Topic: Sound Recording Industries

EU gives thumbs up to Sony's $2.2 billion takeover of EMI

The European Union has approved the Sony-led acquisition of EMI Music. But there are strings attached. 

'Harry Potter' e-books: game-changers for the digital world?

Unlike most e-books, digital versions of the 'Harry Potter' series can be read on any device, which may be a harbinger of practices to come.

Five Whitney Houston songs race up Britain's music charts after death

Five Whitney Houston songs had made it into the Top 40 in Britain's music charts by Wednesday, led by 'I Will Always Love You,' following her surprising death on Saturday.

Whitney Houston: a singing sensation silenced too soon

Whitney Houston, who died tragically Saturday in Los Angeles, was a child of the African-American church and a trailblazer for black female singers. Whitney Houston, some say, had a 'once-in-a-generation' voice. 

Grammys 2012: Would a computer have picked Adele? (+video)

Grammys 2012: Adele won six awards at Sunday's Grammys. But Adel should have lost to Bruno Mars, according to a computer algorithm that predicts which songs will be hits and which will be flops.

Why some musicians are protesting this year’s Grammy Awards show

The Recording Academy has eliminated 31 categories of Grammy Awards, many of which are often won by minorities. A protest rally and alternative concert will be held on Sunday.

Whitney Houston was the golden girl of the music industry

Whitney Houston, who died Saturday, wowed audiences with effortless, powerful, and peerless vocals rooted in the black church but made palatable to the masses with a pop sheen.

Europe's Internet revolt: protesters see threats in antipiracy treaty

Anger over proposed antipiracy treaty ACTA was expected to bring thousands to Europe's streets today. Supporters say it will better protect intellectual labor, while opponents see free speech threats. 

Neil Young said Steve Jobs was a vinyl music fan

Neil Young and Steve Jobs used to talk about music. The late Apple visionary saw the digital future, but listened to vinyl records, according to Neil Young.

Kim Dotcom: Are such Internet sensations pirates or hactivists?

Copyright law and its enforcement have dominated the news lately, first with the Internet blackout protests against SOPA, and more recently with the arrest of Kim Dotcom in New Zealand. Here are five international file-share players who have been targets of copyright enforcement.

Five major SOPA supporters

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and its Senate counterpart, the Protect IP Act or PIPA, would allow the US government to seek a court order and even shut down websites that contain content or links “committing or facilitating online piracy.”  Moreover, advertisers and Internet service providers would be banned from doing business with violators.

However, payment and advertising networks, search engines or service providers that take voluntary action to redress detected violations – by terminating businesses with transgressor sites or comply with the law – will be granted immunity from liability charges.

On Sept. 22, 2011, more than 350 trade associations, professional and labor organizations, and businesses signed a letter urging Congress to enact legislation to stop “rogue sites” from copyright infringement.

Here are five key SOPA and PIPA supporters:

10 entrepreneurs who changed the world

From Starbucks to Home Depot, here are 10 of the businesses – and their leaders – that author John A. Byrne counts as 'World Changers.'

Kanye West edges out Adele, Bruno Mars for most Grammy nominations (video)

Kanye West got seven Grammy nominations, Adele six, Bruno Mars six, and the Foo Fighters also received six nominations. How many Grammy Awards will Kanye West take home in February?

S.978: What Justin Bieber has to do with online streaming bill

S.978 is the latest chapter in the fight to protect major content providers, including the movie industry, which say they lose millions of dollars yearly from illegal streams on sites like YouTube.

Spotify: Good for music lovers, bad for musicians?

Spotify music streaming is hugely popular in Europe, and now it’s live in the US. But what does Spotify offer the musicians that create that music?

Pia Toscano scores record deal, releases single

Pia Toscano, beloved by American Idol fans, is releasing her first single on July 12, and will release an album with Interscope Records later this year.

American Idol: Are youngest-ever finalists key to Idol revival strategy?

American Idol finalists Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery are the youngest ever. Was that part of the American Idol Season 10 makeover strategy?

Music fans want more than just music

In the new music industry, some musicians are struggling. Others are figuring out how to tap into what fans really want.

Dr. Dre, Justin Bieber cause buzz at Grammy Awards

Dr. Dre and Justin Bieber had fans and viewers talking about this year's Grammy Awards show. It was the first time Dr. Dre has appeared on live TV in over ten years.

Elvis Presley Enterprises continues to sue long after Elvis has left the building

Elvis Presley Enterprises is suing men in Florida, England, Wales, and elsewhere for infringement of intellectual property rights after circulation of box sets not authorized by Elvis Presley Enterprises.

The music industry has turned upside down? Great!

As the music industry reinvents itself, entrepreneurs find success through innovation.

John Lennon: Top 6 most influential songs

The 30 years that have passed since John Lennon's death have done little to diminish him as one of the most respected musicians of the 20th century. Here are six of his most influential songs.

LimeWire shut down axes music-sharing service

Parts of LimeWire shut down after court order. But the LimeWire download store remains.

Jack White waxes nostalgic in bid to reconnect fans to music

Rock star and entrepreneur Jack White hopes his back-to-the-future approach to producing music will generate more creative, inspired recordings.

Some artists now stream their concerts live on YouTube

"Unstaged," a new online concert series, is being launched by American Express on YouTube and Vevo.