Here’s what’s going on in the world of urban music today…
UK
The Guardian: De La Soul Teams up with Nike for first new release in 5 years
Brand Republic: Spotify signs up 40,000 new users per day, 50-60% from UK
The BBC: Nokia’s not attracting many UK users to its Come With Music service
Tinchy Stryder’s “Number 1″ featuring N-Dubz has hit the top spot on the UK charts. Selling 72,257 copies last week, it is both Stryder and N-Dubz’s first chart-topper as well as a first for Universal imprint 4th & Broadway.
The Times: Tinchy Stryder’s unlikely business partnership with MP’s son
Reuters: The recession has slashed the fortunes of some of the UK’s music millionaires
The Guardian: 1xtra’s Wilber Wilberforce shows support for new pop-soul artist Daniel Merriweather
Have a great weekend from VerseOnline!!
According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, worldwide digital music sales rose 24.1% to $3.78billion.
However, overall sales declined by 8.3% because physical sales - which still account for 75% of sales globally - were down by 15.4%.
With digital making up only around 4% of global sales, the music industry is still heavily reliant on physical product. This balance needs to be shifted if the industry is to grow.
Sales by region:
Europe -
Total sales: down 6.3% to $7.3bn
Digital sales: up 36.1% to $750million
Physical sales: down 11.3% to $5.8bn.
Performing Rights: up 11.3% $576.2million
US -
Total sales: down 18.6% to $4.9bn
Digital sales: up 16.5% to $1.78 billion
Physical sales: down by 31% ($1billion)
Performing Rights: up 133% to $54.8million
The music of London-based producer and DJ Nikki Beatnik - who regularly spins for the likes of Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake and a host of other international, high profile artists, brands and companies - has been picked up by UK fashion designer Wale Adeyemi to feature in his new fashion campaign entitled “From The B-Side”.
“It Came From London” - a single which mixes electro, urban beats, dirty house and grime - will be the main track for the collection.
Adeyemi’s clothes have been worn by stars including David Beckham, Usher and The Black Eyed Peas while Nikki Beatnik has been described as one of the best female DJs in the UK.
DJ Nikki is also one of 9 celebrities including TV presenters Reggie Yates and Fern Cotton, singer Estelle, actress Jaime Winston and Daisy Lowe who have been chosen by Adeyemi and The Princes’ Trust to design T-shirts for charity. The t-shirts will be available later this year.
In a break from tradition, this year’s Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards will be held in Glasgow. Since its inception in 1995, the MOBOs have only ever taken place in London, at venues ranging from Wembley Arena to the Royal Albert Hall.
In a press conference this morning, MOBO Awards founder Kanya King, singer Lemar and X Factor group JLS publicly announced that Glasgow’s SECC will play host to the event which is scheduled for September 30. (more…)
In the US, Warner Music Group, home to Estelle, T.I. and Flo Rida has seen its shares leap 13% after an analyst at Goldman Sachs upgraded its stock to “neutral” from “sell”.
Although music sales in the US declined by 7% in the last quarter, Warner Music bucked the trend and saw its American market share expand to 21% in the quarter to March.
At midday trading yesterday, the shares rose to $3.49, compared to a high of $9.05 reached in May 2008.
One in 10 albums bought in the US in 2008 was by a British artist, recent figures from a BPI report have revealed.
Artists such as Leona Lewis, Duffy and Estelle helped boost the British market share of the US market from 8.5% in 2007 to 10% in 2008.
While - according to Neilsen Sound Scan - US album sales were down by 14%, British artists were able to gain an increasing portion of the US market. Leona Lewis’ Bleeding Love was the most downloaded single in the US.
Top British albums in the US:
1) Coldplay - Viva La Vida (also 2nd biggest selling album of the year in the US)
2) AC/DC - Black Ice
3) Leona Lewis - Spirit
4) Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
5) Duffy - Rockferry
UK artists selling 1m+ tracks
Coldplay - 5.054
Leona Lewis - 4.728
Natasha Bedingfield - 3.923
M.I.A. - 2.235
Queen - 1.725
Estelle - 1.565
Rolling Stones - 1.304
Led Zeppelin - 1.176
Duffy - 1.039
In an ultra-competitive move against itunes, Amazon has slashed prices of top-selling mp3s to a low of 29p. MP3’s by artists such as Leona Lewis and Bajan artist Shontelle are at the bargain basement price, while Alesha Dixon’s ‘Breathe Slow’ is currently selling for a comparatively expensive £1.69.
This move comes as Amazon attempts to challenge Apple’s dominance in the digital download market. Just last week Apple changed its pricing structure: moving from offering a flat fee for all downloads - most songs were originally 79p - to tiered pricing which will see songs sold for 59p, 79p and 99p.
To find out more about what’s going on at Amazon and why read more over at The Guardian.
Is this a test of how much consumers are willing to pay for downloads? And who will win?
