Vevo’s YouTube Deal Expires in Three Days. But the “Hulu for Music Videos” Site Won’t Go Dark.

Both sides need each other. And they’ve got a few more months to make something work.
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Vivendi Seeks Buyers for Activision

Vivendi SA is working with two investment banks to explore the sale of videogame giant Activision Blizzard Inc., in which the French conglomerate owns a majority stake, people familiar with the matter said.

Before Universal Bulks Up With EMI, It’s Going to Have to Play Small

The world’s largest music label wants to get larger, but it’s going to need to convince regulators that this is a good idea. That may take a while.
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Citi to Sell EMI Units for $4.1 Billion

The protracted auction of EMI Group neared a conclusion Friday, with Citigroup Inc., owner of the storied British music company, selecting buyers for its publishing arm and recorded-music label—at a price that well exceeds many industry watchers’ expectations.

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Baidu, Record Labels in Deal

Baidu Inc. reached a deal with major record labels to provide licensed copies of songs on the Chinese Internet search giant’s site, a landmark agreement that brings the music industry together with a company long accused by industry executives of abetting piracy.

Is There a Myspace Mafia, Too? Because Leaving Seems to Have Paid Off for Many Ex-Execs.

When the selling of Myspace winds down in the next week or so, it’ll probably attract a spate of comments about what a failure the whole social networking enterprise turned out to be. That is, unless you think of the mob of former execs who have worked at the company over time, many of whom have moved on to some more golden opportunities after leaving Myspace.
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Delays Hit Amazon’s Lady Gaga Promotion

Amazon.com Inc.’s one-day, 99-cent promotion of Lady Gaga’s highly anticipated second studio album, “Born This Way,” resulted in downloading delays on the Internet retailer’s website due to high volume, the company said Monday.

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About That Music Recovery…

If you were looking for some reason not to get too excited about a reported uptick in music sales, here you go: Universal Music Group, the world’s largest music label, says revenue decreased 5 percent in the last quarter, after accounting for currency effects. The label said digital revenues were up 17.6 percent.

Why The Big Music Labels Won't Burn All Of Spotify's New Money (Right Away)

Spotify is set to cash a very big check. And while the big music labels would like to get their hands on most of it, immediately, they won’t. So how will the streaming service spend its dough?

One Down: Spotify Signs Sony to U.S. Deal

This doesn’t get them into the States, but it gets them a lot closer: Music service Spotify has finally signed with Sony for a U.S. distribution deal. Multiple sources tell me the deal, which has been very close since last fall, is now closed.