INDIE NEWS BEAT September 7, 2004 Edition

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* Apple Launches ITunes Affiliate Program
* Australian Record Sales - 2004 Half Year Figures
* RRadio Network - Online Radio Listener Survey Results
* Atzio Technology Launches Peer-to-Peer Television
* Chris Burnett Quartet At The Blue Room In Kanas City
* Warner/Chappell Names Gustavo Menendez Regional GM, Latin America
* Randy Franklin Appointed VP Of Urban Promotion At J/Arista Records
* Paul Robinson Appointed President & COO, EMI Music South East Asia
* The 2004 International Music Production Contest
* RIAA Steps Up Efforts Against Illegal File Sharers
* MusiciansPromote Seeks Additional Street Team Members
* Internet Piracy Bill Sent To California Governor
* The Source Magazine's Unsigned Hype Showcase Series In Hollywood
* Geneva Enterprises To Acquire Undie 101
* Three Out Of Four Swedes Prepared To Pay For Music From The Web
* Advancing Your Career In The Record Industry Strategy & Resume Workshop
* CDs4Business Launches 'Independents 4 Kerry' Multimedia CD
* Indie Musician Network Accepting Free Web Site Sign Ups

Apple Launches ITunes Affiliate Program

Apple launched the iTunes Affiliate Program, making it the first download music store to offer direct links to a la carte singles and albums that generate paid commissions to affiliate websites. The iTunes Affiliate Program will complement successful iTunes programs including iTunes on Campus, offering free site licenses to colleges and universities, and the iTunes Volume Discount Program, providing bulk song downloads at a discount. The iTunes Music Store is the world's number one music service with over 125 million songs purchased and downloaded to date.

"This program is a clear win-win for Apple and our partners, both large and small," said Eddy Cue, Apple's vice president of Applications. "By working with affiliate websites we're not only expanding access to iTunes, but are giving site owners the ability to connect to one of the hottest brands online, creating a quick and easy way for them to generate additional revenue."

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Australian Record Sales - 2004 Half Year Figures

The first 6 months' sales has seen an outstanding performance by local repertoire and music DVD's. The recorded music sales figures for the six months to 30 June 2004 show a decline in the overall Australian market when compared to the six month period ending 30 June 2003.

The overall market value is down 8.7% with DVD growth unable to compensate for the 10.4% value decline on albums and the 8.4% value decline on singles. In previous years, DVD growth has compensated for any weakening in the audio market.

On a positive note, sales of first release titles (as indicated by ARIAnet Top 100 Album sales) were up 14% in the first half. The decline in the overall audio album market can be attributed therefore to a slower moving back catalogue, largely a result of the growing DVD format and retail space being allocated to both music and movie DVDs.

The market however, has been buoyed somewhat by impressive results this year by Australian repertoire. Following the enormous success of this month's ARIA No.1 Chart Awards, it is no surprise that local acts continue to perform strongly on the charts. Local repertoire has grown from 18% to 27% of wholesale sales value (when compared to the same 6 month period last year), which is also in excess of the 26% share reported for the full year to December 2003.

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RRadio Network - Online Radio Listener Survey Results
Survey 26 - 2,047 respondents: July 12 - August 21, 2004

Data from RRadio Network's Survey 26 shows part of the problem with selling advertising for online radio. 37.2% of the network's audience reside outside of the United States.

As for the 62.8% of US-based listeners:
28.8% call the East coast home
18% - live in the Midwest
4.9% - are Central/Mountain residents
11.1% - listen from the West coast

Another question answered in Survey 26 identifies what the listeners' next major purchase will be. A "home" is marked by 20%, followed by 18.8% of respondents saying it will be a vehicle.

Remodeling their home was next at 12.6% Buying a computer was checked by 11.6% Taking a vacation - 11.4%

You will also see a comparison between the education level of today's online radio listener, against that of a year ago. Mostly, the stats stay the same with 57.7% of the network's audience holding a college or post graduate degree.

More details are at http://www.AudioGraphics.com/spclreport/survey26.htm

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Atzio Technology Announces Arrival Of Legitimate Peer-to-Peer Television

Atzio Technology today announced the availability of the company's Peer-to-PeerTelevision technology, which enables Internet Television. Atzio is offering the first legitimate peer-to-peer television network platform, which uses data swarming to allow faster downloads yet gives content providers firm control of their valuable property.

The platform creates an efficient new distribution channel, allowing studios, networks and independent content providers to securely and cost-effectively distribute movies, video and television programs to consumers over the Internet. Because Atzio's platform maximizes the power of today's broadband connections, content providers will use it to deliver DVD-quality content to targeted and mass audiences without the need for expensive new high-speed infrastructure.

"Atzio is the first company to offer a legitimate peer-to-peer platform designed for the "Personal" and "Time-shifted" television concepts pioneered by Tivo and Netflix," said Cedric Van Rossum, co-founder of Atzio Technology. "Broadband plus television is a powerful combination. Once our customers have set up a system based on the Atzio platform, their subscribers can easily order available movies and television shows, which will be downloaded for viewing at their convenience."

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Chris Burnett Quartet At The Blue Room In Kanas City

'ASR Records Recording Artist, Chris Burnett, and his jazz ensemble, Chris Burnett QUARTET, will perform on Monday, November 1, 2004 at the Blue Room jazz club located at 1616 E. 18th Street in Kansas City. Chris Burnett QUARTET will also serve as hosts for the "Blue Monday Jam Session" later in the evening. So, if you are a musician, don't forget to bring your instrument with you when you come out to hear this fine jazz group perform. Great restaurants like: The Peachtree, The Red Vine, and Arthur Bryant's BBQ are all within close distance of the jazz club too.

"Having the opportunity to perform at the Blue Room in Kansas City is very significant to me because of the jazz history here as well as my being a native of the KC metro. Our group also has the honor of being host for the Blue Monday Jam for this night and would like to encourage other musicians to come out," said Chris Burnett.

The Chris Burnett QUARTET performance at the Blue Room on Monday, November 1, 2004, will feature several interesting original compositions, along with arrangements of familiar jazz repertoire by the award winning composer and the band's leader, Chris Burnett. The group will perform from 7:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. In addition to Burnett performing on alto saxophone and flute, the group also includes several of Kansas City's most noted musicians. Roger Wilder is the group's pianist; Seth Lee is the bassist; and Donivan Bailey rounds out the quartet as the drum set percussionist.

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Warner/Chappell Names Gustavo Menendez Regional GM, Latin America

Warner/Chappell Music, Warner Music Group's award-winning music publishing company, announced today that Gustavo Menendez, Warner/Chappell's Vice President, A&R, has been promoted to Regional General Manager, Latin America. As Regional General Manager, Menendez will oversee Warner/Chappell's Latin Music operations in North America, Central America and South America and will continue to develop new talent by representing some of the most distinguished and established writers in the Latin music industry.

In making the announcement, Les Bider, Chairman and CEO of Warner/Chappell Music said, "Gustavo's deep knowledge of, and experience in, the Latin music industry makes him the perfect candidate to take us to the next phase in Latin Music."

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Randy Franklin Appointed Vice President Of Urban Promotion At J/Arista Records

Randy Franklin has been named Vice President of Urban Promotion for J/Arista Records by Ken Wilson, Sr. Vice President, Urban Promotion. Previously, Randy served as president of his own consulting firm, RF Entertainment, where he worked with various labels.

Before launching his own firm, he held the position of Senior Vice President of Promotions at Loud Records, playing a key role in the radio success of projects from Mobb Deep, Xzibit, Three Six Mafia, Project Pat and Wu-Tang Clan, to name a few. He also served as Vice President of Promotion at Epic Records, (Ginuwine, Jennifer Lopez, Cam'ron and Macy Gray), and also held the position of Vice President of Urban Promotion for 550 Music.

"Randy will be a tremendous asset to the company, bringing many years of experience and great relationships with radio to J/Arista. He has an amazing track record and it's a pleasure to have Randy on board," comments Wilson. Franklin comments, "I'm excited at the opportunity to be a part of the phenomenal success that Clive Davis, Charles Goldstuck, Ken Wilson and J/Arista Records have achieved."

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Paul Robinson Appointed President & COO, EMI Music South East Asia

Paul Robinson has been appointed as president & COO of EMI Music South East Asia, reporting to Norman Cheng, chairman & CEO of EMI Music South East Asia.

Robinson, who is currently COO of EMI Music Australia, will move to Hong Kong to take up his new position on 1 September while continuing to work for the Australian company until the end of the year.

Norman Cheng said: "I am delighted to welcome Paul as a key member of the South East Asia management team. He has a great track record in helping to manage EMI operations in both the UK and Australia. His experience and skills will be invaluable to us and the creation of this new role will allow me to focus more time on growing EMI's business in South East Asia and the People's Republic of China."

John O'Donnell, managing director of EMI Music Australia, said: "Over the last two years Paul has made a big contribution to the progress of the company here. I would like to thank him for his support and I look forward to continuing to work with him in his new role."

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Yamaha And Broadjam Announce The 2004 International Music Production Contest

Yamaha Corporation of America, in cooperation with Broadjam.com, a provider of Internet and desktop tools for musicians, record labels and publishers, announces the launch of The 2004 Yamaha International Music Production Contest.

Beginning September 1, entrants can log on to www.yamjams.com and enter their original song productions for more than $50,000 in prizes. Songs must be created using one of three Yamaha product lines‹01X (or other mLAN-based product), Motif (ES, Rack or original) or AW Series workstation‹and each product category has five musical genres: Rock, Hip Hop/R&B, Film Scoring/Orchestral/World, Jazz/Latin and Dance/Electronica.

Using Broadjam's technology, contestants will be able to stream instantly, listen to other contestants' music, join in peer reviews and participate in online help forums at www.motifator.com, www.01xray.com and www.awinspire.com. There are three levels of ranking and prizes‹Peer Review, Music Genre and Product Category.

In the Peer Review round, entrants must complete the online application, select an appropriate product category and genre, upload their music by creating an MP3 file, and review songs from six other contestants. There is no cost to enter, and up to three songs per Music Genre, per Product Category may be submitted. Peer rankings in each category close on January 1, 2005. The top three peer-selected entrants in each genre (45 people) will be asked to provide some simple documentation on how they used their Yamaha gear to produce their songs.

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RIAA Steps Up Efforts Against Illegal File Sharers
EDonkey Users Among Those Sued

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), on behalf of its member companies, today expanded its legal efforts against illegal file sharers, bringing new copyright infringement lawsuits against 744 individuals on a variety of peer-to-peer platforms, including eDonkey, Limewire, Grokster and Kazaa, among others.

The RIAA's stepped up efforts reflect a determination to pursue copyright infringement online wherever it may arise. "John Doe" lawsuits were filed in Atlanta, St. Louis, Oakland, Cal., New York, Austin, Tex., Covington, Ky., Denver, Trenton, N.J., and Madison, Wisc. An additional 152 lawsuits were filed against "named" defendants -- individuals who were identified through the litigation process and then declined or ignored an RIAA overture to settle the case before it proceeded any further.

"Just as enforcement strategies for street piracy adapt with changing circumstances, the same goes for combating piracy online," said the RIAA's President, Cary Sherman. "We are adjusting and expanding our efforts to target illegal file sharing on additional platforms like eDonkey and others. There will always be a degree of piracy, both on the street and online. But without a strong measure of deterrence, piracy will overwhelm and choke the creation and distribution of music."

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MusiciansPromote Seeks Additional Street Team Members

Play a key role in the promotions and success of an Independent Artist, join the nationwide MusiciansPromote Street Team and have FUN.

MusiciansPromote is currently seeking music enthusiasts to join their nationwide network of Street Team Members. These individuals play a key role in the promotion of tours and CD releases nationwide.

As a MusiciansPromote Street Team Member you will have the opportunity to chose what artists you want to promote, enjoying the artist's music is a MUST for successful promotions. Street Team Members will be in their local community passing out fliers, CD's, T-shirts and more while jamming to their chosen artist's music. Travel to festivals and other community events with your promotional gear in hand and be prepared for a great time as a MusiciansPromote Street Team Member.

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Internet Piracy Bill Sent To California Governor

SB 1506, authored by Senator Kevin Murray (D - Los Angeles), received strong support in the Legislature passing the Assembly 76-1 and the Senate 33-1.

"I greatly appreciate the continuing support of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) in addition to other supporters in our creative communities to enact responsible legislation that gives state and local law enforcement a greater ability to combat what is essentially the theft of creative works," said Senator Murray.

SB 1506 requires people disseminating copyrighted material on the Internet to include his or her valid e-mail address. The measure will help consumers and law enforcement distinguish between legitimate works distributed on the Internet and pirated works.

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The Source Magazine Announces Unsigned Hype Showcase Series In Hollywood

The Source Magazine has joined forces with Sean Healy Presents of Hollywood, California to present the column based Unsigned Hype Showcase Series. The showcase will be presented on each first Monday of the Month beginning October 4th, 2004. Participants will compete for coverage in the Unsigned Hype and Ear to the Streets columns in The Source, as well as an opportunity to have their music reviewed for the Ear to the Streets compilation CD to be released in 2005. The Source Magazine is the Urban Market's premier media outlet for established and breaking artists as well as the Hip Hop political movement and celebrated their 150th issue with a collector's edition covering the Greatest MC, Albums and Moments.

Under the direction of The Source's newly promoted Director of Regional Markets and Events, James "Hawk" Hawkins, the Unsigned Hype (California) and Ear to the Streets showcases (Midwest and Southern Regions) seek to give recognition to independents who have national act qualities and performance abilities. It's not just the beat but about the overall artist package, is the message for these events. Those artists who have a strong local buzz and audience of course will have the best chance at selection, but projects seen to be on the cusp, i.e. just needing a little push, will also be seriously considered.

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Geneva Enterprises To Acquire Undie 101

In a news release this week, Internet radio station Undie 101 and Geneva Enterprises announced a planned end of September merger and introduced plans for a joint project to enhance support for unsigned and independent artists.

Geneva Enterprises, Inc. is a privately held corporation owned by Undie 101 founders Deveres and Kelley. The is currently involved with the production of music videos, commercials, corporate videos and television shows.

Efforts are underway to begin operations of an additional two to five new internet radio stations that will join Undie 101 in offering exposure in promoting the unsigned and independent artists. The new stations are planned to target audiences with specific interests ranging from alternative rock to contemporary classical and jazz. But holding to its current policies, Undie 101 will remain "all indie, all the time."

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Three Out Of Four Swedes Prepared To Pay For Music From The Web

Three out of four Swedes, 75 percent, could consider purchasing and downloading music legally from the Internet. Almost two out of three, 63 percent, could consider renting and downloading films. These are some of the findings of a recent Telia survey that polled 1,592 people in Sweden.

"More and more Swedes are getting broadband, which naturally increases their possibilities to download music and moviesin a quick and easy manner. Downloading a film on a Sunday evening will soon become just as common as going to the video store today," says Indra Isander, head of the Consumer Segment at TeliaSonera Sweden.

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Advancing Your Career In The Record Industry Strategy & Resume Workshop

Tess Taylor, president of the National Association of Record Industry Professionals, delivers her popular lecture and conducts a workshop on advancing your career in the record business in spite of recent downsizing and mergers.

The focus of our September workshop will be the art of follow-up: techniques to advance your career in spite of recent downsizing and mergers. The second half of the workshop will focus on creating effective resumes - be sure to bring yours! And if you've attended once, please come again - fresh material covered at each session.

Also to be covered:
* Strategies music industry employers use to identify qualified candidates
* Hiring trends and where to find the best jobs
* Interview, resume and cover letter tips
* Your assets - knowing your unique value
* Targeting specific individuals for employment opportunities
* Effective self-marketing
* Personal branding and setting yourself apart from the madding crowd
* Your marketing tools
* Research and preparation
* Escaping the rat race - building a career that suits you and your lifestyle
* Social and business etiquette
* Overcoming intimidation and your fear of strangers
* Critiques of sample resumes
* Writing resumes that get call-backs
* Beyond contacts friends
* Self-assessment
* The record business future - and your future in it

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CDs4Business Launches 'Independents 4 Kerry' Multimedia CD

CDs4Business, Inc., a South Florida marketing company, introduces its first enhanced CD product which is targeted toward encouraging voter participation in the coming election. Featuring 10 contemporary songs by independent artists, the CD contains 45 minutes of music plus multimedia content that may be accessed from a PC.

The music plays on any CD player: home or car stereo, PC, etc. The multimedia content is accessed via an interactive navigation page featuring an animated jukebox for access to Featured Artists content, and an animated television screen for access to content related to the John Kerry candidacy for President.

The John Kerry multimedia includes 81 articles in PDF format representing over 200 pages of information, as well as over 2 hours and 20 minutes of executable video and streaming media. The interface menu includes Profiles, Issues, Message to Voters, Media, The Bush Record and Get Involved. The Featured Artists multimedia content includes a "Bonus Mix" Flash presentation of additional samples from the contributing artists; bio/discography, commentary, and promotions pages; and links to the artists' websites.

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Indie Musician Network Accepting Free Web Site Sign Ups

Indie Musician Network, a Florida based website and company, proudly announces the launch of its all new Web site at http://www.indiemusician.n