What blog? :unsure:

 

:angry:

 

& I guess we paid for it as well...

 

Robbie needs a new manager...

 

<_<

I'm not best pleased. Talk about taking us fans for mugs.... :rolleyes:

http://i42.tinypic.com/29ony4l.jpg

 

Kanye's Blog Scores With Fans, Advertisers

January 18, 2009 - Global | Digital and Mobile | RB Hip-Hop

 

By Andre Paine, Cannes

 

Rapper Kanye West was described as one of the most effective communicators with his fans, during a panel discussion at the MidemNet conference in Cannes.

 

The "Serving Artists, Serving Fans" discussion, moderated by Billboard international bureau chief Mark Sutherland, focused on creating value from the relationship between fans and artists. MidemNet is a two-day conference covering the digital music business.

 

Bryan Calhoun, VP of new media and external affairs at Sound Exchange, is a consultant to Kanye West and says the rapper is "very active with communicating with his fans" on his blog and sometime posts seven or eight times a day. His music recommendations on the site have made him something of a tastemaker, or "curator for what is cool" according to Calhoun.

 

"It's definitely him," Calhoun added, referring to the entries at www.kanyeuniversecity.com/blog. "It's totally authentic. You can't pay to put things on there [West's recommendations] -- people have tried." He declined to say who had tried.

 

The "significant amount of traffic" to the blog also means it makes money from advertising, Calhoun added.

 

Mailouts and annoucements to fans are specifically from West, never attributed to Island/Def Jam, which Calhoun said is crucial in personalizing the service and making the connection. He stressed that West is "very particular" about the messaging and there is complete control over his online activity at the blog and other platforms.

 

"The digital footprint we've amassed for him is really significant," said Calhoun.

 

Australian pop singer Sia, one of the artists recommended by West on his blog, is represented by another of the panelists, Tim Clark of IE Music. He also manages U.K. pop act Robbie Williams.

 

Sia was dropped by a major a few years ago, but Clark said that has worked out for her. "Now we wouldn't have it any other way," said Clark. "It meant we could go out and find the best service providers in the world."

 

He said that technology "allows fans to connect with the fans and vice versa" and he doubted that majors are even the best option for acts that require global marketing. "We are happy to talk to majors about global marketing solutions, but at the moment their costs are too high," said Clark. "What we have to give away is ludicrously high."

 

Clark also wanted to see some of the power swing back to artists, away from Apple iTunes and MTV. "I don't think artists have got a fair return," he said. "I think he [steve Jobs] got a great deal from us, as did MTV."

 

Fans of late artists also have to be carefully considered, too, according David Schulhof, co-founder and co-CEO of U.S. publisher EverGreen Copyrights, which controls rights to dead artists including folk singer Nick Drake and Roy Orbison.

 

Schulhof announced during the discussion that Evergreen has signed a deal with Jack Johnson's Brushfire Records label to release a Nick Drake tribute album, featuring covers by Johnson, Dave Grohl, Eddie Vedder and Norah Jones.

 

"Fans are willing to pay for that kind of product," he said. "I don't think labels are doing that and I certainly don't think publishers are doing that."

 

The recording process was filmed and will be released as a DVD package. It will also include the late actor Heath Ledger's version of "Black Eyed Dog," filmed in late 2007 for a multimedia installation about Drake but never officially released.

 

A disaster for labels, artists and fans': music stock crisis angers UK retailers

 

 

Significant stock delays at the UK’s leading CD distributor have sparked “huge anger” among retailers and could spell disaster for labels, artists and music fans at Christmas.

 

That’s according to the Entertainment Retailers Association - the trade representative of retailers including Amazon and HMV in the UK.

 

ERA told Music Week that the distributor’s backlog, resulting in delays of up to a week, is “simply not good enough”.

 

“There is huge anger among retailers who rely on timely deliveries at this important time of the year,” said ERA director general Kim Bayley. “Up to a week’s delay on orders is simply not good enough. What is more galling is that the issue was raised weeks ago and Arvato should have been prepared.

 

“This is not just an issue for retailers – it is potentially disastrous for labels, for artists and for music fans,” she added. “If Arvato do not tackle their problems within days, it is likely that music simply won’t make it into many people’s Christmas stockings at all.”

 

At the end of last week, a spokesperson from Arvato told Music Week: “We’d like to apologise to anyone who has been affected by a delay in receiving their stock and can assure them that we’re doing everything we can to rectify the situation as soon as possible."

 

The apology followed after retailers and wholesalers across the country contacted Music Week expressing concerns over the delays, with one Arvato customer saying that the distributor “appears to have completely underestimated how busy Christmas would be”.

 

The Arvato spokesperson added: “If anyone has a question relating to a delayed delivery, they can contact our customer services team on 0330 100 0640 for more information.”

 

Pick up Thursday’s issue of Music Week for an update and full reaction from the UK entertainment retail world.

 

musicweek.com

Who are Arvato? :unsure:

Robbie Williams - Robbie Williams Suffers Earnings Slump

 

British pop star Robbie Williams has suffered a major slump in income over the last few years due to declining record sales, according to his manager.

 

The Take That's star's longtime aide, Tim Clark of ie:music, made the revelation while addressing politicians at a parliamentary conference debating the future of the record industry.

 

Clark spoke about his most famous client, revealing Williams is now pulling in only a fraction of the earnings he used to, saying, "I represent Robbie Williams but also a number of smaller acts. But I have got to tell you it is damned difficult. It is difficult enough for Robbie Williams whose revenues from recorded music have plummeted. His revenues are nothing like what they were five or six years ago."

 

He went on to talk about the impact of the digital music revolution, claiming artists like Williams now have to sell out huge tours in order to make any real money as recorded music revenues are "going down incredibly quickly".

 

Clark also complained about the amount of extra work which has come with the rise of social media, adding, "The amount of content that artists have to make now is crazy. They are tweeting, they are making stuff for Facebook, they are making stuff for YouTube... It is unbelievable how much stuff artists have to do in order to try and get people (to) come and buy their tickets or their merchandise - all these things they have to do to make a living.Because, believe you me, they ain't making a living out of recorded music. That's a fact."

 

 

contactmusic.com

Changed days indeed. But we've been saying this for a couple of years now. The money is now in touring. Just as well Robbie has conquered his stage fright. Otherwise he'd be broke....

I know :blink: , nothing to do with Robbie but could find nowhere else to post this ;)

 

I cannot tell you how excited I am by U2's new single Your'e The Best Thing About Me :cheer:

 

 

 

I think it might be a huge hit

 

 

 

 

Edited September 9, 20177 yr by Sydney11

Is it correct Tess that U2 had their first hit in 1979? :o

Yes :)

Is it correct Tess that U2 had their first hit in 1979? :o

 

 

 

& this was their first tv appearance :lol: