Ultimate Chart (a/o June 17th):
A third source has now come forward to corroborate our story related to some possible VEVO divestitures by Universal Music Group, while hinting at some other fat-trimming possibilities. Stay tuned.
Which brings us to Sony Music chief Doug Morris, who's been talking quite tough to VEVO partner Google. YouTube is guestimated to account for more than 90 percent of VEVO's traffic, though Morris is unhappy with heavy ad-sharing terms, not to mention significant sales commissions. But is this a misread of leverage? "Google is charging us a lot of money to put our videos on their platform, and we would like them to reduce their fees," Morris told the Los Angeles Times. "If not, there are at least three other companies who want to take our videos."
There's more happening in the post-EMI Music Publishing, consolidation/meltdown. Most expected exiting president Big Jon Platt to start a fresh gig in August. Now, Hits Magazine is pointing to a joint venture with Warner/Chappell, while also noting that Roc Nation discussions remain alive.
Canada's Supreme Court has now ruled that songwriters and publishers should not be compensated for downloads, as well as videogame downloads and preview samples on stores like iTunes. That was just one of several copyright-related rulings from the high court. But streams were delineated as a separate and viable publishing revenue source under the Copyright Act, according to the ruling. "Although a download and stream are both 'transmissions' in technical terms ... they are not both 'communications' for the purposes of the Copyright Act," the court opined.
Is JLo next? Steven Tyler is now exiting American Idol, after a relatively short, two-year stint. The focus shifts back to Aerosmith. "I've decided it's time for me to let go of my mistress American Idol before she boils my rabbit," Tyler said.
Lady Gaga has now pushed her Backplane-powered, LittleMonsters.com, a networking- and community-focused idea that goes beyond Gaga herself. Backplane is playing with $6.3 million in venture capital from a who's who that includes Sequoia Capital, Battery Ventures, and Google Ventures, not to mention Lady Gaga and her manager, Troy Carter.
And, Tommy Lee is now reframing his petulant rants against picture-seeking, adoring fans. Lee now says the ridiculous Facebook outburst was motivated by a pushy fan at the funeral of his mother. "And so I'm at the mortuary, I've got my mom's ashes in my right hand, and my girlfriend, I'm holding her hand with my left hand, and we're walking out," Lee told Fuse. "And the f--king lady, the receptionist, goes, 'Oh my God, can I take a picture with you?'"
SoundExchange has just named three new board members: Duncan Crabtree-Ireland (SAG-AFTRA), Ray Hair (American Federation of Musicians), and Paul Robinson (Warner Music Group).
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