New Music Business Briefing: EU Probes Apple, Victory Drops eMusic Adds Agency, EMI & More

>>> The EU has launched an anti-trust probe alleging that Apple‘s deals with major labels that include "territorial restrictions" (i.e. – you must buy from the Apple download store in the country in which you live even if its available cheaper elsewhere.) Apple disagrees.

>>> A new NPD study shows once again that though legal downloads grew in 2006, they are still dwarfed by P2P volume.

>>> Indie Victory Records has pulled its catalog from eMusic after a price drop. The label also added its own booking agency to keep young label acts on the road.

>>> Insane Clown Posse has self-released their latest effort backed by a staff of 30 who have turned the act into a cottage industry selling everything from board games to their own  festival.

>>> Can’t get enough on EMI’s announcement to drop DRM? Here’s the original EMI press release and links to audio of the press conference,  a pdf of the presentation and Apple’s own press release.  We’ll have exclusive industry comments and commentary later today.