26th Apr 2013
Apple iCrumble?

Apple has posted its first quarterly drop in profits in a decade, following a 40% drop in the company’s stock market value. The tech giant’s net profits from January-March this year were a mere $9.5bn, down from $11.6bn last year, leaving tech analysts worldwide scratching their beards and muttering about apples falling from trees.
3rd Apr 2013
Future rock mags under the hammer

Classic Rock and Metal Hammer magazines are set to be sold to fantastically named new venture ‘Team Rock Limited’ in a deal worth over £10m for Future Publishing. The £10.2m sale will also cover all extensions of the brand, including events such as The Golden Gods awards organised by Metal Hammer. Team Rock is a new international media venture focused on providing ‘premium content to rock music fans’.
6th Mar 2013
HMV approach Hilco deal?

It wouldn’t be an edition of The Gen without a troubling update on the state of HMV- This time, the retailer has confirmed the closure of a further 43 stores across the UK as it reportedly enters talks with Hilco about a £150m deal to save 130 of its stores.In total, administrators Deloitte have announced the closure of 103 of HMV’s 220 stores in the UK, with the latest round of closures including branches in Bolton, Cheltenham, Middlesbrough and Heathrow Airport, affecting 464 jobs.
25th Feb 2013
BRIT Awards: are you bored?

The BRITS effect is rippling through the charts this week with Emeli Sandé back up to Number Two with ‘Our Version of Events’ and Ben Howard seeing sales of his album triple overnight- but the big question seems to be if such a super slick and predictable ceremony was actually entertaining, despite achieving the highest TV viewing figures in a decade.
25th Feb 2013
RIAA: Google measures don't work

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has released a damning report commenting on Google’s efforts to demote pirate sites, stating that illegal downloads “Consistently appear at the top of Google’s search results for popular songs or artists”. Last year, Google agreed that it would make changes to its algorithm to push pirate sites down in search results and work with the music industry to tackle the problem.
18th Feb 2013
BMG / Sanctuary: You really got me

BMG may have lost out to Warner on the Parlophone sale last week but the group has reportedly snapped up Sanctuary from Universal for around £40m, as the divestment deals surrounding the EMI takeover continue to rumble throughout the recording and publishing sectors.
8th Jan 2013
Sony set sights on Parlophone?

According to reports, Sony are set to put in a joint bid for the Parlophone Label Group with BMG as part of the divestments that Universal agreed to in its takeover of EMI.
18th Dec 2012
HMV: January sales?

It seems that there will be no festive respite for HMV, with a major investment group reportedly circling above as the retail group’s losses rise to over £176m and sales drop by a further 13.5 %.
12th Dec 2012
BPI take pop at Pirate Party

The BPI is now threatening the UK Pirate Party with legal action over a proxy website that is providing access to infamously banned file-sharing site The Pirate Bay.The Trade Association sent a letter to Pirate Party leader Laurence Kaye politely asking if they could please, you know, stop facilitating mass infringement of copyright from a notorious source?
5th Dec 2012
MAMA knows best?

As widely predicted, HMV have sold live music and management company MAMA Group to a consortium led by the group’s current CEO Dean James. The £7.3m deal, backed by Lloyds Development Capital, marks the end of what many would consider to be a failed experiment in the live industry by struggling retailer HMV.