Industry News

According to a nationwide study by Americans for the Arts, the arts were responsible for over 4200 jobs and $153 million in economic activity in Broward County. The arts organizations also generated over $14 million in local and state government revenue.

Funding Arts Broward Awards Grants

The Palm Beach Chamber Music Festival celebrated its 16th season this summer. They have received praise for their devotion to new and rarely performed works, and their season has expanded to four weekends and three venues. They will soon release their seventh CD.

Recording

Royalty rates for Internet radio broadcasts will remain the same while broadcasters and SoundExchange work towards a compromise deal. New fees were set to take effect on July 15, but SoundExchange and broadcasters have agreed to not enforce the new rates while they continue to negotiate.

Recording sales are down again, according to recent reports by Nielsen SoundScan and the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. For 2006, sales fell by five percent. While digital sales rose 85 percent to $2.1 billion, this was not enough to offset the 11 percent drop in physical sales, to $17.5 billion. Digital sales in 2006 accounted for 11 percent of total global sales, up from 4 percent in 2004. For the first half of 2007, album sales have dropped 15 percent.

The Recording Industry of America has mounted a court challenge over satellite radio programs downloaded to portable devices. Satellite Radio pays copyright royalties on broadcasts, however the RIAA believes that distribution royalties should also be paid when programs are downloaded to devices, as the downloads make satellite radio less like radio and more like subscription services such as Napster and Rhapsody. The RIAA is also lobbying for legislation that would require satellite broadcasters to apply copy-protection technology to their broadcasts.

Sony-BMG and Dada have formed a joint venture to create an entertainment service that would combine content such has ringtones, mobile games, and audio and video tracks with a social networking experience. Sony will make its entire catalog available for the service, which will derive revenue from subscriptions, individual downloads, and advertising.

Online social network last.fm has reached a deal to offer Sony-BMG's catalog of recordings to its subscribers. Last.fm, which is owned by CBS, offers free online streaming radio.

EMI has announced that Digital Rights Management-free tracks, which sell at a premium price and were first made available by EMI in May, have generally outsold the non-DRM-free versions of the same music. 

Symphonic

Local 655 and former Florida Philharmonic member Shannon Wood has been appointed Principal Timpanist of the Grand Rapids Symphony. 

Florida Grand Opera broke records for attendance and ticket revenue for the 2006-2007 season. Many of the season's performances were sold out, and the Opera sold over 117,000 seats for ticket revenue of over $7 million. FGO also recently purchased a building in Miami which will allow them to consolidate their administrative offices, box office, and costume shop. The $6.8 million building will receive $1.5 million in renovations to create rehearsal and coaching space.

The Baltimore Symphony will broadcast eight performances on XM Satellite Radio next season. The broadcasts will also feature interviews with Music Director Marin Alsop, soloists, orchestra members, and composers. 

Madelyn Savarick has resigned from the Boca Raton Philharmonic Symphonia Board of Directors and withdrawn her financial support. Last season Savarick had donated $150,000 for the orchestra to perform in Mizner Park. The orchestra has recently announced the appointment of Alexander Platt as music advisor and principal conductor and has already sold half of its upcoming season subscriptions.

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