Billboard Magazine November 23, 2013

NIELSEN ANALYTICS TO YOUTUBE Nielsen’s ad metrics are coming to Google and YouTube thanks to a new deal that has opened the Internet giant’s ads to thirdparty ratings for the first time. Ending a years-long insistence by Google on providing its own analytics to media buyers, Nielsen, as well as competitor comScore, will now be able to place tags on ads that measure how many people are viewing them and how often. The move is designed to help draw ad dollars from TV, where Nielsen enjoys brand loyalty with buyers. GLASS NOTES Google has revealed plans to integrate music into its much-talked about augmented-reality headset Glass. The product, which is still in limited testing, will be linked to the Google Play media library and allow users to play songs by…

“We’re no longer in the music business—it doesn’t exist anymore. We’re in the multimedia business. If 10 years from now we continue to say the music business is dying, then we deserve for people to say that.”¶ Scooter Braun said this to Billboard in an interview from his home in the Hollywood Hills at the top of the year, and it’s a mission statement that has driven a strategy shared by his friends and frequent business partners Troy Carter and Guy Oseary throughout the remainder of the year. The three music managers made headlines in the past week for selling 50% or more of their management businesses to outside investors. When Billboard first profiled the trio in an April cover story detailing their investments in the tech and startup communities,…

Irving Azoff. The veteran artist manager wrote many of the rules of modern artist management, so he’s probably the right person to break them. His new MSG joint venture will be a leader in redefining artist-manager relationships for the 21stcentury music business. Digital services. One reason managers are joining forces is to be able to negotiate better rates or advances for their artists from digital services like Spotify and Rhapsody, which typically pay based on number of plays. A powerful artist group cartel could also demand equity stakes in these businesses. Brands. Big consumer-facing brands like Pepsi and American Express have become a more prominent part of the major music funding ecosystem in the last decade. Having a powerful management group becomes more important in dealing with dominant corporates used…

Mobile-first, ad-supported services became real businesses in 2013. Twitter just had an initial public stock offering (IPO). Apple launched iTunes Radio. Facebook proved it can monetize mobile usage. Pandora’s shares are soaring. Market research reveals the engine of these businesses’ growth. According to eMarketer, global digital advertising will increase to $173 billion in 2017 from $104.1 billion last year. Mobile’s share of that will increase to 36.3% in 2017 from 8.5% last year, showing that small screens are generating big dollars. For the music business, a key question is: Can music subscription services tap this growth? These trends are fundamental to Facebook, Pandora and Twitte r’s business models. Digital advertising accounts for 88% of Facebook’s revenue, 84% of Pandora’s and 87% of Twitter’s . All three also benefit from the…

Sally Williams has a hand in some of Nashville’s most cherished institutions. She has been GM of the awardwinning Ryman Auditorium since 2008, and earlier this year she took on the role of VP in charge of business and partnership development for the Opry Entertainment Group. 5.30 AM Check e-mail while brushing my teeth. Send a note of congratulations to manager Norm Parenteau regarding two upcoming, sold-out Old Crow Medicine Show concerts on Dec. 30-31. Head to the gym in time for a 6 a.m. class. 9.00 AM Phone call with Brenda Colladay, Grand Ole Opry and Ryman curator, to discuss “From the Stage to the Screen,” a new exhibit for next year that will showcase television shows, movies and videos that have been shot at the Ryman. 10.30 AM…

Rap Genius, the lyrics site with financial backing from Silicon Valley heavyweights, has signed its first licensing deal. Now the question is if more of such agreements are on the way. Billboard has learned the Brooklyn-based startup has a licensing agreement with Sony/ATV Music Publishing, the largest song publisher with 33% market share in the third quarter, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The site, which has branched out into news and poetry, is among the most popular of unlicensed lyrics sites, according to a list released by the National Music Publishers’ Assn. (NMPA). In a statement to Billboard, Sony/ATV Music Publishing chairman/CEO Martin Bandier acknowledged Rap Genius’ ability to reinvent how fans interact with song lyrics. “Rap Genius allows our songwriters and artists to connect directly with their fans in a…