Social Networking is exploding -- that much is clear. But did you know that sites such as Facebook, Friendster, and MySpace are more than online watering holes where kids gather and socialize? They're creating social change in tandem. Facebook recent launched a "Causes" application tab, allowing members to participate in what the creators have dubbed "equal opportunity activism". Over 35,000...

I was speaking with an artist manager colleague of mine the other day. This esteemed colleague has represented the likes of Alanis Morissette, LeAnn Rimes, and Collective Soul among many others. He's a sharp guy. We were discussing how historically, recording artists frequently lost the rights to their master sound recordings (known as "masters") when they signed recording contracts with...

Despite plunging CD sales and a sour stock performance, Warner Music Group chairman Edgar Bronfman, Jr. displayed strong optimism during an interview last Wednesday. "This decline is steeper than we expected, but in some ways it means we'll get to the bottom faster -- and after that there's growth," Bronfman said during a discussion on CNBC. That's one way of...

Paul McCartney turns 65 tomorrow (June 18th), and his creative output and youthful enthusiasm doesn't seem to have been dimmed by age. His new CD "Memory Almost Full", marks his 21st solo delivery in a 37-year solo career. In a partnership with Starbucks' new label, the CD (which has been out nearly two weeks now) is pushing sales of nearly...

There are several big Reunion tours taking place this Summer (including The Police, Genesis, and the Smashing Pumpkins); these are bands who have sold many millions of albums each, and who have a cadre of hungry fans around the world eager to experience the magic once again. I'm one of them. I don't know about you, but when I go...

Arguably the biggest concert company in the US (if not the globe), Live Nation, recently announced that they've launched a new online service called Live Nation TV. This new initiative features a vast collection of performances from a large number of venues, including the more intimate House of Blues clubs (which Live Nation purchased last Fall). Hundreds of performance clips...

One of my clients, PassAlong Networks, offers a very robust platform for independent artists called Speakerheart. PassAlong is all about creating new digital media services that empower the connection between artists and their fans (can you tell why they're a client of mine? ;) ). While the major labels are working to figure out what comes next in their evolution,...

The man of the hour in my book at the moment (and actually for a number of years now) is my friend and colleague Terry McBride, Founder & CEO of Nettwerk-- an artist-centric, forward thinking artist management firm that also houses a label and a publishing arm for its artists. Terry is an artist advocate; we are cut from the...

You've no doubt heard that EMI announced this past week that they'll be releasing higher quality DRM-free songs at a premium price per download, starting with a limited term exclusive on iTunes. There's a lot of buzz about the implications of this announcement. One important question is whether the other three major labels will follow suit (all the labels renew...

Fox news reports that the sons of the Beatles (specifically, Julian Lennon, Dhani Harrison, Zak Starkey, and James McCartney) are recording a new CD together that will kick-off a global tour in early 2008. Music featured on the tour will be a combination of their own new music as a group, and of course lots of Beatles tunes. The name...