Thursday’s Music Brief: Springsteen, Ticketmaster, WMG, Relix, Another Sales Drop & More

HYPEBOT FEATURES:

• An Angry Springsteen Opposes Live Nation Ticketmaster Merger
• WMG Reports 34% Drop In Operating Income
• Video: Groove Armada & Bicardi Review Their Unique Partnership
• Daily D.I.Y. – Making YouTube Work For You

MORE NEWS:

• Ticketmaster is also talking to AEG about a merger as an alternative to Live Nation talks.(New York Times) Put your money on Live Nation.
• 
  Are three more music magazine's going under? A source has Metal Edge and Metal Maniacs being closed.  Is publisher Zenbu Media also shuttering Relix? It's hard to imagine, but Hyepbot confirmed that the talented Jonathan Schwartz who had been with Zenbu and Relix for eight years was layed off this week.
  
• US album sales dropped another 12% in January compared to the same month last year.
• New legislation has been introduced in Congress to add performance royalties to payments from radio broadcasters. (DMW) If
  net broadcasters have to pay this, why shouldn;t over the air
  broadcasters?  Any argument to the contrary is about money and not
  morality.
• 
  Amazon quietly (these guys seem to hate press releases) adds two digital exclusives: a new Paul Westerberg (3 songs for 79 cents) that as of this morning was #13 on its album chart and comedian Steve Martin's all banjo release (which despite a free track offer is unlikely to rocket up anyone's charts).
• Former Epic Records head Charlie Walk launches an entertainment company. (FMQB)
• Facebook turns 5. A look at the stats. (Hitwise)

• Norway drops its complaint against Apple after iTunes drops DRM. (ars)
• Digital distributor The Orchard has announced a licensing pact with GMM Grammy, Thailand's dominant music and entertainment group with 70% of the market.
• Real layoffs 20 at Rhapsody and admits it won't be spinning off its game unit due to the poor economy. (MediaMemo)
• Jimmy Eat World launches Twitter concert-specific forums. (Music Ally)
• TED Interview: Tribes Author Seth Godin Says People, Not Ads, Build Social Networks. (Epicenter)
• Universal Vivendi CEO: Video game and music businesses play it cool in rough economy. (LAT)
• EFF gets involved in the YouTube takedown fight. (EFF)