Industry News

On Monday (4/14) we will start a multi-part series of posts comparing recorded music sales within the bluegrass world with what has been reported in the larger music industry. We interviewed Dave Freeman of Rebel Records, Ken Irwin of Rounder Records,

The IBMA is offering reduced membership fees during the month of April for new professional members. The annual dues are normally $70, but this month anyone who is not a member of the organization and who fits the criteria for

In late February we posted the news that iTunes had moved into the number two position in the ranking of the top music retailers in the US. The same group (NPD) has just released a new report for the first

The market giveth, and the market taketh away... We commented last week on somber news about CD sales at the wholesale level, mentioning the recent demise of long-time bluegrass and old time wholesale distributor, The Record Depot. Their closing has had

The tech and finance sites are abuzz with news/discussion about Warner Music Group's having hired industry consultant Jim Griffin to promote his plan to force internet service providers to charge a fee to all internet users for music rights. The

Dutch country and bluegrass periodical, Country Gazette, is scheduled to publish it's last issue next month. The magazine has been in publication for 35 years, covering all things country and bluegrass in Northern Europe. On April 26, 2008, the May/June

Monday the US Department of Justice approved the proposed merger/buyout of Sirius and XM Satellite Radio companies. The proposed merger is really a Sirius take over of XM, to the tune of $5 billion. This proposal has been in the works

We've heard this week from one of our regular email correspondents, who is in management with one of the larger specialty bluegrass labels. He passed along what is surely not encouraging news for those who depend on CD sales to large

Following the results of yesterday's poll, as well as several comments submitted via email, have lead me to the following conclusions. The real question yesterday was this: Is iTunes the #2 retailer of music to bluegrass fans? It seems it may

John and I have been giving a lot of thought to the news that iTunes had seized the number two music retailer spot. We're wondering how the bluegrass community compares to the broader music industry. We're in the process of doing