This Week in News

Recording Industry Should Brace for More Bad News
The exodus of big-ticket artists like Robbie Williams from EMI could be an indicator of things to come. The author argues that traditional labels are becoming obsolete as consumer habits change.
Author: Wayne Rosso
CNET News, January 18, 2008

MPAA Admits Mistake on Downloading Study
The MPAA has admitted that its 2005 study that claimed that 44 percent of profit loss from music downloading was due to students on college networks was wrong due to "human error." The new number: 15 percent, and another expert claims that the figure should be as low as 3 percent.
Author: Justin Pope
Associated Press, January 22, 2008

The Fight for the Dial: Will Low-Power FM Translate in Albuquerque?
While Clear Channel spends millions to start up a new radio station, a low-power station in a town near Albuquerque opened for just $20,000, operating out of a public library. But Clear Channel executives are trying to shut down the station, arguing it creates interference with their high-powered stations.
Author: Marissa Demarco
alibi.com, January 17, 2008

The Album is Dead
Album sales continue to plummet, with no end in sight, but sales for singles have remained strong. Digital pioneer and eccentric billionaire Mark Cuban suggests that artists should serialize their songs, releasing them individually over a span of a few months instead of in album-sized bursts.
Author: Mark Cuban
blogmaverick.com, January 17, 2008

Digital Tax Could Save the Music Industry From Itself
The Songwriters Association of Canada proposed charging a flat $5-a-month licensing fee on every wireless and Internet account in the country in exchange for unlimited access to all recorded music. The reception to the proposal has been tepid so far, but it warrants consideration.
Author: Greg Kot
Chicago Tribune, January 18, 2008

Rhap Session: Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
The 17-year-old rapper recently set the record for digital downloads of a single song, with over 3 million. But he has also managed to sell over 700,000 copies of his album. In an interview with Rhapsody, he admits that he never bought an album before his own was released because Author: Toshitaka Kondo
Rhapsody, January 22, 2008

Canadian Labels: We Get "Absolutely Zero Credit" For Not Suing Fans
The head of CRIA, a trade group that represents four major Canadian record labels, said that the Canadian record companies are unfairly demonized and that they are trying to adapt to changing market conditions. He complained that the companies get "absolutely zero credit" for not suing music downloaders, as their American counterparts have done.
Author: Nate Anderson
arstechnica.com, January 22, 2008