Slip-N-Slide CEO Not Surprised Ross Tops Chart

April 29, 2009 - RB Hip-Hop



By Mariel Concepcion, N.Y.



After speculations on whether or not Rick Ross would outsell fellow rapper Asher Roth this week, or whether or not his beef with 50 Cent would affect his sales overall, Rick Ross tops the Billboard 200 this week with "Deeper Than Rap" (Slip-N-Slide/Def Jam), shifting 158,000 its first week.



But this comes to no surprise to Slip-N-Slide CEO Ted Lucas, who… Continue

The New Music Seminar To Return This July

April 26, 2009



By Ed Christman, N.Y.



The New Music Seminar is returning as a one-day event this summer. It was an event that created the template for music conferences by combining business and shows.



The New Music Seminar, to be held July 21 at the New York University Steinhardt’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, will be presented in association with the music business program at New York University… Continue

The 'Free' Debate

April 06, 2009 - Digital and Mobile



By Glenn Peoples, Nashville



Ad-supported music sites, file-sharing services and a wealth of music posted online are adding to the topic of "free" become a more common talking point. As companies search for new ways to monetize recorded music, expect free music to be a common theme.



Chris Anderson, author of "The Long Tail," has a book on the topic coming out in July and frequently posts about the concept… Continue

Startling stats continue to roll in on the quickly-declining CD. The latest, unearthed by Hits Magazine, is that the first quarter was completely devoid of a platinum release. That is, no album specifically released during the first quarter has scored sales of one million, specifically in the United States. Additionally, only 39 releases scored first week sales north of 25,000.



On a broader level, year-over-year album sales are sharply down again, in the mid-teens percentages. Of… Continue