Industry News

Local/Club Date

The State of Florida has approved $28.6 million in arts funding for fiscal 2006. This return to the level of funding of prior years after the recent reduction to $6 million for the past two years is due in part to a tax windfall.

The University of Miami opened this year the $9.9 million Weeks Music Library and Technology Center, built in part due to a generous $33 million gift from Dr. Philip and Patricia Frost in 2003. UM has also exceeded its $31 million fund-raising goal by over $20 million.

Candido Camero is the feature of a recently released documentary, Candido: Hands of Fire. Conga legend Camero has been a member of Local 655 since 1960 and has appeared with many jazz and Latin greats on more than a hundred records.

The Miami Saxophone Quartet has reached #44 on the Jazz Week charts with their song Midnight Rumba. Quartet member Gary Lindsay was also recently awarded a grant from Chamber Music America to compose a piece for saxophone and string quartet.

Universal Music and Clear Channel�s division Instant Live have inked a deal where concertgoers can purchase CD mementos of a show immediately after the performance. The major record labels are looking to diversify revenue by participating in previously untapped areas such as merchandising and sponsorships.

Recording

Telemundo�s bilingual cable network mun2 will be moving its headquarters from Miami to Los Angeles, citing a larger pool of talent and a larger share of its target audience in L.A.

In just two days, customers subscribed to more than one million Podcasts from the iTunes Podcast Directory. Apple has also signed a deal with the Sundance Channel to make the network�s content available via Podcasts. Surveys indicate that in the beginning of 2005, a quarter of U.S. consumers have digital audio players, with Apple�s iPod commanding a 30% share. Podcasting is �like Tivo for radio� in that content is delivered directly to a users� computer for later transfer to a portable device such as the iPod.

Sony BMG has agreed to pay $10 million in settlement for a �payola� scheme where they bribed radio stations and paid for contest giveaways in order to win more airplay.

Napster and XM Satellite Radio have partnered to integrate satellite radio and online music services. The collaboration will allow customers to purchase songs heard on XM through Napster and manage their entire digital music collection in one location.

Univision saw a 3% hike in second quarter 2005 revenues due to strong growth in radio. Univision�s Mexican partner Grupo Televisa has joined with EMI Latin to form a record company in Mexico, to be named EMI Televisa Music, which is poised to compete with Univision Music Group due to a recently expired non-compete clause.

Warner Music is setting up an �e-label� that will release music tracks one at a time only on the internet. This will allow them to release music without waiting for a complete album and without manufacturing and distribution costs.

British subscribers to Playlouder broadband internet connections will be able to share music over its network for �free.� Playlouder has signed a license with SonyBMG, and expects to sign with Universal and EMI as well, where it will track files shared using digital fingerprinting technology and remunerate record companies from the ISP�s revenue.

Symphony

The Boca Raton Philharmonic Symphonia will make its official debut on November 27 at FAU�s University Center, under the direction of Martin Fischer-Dieskau.

The Concert Association of Florida has announced that it will merge with the Miami Performing Arts Center. CAF President Judy Drucker will continue to maintain artistic control over events, while the Performing Arts Center will take over fund raising, marketing, and administration.

A recent economic study indicates that the Atlanta Symphony Center will have a $2 billion impact in the first ten years of operation. This figure includes $537 million in construction costs, $116 million in additional tax revenues, and $1.45 billion in operating expenses. The study cites impact in tourism, economic development, and the music industry, as well as how the center will improve the overall quality of life in Atlanta.