*** - WHY THE MUSIC INDUSTRY HATES 'GUITAR HERO'

"The amount being paid to the music industry, even though [these]
games are entirely dependent on the content we own and control,
is far too small," Warner Music Group CEO Edgar Bronfman told
analysts last summer. The money Warner receives for the use of
its songs is "paltry," he said, and if the gamemakers don't pony
up more cash, "we will not license to those games." In response,
Rock Band publisher MTV Games is now boycotting Warner artists,
according to a source close to the negotiations.

http://www.wired.com/culture/culturereviews/magazine/17-03/st_essay


*** - DESIGN ARTWORK FOR A SHRINKING ALBUM COVER

Music is an aural art form. But the packaging for the recordings
- the album cover - has a distinct aesthetic, one that has
evolved along with distribution technologies and formats. The
space allotted to album art may be a fraction of what
it once
was, but that just sets the bar higher. If musicians can continue
to innovate in the digital age, then designers must take up the
challenge of the minimalist thumbnail.

http://...com/cw6slp


*** - TOOLS FOR THE IPOD AUDIOPHILE

Not everyone cares about audio quality. In fact, there's some
evidence to suggest we're raising a generation that actually
prefers the sound of MP3s over higher-fidelity recordings. Still,
there will always be people who obsess over sound quality - just
as there are always people with discerning taste in food, or an
eye for fine art.

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12519_7-10190158-49.html


*** - FINALLY, MUSIC INDUSTRY INNOVATION

Two very different bands, Gwen Stefani's No Doubt and the Allman
Brothers, have found two very different ways to manage the music
industry's fundamental problems: the rising cost of concert tours
and the dramatic decline in music sales. And, these new
strategies also tackle the challenge of driving spending despite
the
recession.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/29545172


*** - CANADA TO INVESTIGATE TICKETMASTER COMPLAINTS

The Canadian government has asked the Competition Bureau to
investigate complaints that Ticketmaster diverts tickets to its
reselling subsidiary, which then sells them for far higher
prices.

http://...com/dj58h4


*** - EMI MUSIC DEBUTS FIRST ITUNES PASS WITH DEPECHE MODE

The first iTunes Pass debuts in conjunction with Depeche Mode's
forthcoming 12th studio album, Sounds of the Universe, to be
released on April 21 in the US. Fans who sign up get the
alternative/dance pioneers' new single, "Wrong", as well as the
Black Light Odyssey Dub Remix of the new track "Oh Well". They
will also receive the new album on its street date plus music and
video exclusives before and after the album's release over the
next fifteen weeks. The Depeche Mode iTunes Pass can be purchased
for $18.99.

http://www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=117470


*** - VIRGIN MEGASTORES ALL CLOSING BY SUMMER

The
five remaining Virgin Megastores in the U.S. will close by
summer, according to The Wrap. The stores are located in Los
Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Orlando, and New York - the last
of which will become a Forever 21 store in April. Virgin
Megastore, as well as many other music retail establishments,
have been having trouble keeping pace with online businesses such
as iTunes and Amazon.com.

http://news-briefs.ew.com/2009/03/virgin-megastor.html