def Jam exec to mismanage your release and miss your audience when you can create your own publicity and pay half the price to distribute?

- Earlier this week, the Copyright Royalty Board decided to push back any decision regarding a royalty increase for web radio, giving net radio enthusiasts some breathing room. Currently, no royalty charges are paid by terrestrial or internet radio networks, with satellite radio providers paying a 5-7% surcharge for songs played. Of course, one has to think that instead of pursuing royalty fees, labels should find a way to use the free publicity provided by the web to groom their lesser known artists prior to their release. Then again, common sense 101 is clearly something that label execs, still yearning for the days of multi-platinum releases on the strength of radio airplay, refuse to accept.

- Further ignorance toward the basics of Common Sense 101, the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) announced plans to pursue further lawsuits against university students downloading albums illegally. When profits are down, you know who it’s probably not a great idea to assault? Potential consumers. Someone get the idiot stick and beat the label heads with it, please.

- The internet is now officially your publicity machine, creative masses. Jessica Rose, AKA Lonelygirl15 of YouTube fame, has graduated from the internet video window to your local theater. Perfect Sport, a film about a girl who joins her wrestling team and upstages her older brother, is set to star the internet phenomenon. Hey, actress scrounging, scraping, and doing who knows what else to get noticed, this girl who owns a laptop and a webcam just got a starring role in a feature film. EXPAND YOUR MIND!

BY ZAC SOTO

del.icio.us! | Share on Facebook

See Also:

No related posts

<-->

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 6th, 2007 at 8:10 pm and is filed under Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.