Hypebot: Label Branding & Niches, American Idol, Music Intelligence, Winning Fans, ASCAP & Nimbit, Gydget

Music industry news from Hypebot:

Can The Music Industry Save Itself?
Part 3. Build Label Brands
Part 4. Chase The Niches

An insider gives his take on label branding.

EMI considers sale of recording division and HQ move to LA.

LaLa adds 10 cent song streams backed by $20 million from WMG.

American Idol totally dominates the US charts. Is this the day the music died?

Study ranks US 8th in music intelligence

Is Sony BMG hurting the music industry with a demand to sell mp3's via the agency model?

Winning Fans: Metallica vs. N.I.N.

UMG will sell direct to mobile consumers via Qualcomm's BrandXtend

Should perforning rights societies take equity vs. cash from startups?

ASCAP partners with Nimbit for artists services.

Gydget gets free band widgets right.

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