Aligning itself with an enlarged Universal group would secure it an outlet.
The firm has inked agreements with Universal Music Group, EMI Group (which Universal has just signed a deal to buy) and Sony Music Entertainment, but has been unable to do so with Warner Music Group.
ECONOMIST: The web giant launches a rival to Apple��s iTunes
On the other hand, one might also want to consider that in September, Baidu's music accessibility got slammed by a quadumvirate of Warner Music Group, Vivendi Universal 's Universal Music Group, EMI Group and Sony BMG (half-owned by Sony), which all filed suits against the Chinese e-commerce firm (see: " Bronfman Leads Music Bigs In Baidu Piracy Lawsuit").
In June it entered into a joint venture with Universal Music Group to create a new label, Desi Hits Universal, fully funded by the record label giant.
Andy Schuon , chief of Pressplay, the new music download service backed by Sony (nyse: SNE - news - people), EMI Group and Vivendi 's (nyse: V - news - people) Universal Music Group, says there's always been two kinds of artists, those who make albums as artistic statements, the Bruce Springsteens and U2s of the world, and those who produce a collection of songs because it has been the conventional way of marketing music.
Universal Music Group, Sony Music and Warner Music Group are pumping money into Latin music.
Perhaps more importantly, Universal Music Group invested in Beats and lent its considerable muscle to promoting the headphones.
Universal Music Group is the world's leading music company with wholly owned record operations or licensees in 77 countries.
America has Vevo, a music-video website linked to YouTube and owned in part by Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment.
The top five artist albums in the first three months were all released on labels owned by the Universal Music Group.
BBC: NEWS | Entertainment | Top albums fail to stop sales dip
Checking into certain bars in the U.S. with two other Facebook friends will grant one five free MP3s from Universal Music Group.
By early January 2008, a few months after Amazon MP3 launched, the three other major labels--Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony BMG--dropped DRM.
The story notes that Vevo offers music from three of the four major music labels, including Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and EMI Music.
FORBES: Video War: Will Facebook Lure Vevo Away From YouTube?
"None of the labels you're dealing with are major music companies, " objects Stuart Hersch, president of Universal Music Group, who has scrutinized Gould's business plan.
The agreements are with Sony Music Entertainment, EMI Music, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and more than 150 independent distributors, aggregators and music publishers.
Andy Schuon, president and chief executive officer of Pressplay, an online music service formed as a joint venture of Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group.
In mid-September it sealed a broad, though nonexclusive, agreement with Universal Music Group to encode the label's active U.S. catalog of 14, 000 albums and 30, 000 music videos.
In NBC's new management structure, she reports to Pat Fili-Krushel, head of the NBC Universal News Group, as do MSNBC President Phil Griffin and CNBC President Mark Hoffman.
Big music companies like Vivendi's Universal Music Group, Sony-BMG Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group and EMI Group are already experiencing a sharp decline in sales of compact discs.
And Sony BMG will join EMI, Universal Music Group and a pack of independent labels that sell so-called digital rights management-free music in Amazon MP3, the company's music store.
Psy himself was recently signed to Schoolboy Records, the Universal Music Group imprint run by Scooter Braun, who also manages Justin Bieber, Carly Rae Jepsen and Asher Roth.
Four years ago FBT Productions, which first signed and produced Eminem, filed a suit against Universal Music Group arguing that revenues from digital sales should be considered a license, rather than a sale.
FORBES: Why Eminem Isn't Getting Money From The Universal Suit (Yet)
The union, which puts artists ranging from Aerosmith to Britney Spears all under one roof, made Sony BMG the No. 2 record company in the world, just behind Vivendi 's Universal Music Group .
Spotify is a music service that allows unlimited streaming of songs from the Big Four music labels, Sony, Warner Music, Universal Music Group and EMI, and also offers a premium, add-free service via subscription.
FORBES: Yuri Milner's DST Global Bets On Spotify's Future In America And Mobile
Falco, who served as president of the NBC Universal television group before his brief tenure at the Internet company, has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Spanish language media giant.
FORBES: Ex AOL Chief Randy Falco Will Return To His TV Roots As Univision COO
Despite the potential for objections from lawmakers, Warner is the third-largest record company and would likely face less resistance than No. 1 Universal Music Group or No. 2 Sony over a bid for No. 4 EMI.
FORBES: Blavatnik Close To Winning Billionaire Battle For Warner Music
Elsewhere in the music industry Wednesday, Universal Music Group will have a new chief executive, as Vivendi announced that Doug Morris would hand over the reins to new CEO Lucian Grainge on Jan. 1, 2011.
Big music companies like Vivendi's Universal Music Group, Sony-BMG Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group (nyse: WMG - news - people ) and EMI Group are already experiencing a sharp decline in sales of compact discs.
The interview with the press-shy founder of Island Records (the label that brought you Bob Marley, U2, Traffic and Cat Stevens and is now part of Vivendi Universal 's giant Universal Music Group) had more than a few uncomfortable pauses.
应用推荐