Hypebot: Sony BMG, The Amazon Effect, EMI Layoffs, Seth Godin's Music Lesson, Yahoo Music, 2008 Predictions, CES Coverage, Yankee Research, David Rose, imeem & MTV

Music industry news from Hypebot:

Sony BMG became the last major label group to drop copy protection. DRM-free Tracks are expected to be available via Amazon before the end of the month.

A look at The Amazon Effect - how the actions of the internet retailer are changing the music industry.

More layoffs and major changes are ahead at EMI.

Marketing Guru Seth Godin published The Music Lesson - manifesto for change in the industry to varied reactions.  Add your opinions in a poll.

Yahoo Music appears poised for major changes.

Hypebot shared 10 Music Industry Predictions for 2008 and Our Digital Music looked at next year from a consumer's perspective.

Here's a day by day roundup of other music industry news from last week including a slew of announcements from CES.

A new Yankee Research study predicts the marginalization of record labels.

A 4QFor (4 Questions For) interview with KnowTheMusicBusiness.com's David Rose.

imeem added a full slate of MTV Networks programming.

NEXT WEEK: The Macworld Conference & Expo and Future Week on Hypebot - a look at 2008 and beyond in the music industry.

See ProHipHop's Hypebot Industry News category for past roundups.

Comments

[Jonathan]

I'm fascinated by the private equity model as it's being applied to a creative-driven business like music...that is, if it's going to stay that way. Can financial types truly run the show and keep from destroying it? The evidence from the manufacturing sector (Cerberus' takeover of Chrysler last year) is mixed. What happened to marketing? Anyway, I've written a bit about it at DIM BULB if you'd like to check it out: http://dimbulb.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/01/greed-is-good.html

[Clyde Smith]

The private equity thing is a big deal especially as it leads to heavy cuts wherever possible.

I've been working through the implications of Clayton Christensen and associates' concepts of sustaining and disruptive innovations for media companies, especially in music related industries.

I think that material ties in well to any analysis of what's happening with private equity in music and media related industries and is crucial to understanding and surviving the shift to the Web.