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MySpace Music Faces Threats Of Antitrust Suits From Indie Labels Before Its Launch

The very online service that has been such a boon for independent music artists is now facing criticism for allegedly freezing those same artists out of the picture with its new music venture.

MySpace Music is drawing fire for its deal with major labels and threats of a possible antitrust action that could scuttle the venture before it even opens shop, according to a report in the British tech journal The Register.

The trouble is over the deal cut between MySpace parent company News Corp. and three of the four major music labels that control 70 percent of the U.S. recorded music business. The site, which has not yet announced a launch date and is still reportedly without a CEO, will offer unlimited free streams, DRM-free downloads (some free and some for a fee), ringtones, concert tickets and merchandise, most of it underwritten by four title sponsors announced earlier this week: McDonald's, Sony Pictures, Toyota and State Farm. The site has already drawn a projected valuation of $2 billion based on the MySpace cred and the high-profile partners.

But it is the partnership with Sony BMG, Universal and Warner Music Group that has independent labels saying they feel like they've been frozen out, according to The Register. No indie record company has inked a deal with MySpace Music. According to the report, the site does have a service that allows indie labels to upload their own music, but some unnamed labels have reported that they've been blocked from uploading their catalogs.

The issue could be a simple rights-management snafu — a complication that results from major labels sometimes owning the rights to an indie's music in a particular territory in the world. But at least one label, Impala, has asked European regulators to look into any possible antitrust issues with the service, suggesting that the majors and News Corp. are attempting to block the indies' access to the MySpace audience.

Though it's unclear what impact a potential antitrust case in Europe might have on the U.S. market, independent labels have successfully challenged big mergers in Europe twice in the past 10 years, scuttling the Sony/BMG union in 2006 and the Warner/EMI one several years earlier.

A spokesperson for MySpace could not be reached for comment at press time.

This report is from MTV News.

The Legacy Of 'TRL,' In Bigger Than The Sound

In a way, I suppose it was somewhat fitting that I heard about the shelving of "TRL" not from a super-secret corporate memo or a closed-door meeting with PowerPoint presentations, but rather in a text message from a friend. After all, it was the kind of news you usually get from a buddy of yours — something slightly terrible yet completely expected, right on par with "Did you hear so-and-so's parents are getting divorced?" or "Did you know your ex-girlfriend is now a Suicide Girl?"

Because, let's face it: "TRL" has been on the air for a decade now (which, to borrow a quote from the good folks over at Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch Blog, is "equivalent to maybe 200 in human years" for this network); has launched more than a few careers; and has had more than its fair share of memorable moments (Mariah Carey's 2001 ice-cream-fueled striptease/meltdown being about five of them). It has been the hottest thing on television, the stalest thing since week-old bread and a cultural tipping point (you probably don't remember, but "TRL" really shouldered the brunt of the whole "MTV is ruining society" thing back before Lauren and Audrina graced our airwaves). And over the course of more than 2,000 shows (and just as many hosts), it's also become something that I don't think anyone could've predicted: an institution of sorts. But having said all that, its time has come.

Of course, this has less to do with the show itself than it does with the fact that, in 2008, the idea of a video-countdown show seems impossibly antiquated. With the state of labels and the rise of sites like MySpace and YouTube, music videos are no longer the primary means of promotion for an artist or an album (they're probably not even necessary, though we'll leave that debate for another day), and you can basically say the same thing about "TRL." And while the show isn't leaving us for good — rather than being canceled outright, it's apparently just "resting" for a while — it's a pretty safe bet that even if it is resurrected someday, it won't be the "TRL" you grew up with. It will be rejiggered and reinvigorated ... and, god willing, something much, much better.

So, in a lot of ways, this seems like a pretty good time to stand over the casket, close our eyes tight and deliver a eulogy for "TRL," a show that ultimately was drowned by the waves it helped create.

Because, whether anyone associated with the show ever realizes it, "TRL" will probably not be remembered for the stars it helped create or the shiny studio it vacated but, rather, for the legacy it leaves behind ... one that is simply stated, yet massive in scope: "TRL" was YouTube before YouTube ever existed.

Seriously. Because as soon as "TRL" really started gaining steam — say, in the fall of 1999, when a live studio audience was added to the mix — the innovations were fast and furious. With the introduction of the live audience came those little windows featuring squealing tweens (you know, the ones who would pop up during, say, the new Britney video). At the time, they were rather annoying — except when some poor girl would freeze up on live TV, and then black-hearted hilarity would ensue — but now it's fairly obvious that these were the prototypes of a million "video diaries" that would come to populate YouTube in the years to come. These were kids talking directly to the camera (and, in a way, to the audience at home), which had never been done before. Stylistically (and sentiment-wise), it was the kind of stuff we'd see in the entire lonelygirl15 series or just about any other so-called vlog you can think of these days. It's de rigueur now, but back in 1999, it was groundbreaking.

After that came the whole concept of "instant feedback" — videos were voted on by viewers at home, and (in later years) those same viewers were able to submit messages that would scroll along the bottom of the screen during videos — something akin to commenting on a YouTube clip or leaving a sticky note or even favorite-ing a video. Again, rather groundbreaking stuff, and all happening on a live TV show that broadcast five days a week.

And while we could debate about those stylistic points, I don't think there's any denying this: At its very heart, "TRL" was the first television show that turned the camera squarely on the audience. It made them the stars of the show — they dictated where it went and what videos made the cut. They contributed to the ebb and flow on a daily basis ... and the fact that the show was unfolding live before our very eyes only further emphasized that. Truly, "TRL" was the first program of its kind that could turn on a dime, could begin as one thing on a Monday and by Friday be something completely different. "TRL" was marketed as being "your show," and it really was. And that sentiment, that sense of spontaneity and that viewer-controlled flexibility is what made YouTube into the culture-defining thing it is today.

Of course, it bears mentioning that all those achievements also contributed to the show's demise. As "TRL" grew in popularity, the sideshow (the audience, the viewers at home) became the main attraction, and the videos were almost an afterthought, chopped down to 30- then 15-second blips on the radar. It was a move that shortened our already nanosecond-length attention spans and only further devalued the videos themselves, until it got to the point where YouTube supplanted "TRL" as the place for kids to watch music videos, because, hey, they were really nothing more than disposable products anyway ... the kind of stuff perfectly suited to be viewed in grainy quality on a computer screen.

And when the videos became less of an event, so did the show. Not to mention the fact that YouTube gave visitors unfiltered, uncensored (sort of) content and allowed them even, uh, "instant-er" feedback. And that, really, was game, set and match. Hosts came and went, guests popped in and popped out, but "TRL" was starting to lose its luster. And now, just a few days after it's 10th birthday, it's headed out to pasture. You might stand and cheer about that fact — "Good riddance!" — or you might be a bit sad (you might also be indifferent, which is kind of the last thing you're going for in the world of television). But however you feel, I think it's important to remember "TRL" for what it was: really groundbreaking, incredibly important television — a show whose impact is still being felt today ... and the launching pad for Carson Daly, of course.

And that's a legacy-capper if I've ever heard one.

T.I. Swallows His Pride On Remorseful, Reflective Paper Trail Tracks Leaked Online

Where exactly does the path of T.I.'s Paper Trail lead? Well, this week it led to the Internet. The album was leaked online, weeks before its September 30 release date, and while we heard many of the songs when Tip previewed them for us a couple of months back, MTV News has finally gotten to hear the album in its entirety.

At times on Paper Trail, listeners will find a remorseful Clifford Harris who has learned from his mistakes and is intent on growing as a man and an artist. He commiserates with graceful articulation on "Dead and Gone," which features Justin Timberlake. There are no girls, no dancing and no name-brand liquor on this track. The song reflects on a major revelation: It's OK for the King of the South to sometimes take a step back and put his brash on freeze. But how do you swallow your pride when that very pride is one of the integral fabrics of your character?

"I've been travelling on this road too long," Timberlake sings over piano and horns. "Just trying to find my way back home/ The old me's dead and gone."

Tip dedicates the song to his late best friend Philant Johnson, but also addresses how so many young men get caught up in detrimental, possibly deadly situations by not thinking out their options.

"Maybe my homeboy would still be around/ If I hadn't hit a n---a in the mouth that time," Tip raps. "I won that fight, I lost that war/ ... Who would have ever thought I'd never seen Philant no more."

The song "Slide Show," featuring John Legend, has flown under the radar so far. Again, it centers on not letting your mistakes define who you are — but this time, it talks about what you learn from climbing out of those pitfalls. "If I only knew back then what I know now/ ... Maybe I'd be Kanye instead of seeing gunplay," Tip raps. "But God got a plan of how I'll understand one day."

"On Top of the World" is an extravaganza, rich with lyricism, personality and an unforgettable hook by new Grand Hustle artist B.o.B. On the track, Tip and Ludacris serve up the grandiose collaboration that people have fantasized about for years. The laudably loud Luda bulldozes his way through the second verse, proving that he's still one of the premier MCs on the mic. 'Cris reveals in his lyrics some of the keys to keeping his circle rich, like sending a best friend to culinary school and hiring him as a chef or helping to straighten out his homies' credit. Ludacris ends with a nice little shout-out to a very famous Jedi Knight: "They say rappers shouldn't act — nah, suckas/ We see Samuel L. Jackson, like, 'What's up mutha----a?" For his part, Tip reflects on his multitude of businesses and on how he's surpassed old goals and has so many more to accomplish.

Other guests on the LP include Usher on "My Life, Your Entertainment" and Jay-Z, Kanye West and Lil Wayne on "Swagger Like Us." Despite recent rumors and fake Paper Trail track lists, Atlantic has confirmed that the song will definitely appear on the opus.

Paper Trail is set for release September 30. A video for "What Up, What's Haapnin' " just hit the airwaves, and a clip for "Swing Ya Rag" has been lingering in the can for some time.

This report is from MTV News

Vegas police talked of 'getting' O.J. on recording

LAS VEGAS - Jurors who have been told to refrain from judging O.J. Simpson on his past heard a recording Thursday of a police employee exulting: "This is great. ... California can't get him. ... Now we'll be able to."

Police detective Andy Caldwell conceded the statement was made as a team of officers examined a casino hotel room where Simpson is accused of having led a kidnapping and armed robbery. Caldwell said the comment came from a civilian employee of the police department, not a sworn officer.

The comments were picked up on a digital recorder that had been secretly placed by Thomas Riccio, who had arranged a meeting in the hotel room between Simpson and two sports memorabilia dealers that escalated into a confrontation last year.

Riccio testified later Thursday that a plan to recover the former football star's personal property worked perfectly "until the gun came out."

"They were giving it back," Riccio said of the dealers. "There was no reason for the gun to come out."

Simpson and co-defendant Clarence "C.J." Stewart have pleaded not guilty to charges of kidnapping, armed robbery, coercion and assault with a deadly weapon. Four former co-defendants have agreed to testify.

Simpson has said he didn't ask anyone to bring guns and that he didn't know anyone in the room was armed. Stewart maintains he relied on Simpson's assurances that he was only going to recover some personal property.

Simpson's lawyer, Yale Galanter, pressed Caldwell on the recorded statement that referred to getting Simpson. He asked if police were conducting "what's supposed to be an unbiased investigation."

Caldwell said they were.

"And they're prejudging him; they want to get Mr. Simpson?" Galanter asked.

"I can't say what someone else is thinking," Caldwell said.

When prosecutor Chris Owens took over questioning Caldwell, he asked how the detective researched ownership of the items taken from the room. Caldwell tried to say he contacted a lawyer for Fred Goldman, the father of Ronald Goldman, who was slain along with Simpson's ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson in 1994. Galanter quickly objected, and Caldwell was barred from continuing.

Riccio, a California collectibles dealer, testified that he hoped to make some money brokering a deal between Simpson and two memorabilia dealers offering a cache of Simpson mementos for sale, Arthur Beardsley and Bruce Fromong.

Riccio acknowledged he set up a meeting after Beardsley asked him to become involved. He said Beardsley told him not to tell Simpson, but he immediately did.

"O.J. said, 'This is personal stuff that was stolen from my house years ago. I want to get it back,'" Riccio said.

Riccio said the plan to confront Beardsley and Fromong and retrieve the items went according to plan, until a weapon was displayed.

"Everything was perfect until the gun came out," he said.

Riccio's testimony was interrupted several times while attorneys argued about whether recordings he made that day, including one in which he met Simpson at a hotel-casino pool, were complete and transcripts of the conversations were accurate.

"There were many of them where the transcripts were wrong," Riccio said.

After morning testimony ended, a 49-year-old woman was detained when she approached Stewart, apparently seeking an autograph. Authorities said the woman was not arrested. The jury had already left the room.

Unknown Mozart fragment found in French library

PARIS - It's a forgotten melody, sketched in black ink in a swift but sure hand. The single manuscript page, long hidden in a provincial French library, has been verified as the work of Mozart, the apparent underpinnings for a Mass he never composed.


The previously undocumented music fragment gives insight into Mozart's evolving composition style and provides a clue about the role religion may have played for the composer as his life neared its turbulent end, one prominent Mozart expert says.

A library in Nantes, western France, has had the fragment in its collection since the 19th century, but it had never been authenticated until now, partly because it does not bear Mozart's signature.

Ulrich Leisinger, head of research at the International Mozarteum Foundation in Salzburg, Austria, said Thursday that there is no doubt that the single sheet, the top third of which has been cut off, was written by the composer.

"His handwriting is absolutely clearly identifiable," he added. "There's no doubt that this is an original piece handwritten by Mozart."

Leisinger said the work had been "entirely forgotten." Such a find is rare: The last time unknown music in Mozart's handwriting came to light was in 1996, when a portion of an aria was sold at Christie's, Leisinger said.

The library does not plan to sell, but if it did, the single sheet would likely be worth around $100,000, the expert said. In all, only about 100 such examples of musical drafts by Mozart are known.

There have been up to 10 Mozart discoveries of such importance over the past 50 years, Leisinger said.

The sheet was bequeathed to Nantes' library by a collector in the 19th century, along with one letter from Mozart as well as one from his father. Both the letters were published in Mozart's complete correspondence, said Agnes Marcetteau, director of Nantes' municipal library.

In an annotation dated Aug. 18, 1839, Aloys Fuchs, a well-respected autograph hunter who collected works from more than 1,500 musicians, authenticated that the handwriting was that of "W.A. Mozart."

But strangely, the work never attracted much attention, partly because it did not bear Mozart's signature and partly because the catalog notation about it was extremely brief and bland, Leisinger said.

The library contacted Leisinger to authenticate the work last year.

Some of the first part of the fragment is in D minor, while the second is in D major and marked "Credo" — a major clue that the work is a sketch for a Mass, which typically includes such a movement, said Robert D. Levin, a professor at Harvard University who is well-known for completing unfinished works by Mozart.

Circumstantial evidence, including the type of paper, suggests Mozart did not write the material before 1787, said Leisinger. Mozart died in 1791 at the age of 35.

"What this sketch leaf confirms in a most vivid way is Mozart's true interest in writing church music toward the end of his life," Levin said.

Mozart had planned to become the choir and music director of Vienna's main cathedral, although he died before he could take up the post. But because Mozart had become a Freemason, some have questioned the sincerity of his interest in religious composition at that period of his life, Leisinger said.

Mozart's famous Requiem, unfinished at his death, was commissioned by a mysterious benefactor. But the rediscovered fragment likely stemmed from inspiration alone and suggests "to a certain degree that being a Freemason and a Roman Catholic was not a real contradiction" in Mozart's eyes, Leisinger said.

For anyone who wants to try sight-reading the fragment, a bit of detective work is required. Musicians must work out the key signature and clef based on other clues in the music. The tempo is also mysterious. And there is no orchestration.

"It's a melody sketch, so what's missing is the harmony and the instrumentation, but you can make sense out of it," Leisinger said. "The tune is complete."

Philip Gossett, a music historian and a professor in music at the University of Chicago, urged caution about interpreting the fragment.

"It is certainly not something that can just be scored up and played as Mozart's," he said.

Nonetheless, modern-day composers are going to take a crack at an orchestration. And in January of next year, the Nantes library says, Mozart's 18th century Mass is expected to have its first performance.

___

Associated Press writers John Leicester in Paris and Carley Petesch and Barbara Whitaker in New York contributed to this report.

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