More Music Industry News: CD Baby Pays Out, Fests Help Bad Summer, Idol Moves To UMG & More

• CD Baby announced Wednesday that it has passed $150 million in payments to independent artists and will pay out $40 million more this year. The site added 18,000 new titles during the second quarter, up 70% from the previous year. (CD Baby)
• Last.fm has partnered with MXP4, the interactive music startup, to offer brands the ability to create ads that users of the music discovery service can interact with in realtime. All within the ad itself, users will be encouraged to remix a track, turn instruments on and off, or sing along with the music in a karaoke mode. (TechCrunch)
• In UK, Summer festivals boost sales to reverse music industry decline. Five years of falling sales sector sees revenue increases owing to live gigs, overseas licensing and getting to grips with digital. (Guardian)
• American Idol moves its music releases from Sony to Universal. (press release)
• More Coverage: Sub Pop's Considering Giving the Music Away for Free. Read Ours. (SeattleWeekly)
• Q&A: Jeff Kleinsmith: Sub Pop's art director talks about graphic design in the age of iTunes and Contra. (SeattleWeekly)
• How Should Complex Digital Works Be Reviewed? (HuffPost)
• Google and Verizon in Talks on Selling Internet Priority. (NYTimes)
• Billboard Hot 100 Celebrates Anniversary. (Billboard)
• The X Factor Is Killing The Music Business. (GigWise)
• The Death of the Phone Call. (Wired)
• RIP Google Wave. (Mashable)
• Must Read: The Psychology of Fanboyism. (GamePro)
• UK Music Biz Kept Growing Before The Digital Economy Act; So Why Was It Needed? (TechDirt)