Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

EC Approves Unconditionally Sony-BMG Merger

Posted by timothy on from the smoosh dept.

Paul Slocum writes "Just when you thought the music industry couldn't get any worse, Sony and BMG are merging. Now there will only be 4 major labels, and they estimate that 2000 jobs (25% of combined workforce) will be cut." An anonymous reader points to Reuters' report on the planned merger, which points out that "Vivendi-owned Universal and Sony BMG, as the new company is to be called, account for about 46 percent of music sold worldwide."

4 of 247 comments (clear)

  1. music hegemony by Kris+Thalamus · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This looks like a good time to support open source music.

  2. So what? by ElForesto · · Score: 5, Interesting

    So what if they merge? I've noticed a lot of smaller labels starting to come into the market, and one of my favorite bands, Vast, switched to one of them. Let the big guys get bigger. This market is going to be dominated by little guys once again.

    Anyone remember their history? As I recall, it was a revolt against ASCAP that lead to the formation of RCA. Or do I have my names wrong?

    --
    There is a difference between "insightful" and "inciteful" other than spelling.
  3. I'm sorry... by Transcendent · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ...but just hearing "music" and "industry" in the same sentence kinda makes me think that I'm fed a mass-produced, scientifically designed, corporate controlled brain anesthetic instead of actual music.

    Now that the "industry" is controlled by fewer companies, closer to one conglomeration, the appreciation for what comes out of it is even smaller.

    I guess that's why I stopped buying CDs a long time ago and just listen to online radio of "underground" (progressive trance if you must know my tastes) and classical music.

  4. some more good/free music... by wibs · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'm not affiliated with it, but I've found 3hive to be a great site. Every single day they post download links for a few tracks being offered for free by artists under small labels. The site seems to mainly do emo rock and punk, which frankly is either good or really bad, but it also covers other things ranging from electronica to hip hop to folk. It's just a damn good site and hopefully someone will find this link to it and enjoy it.

    --
    If you get nervous, just remember that there are a few billion other people who don't really give a damn.