Spotify profit due?

Spotify is due to report a profit when it publishes its 2010 results later this year. The online streaming service with 1.9 million paying users and 6 million free users in the US and Europe turned over an estimated E59 million and paid out E45 million to record labels. No details are known about music publisher payments, but with some E10 million spent on marketing and business overheads, a profit of E5 million could be achieved, against a loss of around E20 million last year on turnover of just E13 million in 2009. Spotify is now looking to shift users from the now restricted free service to paid for subscription services.

Beyonce pregnant

Beyonce, who along with Lady Gaga recently made an real impact in the Forbes "Power 100 Women" topped by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, has announced that she is pregant with her and Jay-Z's first child. She broke the news at the MTV VMA's as she posed for photographers on the awards show red carpet saying "I have a surprise," before showing off her growing baby bump for the cameras. She went on to perform Love On Top at the bash, telling the crowd: "I want you to feel the love that's growing inside me." Gaga performed at the VMA's as her 'alter ego', the very male Joe Calderone.

Tragedy in Joshua Tree National Park

Dutch promoter Augustinus 'Guus' Van Hove and his girlfriend Helena Nuellett have been found dead in the Joshua Tree National Park in California. The pair had driven to the Park which is currently experiencing heat wave conditions of over 40C and had taken the remote Black Eagle Mine road towards Arizona. Officials said that the couple had probably died from heat exposure as temperatures soared. Guus was manager of the 013 venue in Tilburg.

Australian music fans see more live music than AFL games

New research in Australia has found live music contributes more than $500 million to Victoria's economy each year. The Deloitte Access Economics report has found more Victorians attended live music venues last year than AFL games, and that the live music industry creates more than 17,000 jobs. However, tough new liquor licensing regulations have sparked protests from music fans and The Tote, one of Melbourne's iconic music venues was forced to close its doors because of the new rules, but later re-opened.



Consumer Affairs Minister Michael O'Brien says the Government will continue to support live music saying "Later this year we'll be changing the Liquor Licensing Act to insert, as one of its objects live music and its importance to Victoria" saying

"We want to make sure that the regulators and the decision-makers understand that live music is an important part of our live venues" and added that the Government will change the way venues are classified to protect the music industry and will attempt to reduce licence fees payable by music venues