Friday’s News Brief: The Orchard, Long Tails, MySpace $s, Ticketmaster, Slacker $10M & More

HYPEBOT FEATURES:

• The Orchards Reports 16.5% Revenue Increase Despite Tough Marketplace
• Music Adds $61 Million to $1 Billion Sony Loss
• Is The Tail Really Long? New Study Says P2P Primarily Peddles The Hits
• Top 15 Most Popular Music Sites
• Wilco Stops Trying To Plug Leaks And Posts Full Advance Album Stream
• Ghosts In A Machine: Cassette Tape Art
• iLike Story Clarification:  I mistakenly led readers to believe that all of its new serviced were free. The two things iLike charges for from yesterday's announcement are the iPhone app and the premium stats service ($99 per year each). Also, anyone (artists, labels, promoters) can choose to buy a self-serve concert promotion ads from iLike.

MORE MUSIC INDUSTRY NEWS:

• 24 Million Downloads: Can Vitaminwater Help MySpace Music Make Money? (Ad Age)
  
• Analysis: Ticketmaster Surviving Without Live Nation But Other Issues Remain (Billboard)
• Slacker has raised another $10 million in funding. (paidContent)
• Sony Legacy Recordings launches a new major digital reissue initiative. (press release)
• Clear Channel Radio has opened New York City’s newest  live music venue: The P.C. Richard & Son Theater. This 5,500 square-foot space will serve as the live performance home for Clear Channel Radio’s New York stations: WHTZ (Z100), WAXQ (Q104.3), WLTW (106.7 Lite-fm), WWPR (Power 105.1) and WKTU – as well as the East Coast home for CCR's iheartradio original productions, including the company’s "stripped" and "NEW!" performances. (FMQB)
• Seattle Clubs Could Finally See Long-Promised Tax Break. (The Stranger)
• One view of the Performance Rights Act from Peter Kafka @ MediaMemo: Surprise! Congress Helps the Britney Bailout Move Ahead