Archive for: wmg

Warner Signs Content Deal With Hulu

warner music group logohulu-logoNot satisfied with signing up it’s music and video content to the most successful US video streaming website of 2009, Vevo, WMG has done a deal with internet TV streaming site Hulu for access to the same content.

The agreement brings an artist-focused online video experience that features music videos, artist interviews, live concerts and rare behind the scenes footage from WMG’s world-renowned artists and labels including Atlantic Records, Rhino Records and Warner Bros. Records.

This is a pretty agressive drive towards monetising WMG’s content online, and a sign the big 4 are beginning to adapt and respond to the loss of physical sales and the rise of file sharing, instead of just digging their heels in and waiting for the courts to prosecute a solution for them.

RockFree Launches Online Web Browser Competitor to Guitar Hero and Rock Band

Acclaim has decided that they didnt want to battle Guitar Hero and Rock Band and instead have launched an online music game called Rockfree. Players can battle it out with up to seven other people over the internet, and it”ll feature licensed tracks including Iron Man, Fat Lip, and Woman. A closed beta kicked off this weekend, with a full launch scheduled for the first quarter of next year.

WMG, Sony and EMI are on board for licensing – which indicates that Acclaim is ponying up a decent amount of cash for song rights, since WMG is apparently playing hardball on this score with games publishers right now.

Currently, the game is free to play so it is going to be very interesting to see if Acclaim will make money from advertising, or even push though affiliate sales to iTunes and Amazon. All I know is that this is a very interesting idea and it is good to see that Acclaim is moving away from just being a console publisher and now turning into a real games publisher.

Warner Music Group Reports Higher Profits on Lower Sales for

Even though there has been a big decline in CD sales, which is expect to continue, Warner Music Group managed to actually meet analysts’ expectations and remain strong.

  • Wmg 2008 fiscal year revenue grew 3% to $3,491M, and declined 2% on a constant-currency basis. 34 revenue totaled $854M a decrease of 1% from the prior-year quarter or 5% on a constant-currency basis.
  • 2008 digital revenue rose 39% to $639M or 18% of total. Q4 digital revenue was $167M or 20% of total revenue up from $166M in the third quarter of fiscal ‘08 and up 28% from the prior-year quarter. Full-year 2008 digital revenue rose 39% to $639M or 18% of total revenue.
  • Operating income from continuing operations declined 20% to $66 million.. in the quarter compared to $83 million in the prior-year quarter. Prior quarters had benefited from a $17M legal settlement and been dragged down by whopping $9M in expenses during the failed aquisition of EMI.
  • Operating income before depreciation and amortization from continuing operations fell 8%. (more)

WMG’s saw revenue fall 3.7% with weakness in the U.S. offset by sales in Japan, France and Italy. Major sellers included Metallica, Kid Rock and Mariya Takeuchi.

Sources: Billboard, MusicAlly, Hypebot