U2 frontman Bono has heralded the intervention of the movie industry as a potential Savior for the ailing music industry saying that file swapping and sharing hurt the creators of cultural products.

>>more

Nothing happens for years .... and now we get two sets of proposals for UK Licensing Act reforms at once (just like the 73 bus).

>>more

Insiders at the US Department Of Justice have denied reports that appeared on investment website The Deal earlier this week that suggested American anti-trust regulators were ready to approve the Live Nation/Ticketmaster merger, and could do so within the month. >>more

US album sales dropped 13% in 2009, the eighth decline in nine years according to Nielsen SoundScan, while online song downloads grew too slowly to close the gap.

>>more

Contrary to what his own website announced, Van Morrsion is apparently NOT the father of a newborn child.

>>more

The folk musician Tim Hart has died from cancer aged 61.

>>more

After the slightly unusual U-turn by the UK’s Competition Commission which approved the Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger, attention on the merger has now turned to the key regulatory territory, the USA.

>>more

A lawsuit that blamed Apple’s iPod music player for causing hearing loss has failed before a US federal appeals court which upheld an earlier 2008 judgment that Apple was not liable for hearing damage despite consumers being able to crank up the volume to a potentially dangerous 115 dB.

>>more

Status Quo stalwarts Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt have both been honoured with the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the UK’s New Years honours list.

 

Lucian Grainge, head honcho at the Universal Music Group, has been made a CBE (Commander of the British Empire). 

>>more

Vic Chesnutt, the acclaimed singer/songwriter, has died aged 45.

>>more