New Beatles Autobiography will Tell All
Thirty-five years after their heyday, the Beatles remain one of the preeminent phenomena of the modern age. More than 400 books have been written about them, both as a group and as individuals.
Barry Willis
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Paul McCartney's Publishing Company Sues MP3.com
The legal molasses in which <A HREF="http://www.mp3.com/">MP3.com</A> is mired got thicker and deeper in mid-March, when MPL Communications launched a lawsuit against the Internet music company. MPL, ex-Beatle Paul McCartney's publishing house, joined the attack begun months ago by the <A HREF="http://www.riaa.com/">Recording Industries Association of America</A>. McCartney's firm filed suit in a New York US District Court against the San Diego–based startup over copyrights on intellectual properties owned by MPL, whose catalog includes McCartney's solo work, as well as the works of Buddy Holly, Hoagy Carmichael, Sammy Cahn, and other songwriters and performers. MPL was joined in the suit by Peer International, which owns the work of the late Latina star Selena.
Internet Radio Listening Doubled in Past Year, Study Claims
The computer continues to insert itself into every aspect of daily life. Now it is a source for music from one's hometown—whether that town is across the state or across the ocean.
No Merger for CDnow, Columbia House
The courtship between two music-retailing giants is over. <A HREF="http://www.cdnow.com/">CDnow</A> and <A HREF="http://www.columbiahouse.com/">Columbia House</A> have decided to call off a merger that had been in <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/10496/">discussion</A> since last summer. The official explanation from executives close to the deal was a sharp decline in Columbia House's profitability over the past several months.
Revel Reveals All to Stereophile Scribes, Part 2
On day two of Revel's early-March press junket, <I>Stereophile</I> and <I>Guide to Home Theater</I> writers and editors were treated to a discussion and demonstration of some superb audio and video equipment at Kevin Voecks' spacious home in the San Fernando Valley. Voecks spoke at length about the extensive research his company has done on the perceived realism of reproduced sound, under the leadership of Dr. Floyd Toole.
Clear Channel Communications will Unload 72 Stations in Merger Deal
The radio industry's frenzy of mergers and acquisitions has slowed down but hasn't stopped. San Antonio-based <A HREF="http://www.clearchannel.com/">Clear Channel Communications Inc.</A>, one of the largest radio broadcasters in the US, has agreed to acquire <A HREF="http://www.amfm.com/">AMFM Inc.</A>, another major player. The merger will give Clear Channel more than 850 stations nationwide. The deal hinges on Clear Channel unloading 72 of its stations in 27 markets to comply with <A HREF="http://www.fcc.gov/">Federal Communications Commission</A> rules limiting the number of stations that can be owned by a single operator.
Revel Reveals All to Stereophile Scribes
Three-dimensional modeling, 4-pi anechoic chambers, and laser inteferometry were but a few of the industrial marvels revealed in early March to a group of <I>Stereophile</I> and <I>Stereophile Guide to Home Theater</I> scribes. The group convened Tuesday, March 7, at Revel headquarters in the massive <A HREF="http://www.harman.com/">Harman International</A> complex in Northridge, California, for an inside view of the company's research, development, and manufacturing operations, organized and led by <A HREF="http://www.madrigal.com/">Madrigal</A> president Mark Glazier. Madrigal is Harman's Middletown, Connecticut-based high-end operation, with the Proceed, Mark Levinson, and Revel lines under its jurisdiction.
Houston Internet Company Will Bring MP3s to China
Houston's <A HREF="http://www.houston-interweb.com/">InterWeb Design</A> has signed a joint venture agreement to bring MP3 audio to China. The three-way agreement, finalized in late February with a Chinese investment company and the Chinese government, will establish the first government-approved MP3 site in China.
Universal Music Group Will Go Online Soon
One of the music industry's "big five" will soon begin offering its wares as digital downloads. Seagram, Ltd. chief executive Edgar Bronfman, speaking on Friday, March 3 at the Jupiter Consumer Online forum in New York, said his <A HREF="http://www.umusic.com/">Universal Music Group</A> will start selling music online this spring.
US Music Sales Hit New High in 1999
A slump in the music business is officially over. Sales of recorded music in the United States last year totaled $14.6 billion, an all-time high. The figure is a 6.3% increase from 1998's total of $13.7 billion, the previous record, according to a recent <A HREF="http://www.riaa.com/stats/press/021800.htm">report</A> from the <A HREF="http://www.riaa.com/">Recording Industries Association of America</A> (RIAA).