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1. Scalpers Pass On Oklahoma Twister Relief Concert

   July 05, 2013 12:58 PM EDT A concert benefiting Oklahoma tornado victims has drawn some of the biggest names in country music, but with proceeds intended for charity it is not attracting scalpers hoping to prey on an unsuspecting public. Oklahoma natives Toby Keith and Ga ...

2. Chart Moves: AWOLNATION 'Sail's Onto Mainstream Top 40; Avicii Evolves; Lorde Keeps Leaping With 'Royals'

   July 05, 2013 10:00 AM EDT As previously reported, Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines," featuring T.I. + Pharrell, spends a fourth week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, while Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' "Same Love," featuring Mary Lambert, roar ...

3. Led By Daft Punk, UK Singles Sales On Track for Record Year

   July 05, 2013 8:22 AM EDT   Strong sales of digital singles during the first half of the year look set to make 2013 another record year for music singles sales in the U.K., the Official Charts Company is predicting. "2013 looks to become the biggest year for singles ...

4. Samsung Reports Record Profits, Shares Tumble on Smartphone Outlook

   July 05, 2013 8:05 AM EDT Samsung Electronics Co. reported record quarterly profit Friday but its shares tumbled on doubts its mainstay smartphone business can maintain rapid growth. Samsung Electronics Co. on Friday estimated its April-June operating profit at a record ...

5. J. Cole Album Could Move to No. 1 on Billboard 200 Next Week

   July 03, 2013 8:23 PM EDT 32 0 0 It's not often that an album climbs to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, but that's just what might happen next week. J. Cole's "Born Sinner," which debuted at No. 2 a week ago, looks like it should take the throne next ...

6. Nielsen SoundScan Mid-Year Report: Digital Album and Single Sales Slow

   July 03, 2013 7:50 PM EDT 1 7 4 0 0 Digital tracks sales are on the decline and the trend is accelerating. For the year to date as of June 30, digital track sales have declined 2.3% to 682.2 million units from the 698 million units that tracks scanned in the first half of 2012, ac ...

7. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' Gay Equality Anthem 'Same Love' Hits Top 20 on Billboard Hot 100

   July 03, 2013 6:04 PM EDT Song gains in sales, airplay and streams following U.S. Supreme Court rulings on gay marriage issues Following the United States Supreme Court rulings on two separate gay marriage issues (June 26), Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' gay equality ...

8. Robin Thicke's 'Blurred Lines' Holds Atop Hot 100

   July 03, 2013 1:11 PM EDT Robin Thicke tallies a fourth week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Blurred Lines," featuring T.I. and Pharrell. Also impressively, "Lines" becomes the first song in six months to sell more than 400,000 downloads in mu ...

9. Justin Timberlake, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Lead 2013 Mid-Year SoundScan Charts

   July 03, 2013 11:00 AM EDT 4 2 19 24 0 At the midway point in 2013, Justin Timberlake's "The 20/20 Experience" and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' "Thrift Shop" (featuring Wanz), lead as the year's biggest-selling album and digital song in the United ...

10. RIAA Updates Rules Before Jay-Z's 'Magna Carta'

    July 01, 2013 8:35 PM EDT The RIAA has heard Jay-Z's #newrules loud and clear. The music industry's trade organization will update its policies to allow its digital album certifications to be handed out upon release date, rather than after the 30-day waiting pe ...

11. From the Magazine: The New DIY -- Your Music Career in Your Hands

    July 01, 2013 2:00 PM EDT 5 54 45 2 0 The following excerpts are from the "The New DIY: Your Career In Your Hands" cover package featured in the new issue of Billboard (July 7)  and inlcude Ed Chrstman's look at the changing marketplace for independent distributors; ...

12. Christopher 'Tricky' Stewart Exits Epic A&R Helm

    June 28, 2013 9:14 PM EDT 4 17 47 1 0 In an unexpected move, Christopher “Tricky” Stewart has exited his post as Epic Records’ president of A&R to concentrate on producing. The Grammy Award-winning songwriter/producer joined the label in that role in October 2011. There was no ...

13. Business Matters: What iTunes Radio Will Actually Pay

    June 28, 2013 7:24 PM EDT 68 25 46 2 0 A close look at the iTunes licensing agreement for indie labels shows iTunes Radio royalties have limited downside and strong upside. The minimum royalty calculation ensures labels will be paid a decent royalty until iTunes Radio becomes effe ...

14. Chart Moves: Justin Timberlake's '20/20' First Album to Sell 2 Million in 2013

    June 28, 2013 9:00 AM EDT This week on the Billboard 200 albums chart, it was a hip-hop affair in the top three . Kanye West, J. Cole and Mac Miller debuted new albums, respectively at Nos. 1-3 on the list. West's "Yeezus" led the rap parade, selling 327,0 ...

15. Business Matters: Microsoft's Music Announcements Underwhelm But Deserve Attention

    June 26, 2013 8:44 PM EDT On Wednesday, Microsoft unveiled a radio feature for Xbox Music and an interesting music feature that creates a playlist based on the contents of a web page. But a Microsoft event just doesn't capture attention like an Apple event. Microsof ...

16. Wale Heading for First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart

    June 26, 2013 7:21 PM EDT Rapper Wale should earn his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart next week with his new release, "The Gifted." Industry sources forecast the album to sell perhaps 150,000 copies by the end of the tracking week on Sunday, June 3 ...

17. It’s Official: Kanye West's 'Yeezus' Sells 327,000, Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200

    June 25, 2013 9:00 PM EDT 3 10 97 1 0 Kanye West's new album, "Yeezus," debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 327,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It's the biggest week for a rap album since Drake's "Take Car ...

18. First Official 2014 World Cup Song Released by Coca-Cola in Brazil

    June 25, 2013 7:44 PM EDT Less than a week before demonstrators in the streets of Brazil began protesting the high costs of hosting the 2014 FIFA World Cup, among other grievances, Coca-Cola sent a more positive message about the international event out to Brazilian socc ...

19. Billboard 200 Chart Preview: Kanye West's Lead Over J. Cole Shrinks

    June 21, 2013 8:10 PM EDT 3 29 54 1 0 After three full days on sale, Kanye West's "Yeezus" is still forecast to be No. 1 on next week's Billboard 200 chart. However, its lead over J. Cole's "Born Sinner" has shrunk to about 50,000 copies. Industr ...

20. Backbeat: Sony, iTunes Execs Hit the Scene, the Stranglers Rock the Spoke Club, DJs Spin Atop a Crane at Toronto's NXNE, MuchMusic Events

    June 21, 2013 10:15 AM EDT 1 59 14 0 0 Toronto has been crazy busy the past two weeks with North By Northeast, Luminato (still going), the MuchMusic Video Awards and piggybacking parties and events. Billboard.biz squeezed in a few, starting with the NXNE kick-off at Toronto’s Drake ...

21. Letter From The Editor: What Jay-Z's 'Magna Carta' Means For The Billboard 200 Chart

    June 21, 2013 9:28 AM EDT 6 179 162 6 0 "I don't follow any guidelines," Jay-Z says in "22 Twos," one of the standout tracks on his 1996 debut, "Reasonable Doubt." And there's no reasonable doubt that Jay's instincts to blaze trails hav ...

22. Chart Moves: Hezekiah Walker's Best Week Ever, Harry Connick Jr.'s 21st Top 10 Jazz Album

    June 21, 2013 9:00 AM EDT This week on the Billboard 200 albums chart, Black Sabbath scored its first No. 1 as "13" bowed in the top slot with 155,000 copies sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Elsewhere in the top 10, Big Time Rush, Goo Goo Dolls, the " ...

23. Rolling Stones Update iTunes Store, Remaster Albums

    June 20, 2013 9:10 AM EDT Continuing the celebration of their 50th anniversary as a band, the Rolling Stones have announced a new section of the iTunes Store dedicated exclusively to their music. There, fans will be able to purchase all of the Stones' studio albums, ...

24. Hip-Hop Super Tuesday Update: Kanye West Leads, J. Cole Gets Bigger

    June 19, 2013 6:36 PM EDT 24 9 0 0 June 18 was a Super Tuesday for hip-hop, with new albums from Kanye West, J. Cole and Mac Miller all going on sale that day. At the present, West's new "Yeezus" album is selling strongly -- though not quite as strongly as anticip ...

25. From the Magazine: How to Exponentially Increase the Digital Music Services Market

    June 18, 2013 1:44 PM EDT 1 0 6 0 0 This except from this week's Billboard magazine (cover date June 22, 2013) entitled "Easy Does It" is an in-depth look at the best ways for digital music services to exponentially increase market share. Also in this issue: Apple&# ...

26. Business Matters: Why An Artist Like Jay-Z Would Partner with Samsung

    June 17, 2013 8:26 PM EDT 17 63 100 0 0 It's no wonder that Jay-Z signed a partnership deal with the electronics giant Samsung that's rumored to be worth $20 million. The Korean company spends an incredible amount on advertising every year.   Samsung Electronics' ad ...

27. Nonprofit Pvblic Helps Justin Bieber-supported Charity Raise $400K, Working with Alicia Keys, Ne-Yo

    June 17, 2013 6:22 PM EDT Earlier this year, when Pencils of Promise was looking for a marketing partner to help spread the word about its annual Justin Bieber-supported Schools 4 All fund-raising campaign, the international education organization turned to the nonprofit ...

28. Black Sabbath Snare First No. 1 UK Album in 42 Years

    June 17, 2013 11:14 AM EDT The reunited Black Sabbath have established a new U.K. chart record for the longest gap between No. 1 albums. Their new set  13 (Vertigo/Universal) debuted at the summit yesterday (Sunday), 42 years and eight months after their second album  Par ...

29. Big Time Rush, 'Man of Steel' Soundtrack Heading for Top 10 on Billboard 200

    June 14, 2013 8:07 PM EDT Big Time Rush and the "Man of Steel" soundtrack are heading for top 10 debuts on the Billboard 200 albums chart next week. Industry sources suggest Big Time Rush's new "24/Seven" album could sell around 45,000 copies by ...

30. Kanye West, Mac Miller, J Cole: Hip-Hop's Super Tuesday

    June 14, 2013 3:01 PM EDT Next week could be the biggest for new rap albums in two-and-a-half years. June 18 sees the release of three hip-hop sets that are all on course for sizable sales debuts: Kanye West's "Yeezus," J. Cole's "Born Sinner&quo; ...

31. NMPA: David Israelite, RIAA's Cary Sherman Work to Mend Fences Between Publishers, Labels

    June 13, 2013 11:39 AM EDT At the National Music Publishers' Association annual meeting yesterday at the Marriott Marquis in New York City, NMPA president David Israelite pointed out that the music industry has moved beyond the period of copyright theft and denial of ...

32. Kanye West's 'Yeezus' Album Could Sell a Half-Million in First Week

    June 13, 2013 10:24 AM EDT 1 31 67 0 0 While Kanye West's new album "Yeezus" hasn't been released yet, sales forecasters in the music industry are buzzing about how much the set could sell in its first week.   Those in the know suggest the album, due out June 18 ...

33. Black Sabbath Soaring to First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart

    June 12, 2013 8:26 PM EDT Iconic rock band Black Sabbath is heading for its first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart. Industry sources suggest the group's new "13," released on Tuesday (June 11), may sell over 120,000 copies by the end of the tracking ...

34. Queens Of The Stone Age Get First No. 1 Album On Billboard 200

    June 12, 2013 11:00 AM EDT As forecast last week, rock band Queens of the Stone Age earns its first No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The group's new album, . . . Like Clockwork, opens atop the list with 91,000 sold in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The ne ...

35. Apple Debuts iTunes Radio

    June 10, 2013 3:27 PM EDT 35 34 47 0 0 Apple finally introduced the world to its anticipated Internet radio service at its World Wide Developers Conference Monday. Called iTunes Radio, the service works on iPhones, iPod Touches, iPads, iTunes on Mac computers and AppleTV. It will ...

36. Apple's 2013 WWDC Conference: What to Expect

    June 09, 2013 3:39 PM EDT 5 20 33 0 0 Apple is expected to reveal a digital radio service and changes to the software behind iPhones and iPads on Monday as the company opens its annual conference for software developers. Apple hasn't said what it will unveil at the Worldwide ...

37. Omnifone Adds 1.2 Million Subscribers In 6 Months

    June 07, 2013 12:52 PM EDT 5 0 0 Omnifone has added 1.2 million subscribers to its cloud-based music services in the last six months. The London-based company, which also has a U.S. office in the Los Angeles area, provides licensing and backend services for a variety of digital ...

38. Chart Moves: Paul McCartney & Wings Return, British Band Bastille Makes Chart Debut

    June 07, 2013 11:39 AM EDT This week on the Billboard 200 albums chart , Daft Punk's "Random Access Memories" held on at No. 1 for a second week, shifting 93,000 copies (down 73%), according to Nielsen SoundScan. It marked only the third album in this year ...

39. Adele, One Direction Help Britain to Record Global Album Market Share

    June 06, 2013 2:17 PM EDT The global success of acts One Direction and Adele helped nudge British artists to a record worldwide album sale share of 13.3 percent in 2012, the highest on record. In the U.S. -- described by the music industry trade body the BPI as the world ...

40. Queens of the Stone Age Heading for First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200

    June 05, 2013 7:18 PM EDT 1 10 21 0 0 Next week, rock band Queens of the Stone Age might get its first No. 1 album. Industry sources say the group's new release, "… Like Clockwork," could sell approximately 80,000 copies by the end of the tracking week on June 9. Th ...

41. PwC Report Forecasts 1% Growth for U.S. Music Market Through 2017

    June 05, 2013 4:48 PM EDT Led by gains in concerts and digital music, the overall U.S. music business can expect annual growth of just over 1% through 2017, according to a new report by PricewaterhouseCoopers.   PwC believes the concert business will grow at a compound a ...

42. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Juggernaut Rolls On: No. 1 on Hot 100 For Fifth Week, 24th Week In Top 10

    June 05, 2013 3:11 PM EDT Macklemore & Ryan Lewis notch a fifth week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Can't Hold Us," featuring Ray Dalton. Robin Thicke, meanwhile, lands his first Hot 100 top 10, as "Blurred Lines," featuring T.I. and ...

43. Daft Punk Scores Second Week At No. 1 On Billboard 200

    June 05, 2013 11:04 AM EDT Daft Punk's Random Access Memories holds at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for a second week, as the set shifts another 93,000, copies according to Nielsen SoundScan. It's down 73% in its second week, a not alarming sophomore frame decline ...

44. Business Matters: Signs That the Recorded-Music Market is Weakening Globally

    June 04, 2013 7:42 PM EDT The recorded music market is suddenly looking tired. Poor numbers out of France follow declining digital sales in the U.S. and weak first-quarter numbers in Japan. French recorded music industry group SNEP has revealed that total revenues were d ...

45. Independent Study: Cascine

    June 04, 2013 10:17 AM EDT 1 13 9 0 0 Label: Cascine Founded: 2010 Location: Brooklyn, NY Number of Employees: 2 Next Release: Selebrities, Lovely Things , June 25 Distributor: Redeye Twitter: @cascine_ Website: cascine.us "Independent Study" is a new column that will pro ...

46. Allegro Media Group Finalizes Acquisition of Mood Media Point-of-Purchase Systems

    June 03, 2013 2:12 PM EDT Allegro Media Group closed on its acquisition of Mood Media Entertainment's retail point-of-purchase assets, including 1,600 master recordings, by paying $2 million, according to the two companies. Mood Media acquired the Somerset Entertain ...

47. Daft Punk's 'Random Access Memories' Sells Whopping 19,000 Vinyl Copies in First Week -- at $39.98 List Price

    June 01, 2013 12:45 AM EDT 2 166 49 1 0 The sizzling sales statistics on Daft Punk's "Random Access Memories " just keep on coming. "Random Access Memories" moved 19,000 vinyl LPs in its first week on sale -- accounting for 15% of all vinyl albums sold last ...

48. Alice in Chains, Little Mix and John Fogerty Bound For Top Five on Billboard 200 Chart

    May 31, 2013 8:22 PM EDT Rock band Alice in Chains is set for its highest charting album since 1995 as "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" might start in the No. 2 slot on next week's Billboard 200 chart. Industry sources forecast the album might sell around 6 ...

49. Rihanna Earns Sixth Million-Selling Album

    May 31, 2013 3:09 PM EDT Pop diva Rihanna scores her sixth million-selling album in the U.S. this week, as her latest release,  Unapologetic , sails past the million mark, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Unapologetic , released late last year, sold another 9,000 (down 1 ...

50. Indie Beat: Captured Tracks is Opening a Retail Store (Q&A)

    May 31, 2013 1:31 PM EDT Having built a name over the past five years with signings including Wild Nothing, DIIV, Beach Fossils and more, Captured Tracks is breaking ground on a new endeavor -- its own retail store. As part of a pending move to a new, larger company hea ...

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