Monday’s Music Briefing: Guns & Roses Single, Ticket Sales & Much More

HYPEBOT FEATURES:

• 5 Lies Indie Musicians Tell Themselves.
• Music’s Week In Review. Don’t miss anything…
• 3 Truths about Last.fm’s royalty offer.
• POLL: Last.fm Royalties. Good? Bad? Retroactive?

> Guns & Roses is set to release its first new single in a decade in September via the Rock Band II video game. (NY Times)  As video games grow in importance, I’ve wondered how indie artists can get involved.  So far I’ve found no real avenues.  Does anyone know about any opportunities that I’m missing that I can share with Hypebot readers?

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LIVE & TOURING:

• Despite the economy the concert business is holding steady…for now. (LA Times) This headline is only true if your measure is grosses. There was a 5.6% drop in ticket sales or 1 million fewer than last year. This was offset by an increase in ticket prices of 5.9% to a whopping $62.07.
• Live Nation says controlling its own ticketing is "90% of the equation on why our business model comes together." (WSJ)

> On the sidewalks of NYC rappers often peddle their latest CD’s one potential fan at a time. (NY Times)

> Bertlesmann AG has sold its Direct Group (Columbia House and Book of the Month) to Najafi Companies, a Phoenix, Arizona-based private investment company. (press release)

> Marketing budgets – not just in music, but across all sectors – will experience deep cuts over the next 18 months as economic fears spread. (FT)

> Peter Gabriel says record labels need reinventing. (BBC) Yes, Peter, we know that.  Got any new
ideas?