CBS to relaunch site

An article on the New York Times Media Decoder blog yesterday claims that Apple now has agreements in place with Universal Music Publishing and Sony/ATV for its cloud service, while a report in the New York Post this morning has Apple with deals now in place with “all labels and their publishing units,” which would include EMI Music Publishing and Warner/Chappell Music as well. The Post story, citing sources, also pegs advance payments of between $25 and $50 million going to each label, which it points out, would likely mean that Google will have to pay even higher upfront fees going back to the bargaining table. Multiple reports have the iCloud service probably being free at first to customers purchasing music from the iTunes store, with a subscription price later being tacked on, presumably when the service is expanded beyond just music purchased from iTunes. While all the talk has centered around negotiations with the major music groups, in what appears to be the first public comment from independent labels, today Billboard has an editorial piece from Merlin CEO Charles Caldas addressing indies being once again left out of the conversation… Meanwhile, CBS is planning on relaunching MP3.com this summer, which it acquired as part of its purchase of Cnet Group… Pandora has set its IPO price at between $7 and $9, a public offering that would end up valuing the company at over $1 billion…  And Interscope Records has announced a new label endeavor with producer Alex Da Kid called KIDinaKORNER. Da Kid’s recent hits include Eminem’s “Love the Way You Lie” and B.O.B’s “Airplanes”… Those in the know expect to see more hit-producer helmed labels soon being launched from the top music groups, as they continue to be reshaped after recent executive shake-ups…

Columbia Records Hoping for Pumped Up Hit from Foster the People

Summer is around the corner and things are heating up all around the industry with bidding-derbies, swelling festival line-ups and a new batch of summer-infused singles dropping… The buzz surrounding the Monotone Inc-managed Foster the People turned into a good old fashion label bidding-derby recently. Their song “Pumped Up Kicks” is being touted as the next potential summertime hit. With lots of label suitors coming to the table, it looks like congratulations are in order for Columbia Records, who has apparently closed the band…  On the management front a different kind of derby is winding up, as managers are vying to land The All American Rejects. The band recently parted ways with their former management, but kept their longtime day-to-day man Nick “Fish” Fishbaugh. We heard Fishbaugh has been meeting with numerous management companies for a new management home for him and the band. We hear the short-list is down to only a few. Stay tuned… The grass is only getting greener over at the Josh Abraham-helmed Pulse Recording, where Jason Bernard and the manager/publisher coterie has had producer Luke Walker working on material with new Universal/Motown signing Christian TV, including the first single released this week, “When She Turns 18,” while Bonnie McKee co-wrote Katy Perry’s latest single and ode to Cali, “California Gurls” – we just hope the fellas keep the daisy dukes at home… More heat out of EMI Publishing where the pubco’s Matt Messer and Amanda Berman recently signed Nations Afire, a band comprised of former members of Rise Against, Ignite and Death By Stereo. The group is currently writing and recording new material, and will play the Detroit Bar in the O.C. this Saturday. Messer will be BBQing at the show… Speaking of BBQ, the 2010 Austin City Limits lineup was announced this week with The Eagles and Muse taking top spots, while a host of other notables include Yeasayer, The xx, Gaslight Anthem and Local Natives; see the whole list here… Finally, expect a lot of industry folks to be at the Troubadour in the next couple nights, as Casxio and Imagine Dragons take the famed-stage tonight (Thursday), while on Friday, radio-darlings Dead Country will support Far whose new album comes out next week (May 25)…

IN THE MIX: Carl Stubner & Paul Pontius