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EMI is expecting a bumper second half of the year with a host of big-name artists, including The Beatles, due to issue albums. The music publisher expects the new releases to compensate for a decline in first-half sales.   A host of popular EMI artists including Robbie Williams, Joss Stone and Nora Jones will release new records in the second half of EMI's financial year and should sell well over the Christmas sales period. Other big-selling artists including Depeche Mode, Moby and Keith Urban

EMI, the music company behind Coldplay and Katy Perry, made a loss of £757 million in the year it was acquired by Terra Firma, run by Guy Hands, amid heavy restructuring costs, financial charges and a collapsing music market, report The Times.   The losses were accompanied by a frank annual report, with a introduction written by Lord Birt, the former Director-General of the BBC who now advises Mr Hands, comprising "a forthright presentation of problems" and "the absence of rosy assurances about

The EMI Group, the British music giant, has been considering a plan to offer a broad swath of its recordings for sale online without anti-copying software, executives involved in discussions with the company said.   EMI, which releases music by artists including Coldplay and the Beatles, has discussed various proposals to sell unprotected files through an array of digital retailers, including Apple, Microsoft, Real Networks and Yahoo, said the executives, who spoke on condition of anonymity.  

EMI merged its Capitol and Virgin Records divisions overnight. The new company is called The Capitol Music Group.   Virgin Records CEO Jason Flom as been announced as the head of the new company. Andrew Slater, President and CEO of Capitol Records has been removed from the company. Flom joined the company in November 2005. He will report directly to Eric Nicoli, CEO of EMI Group.   Although Capitol Records has a market share near double that of Virgin, Nicoli said in a statement "Jason Flom quic

LONDON (AFX) - EMI Group has cut a deal with Vodafone Group, making 200,000 of the music label's songs available to the mobile giant's 3G subscribers.   The agreement will allow subscribers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa to download tracks from the likes of Robbie Williams and Coldplay onto their phones, in addition to EMI-licensed ringtones and realtones.   Source: Various

EMI, the world's third largest music group, reported first-half profits ahead of expectations this morning and reiterated its optimism about a second half that will see releases from Robbie Williams and Norah Jones.   After taking into account the effect of an accounting fraud at its Brazilian arm revealed by EMI last month, underlying profit before tax came in at £18.6m for the six months to September 30. That was down sharply on last year's £41m but above City analysts' forecasts for £18m. The

EMI is preparing a renewed bid for Warner Music after its US-based rival rejected a $4.23bn (£2.35bn) cash-and-shares offer. Warner said yesterday that EMI's bid - its third attempt in six years to woo the US music group - was not in the best interests of its shareholders, but sources close to EMI described it as "a first offer" that they had expected to be dismissed.   A duet between the industry's number three and four players has been long-anticipated, but the offer of $28.50 per Warner shar

EMI is preparing a renewed bid for Warner Music after its US-based rival rejected a $4.23bn (£2.35bn) cash-and-shares offer. Warner said yesterday that EMI's bid - its third attempt in six years to woo the US music group - was not in the best interests of its shareholders, but sources close to EMI described it as "a first offer" that they had expected to be dismissed.   A duet between the industry's number three and four players has been long-anticipated, but the offer of $28.50 per Warner shar

EMI Group said it was confident it was on track to deliver results in line with full-year expectations as it posted first-half underlying pretax profit slightly above forecasts on Wednesday at 18.6 million pounds.   The world's third largest music company had said its profits in the six months to end-September would be down from the 41 million pounds posted last year because its release schedule is stronger in the second half than the first.   Analysts had expected profits of around 18 million p

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's EMI Group Plc rejected a 2.1-billion-pound ($4.1 billion) cash takeover proposal from Warner Music Group , saying the price was inadequate and not in the best interests of its shareholders.   The world's third-largest music company and home to Robbie Williams and Coldplay, said it held a board meeting on Friday after getting a non-binding proposal from Warner which indicated it might be prepared to make a bid at 260 pence per share.   "The board concluded that it is

Music group EMI can start harvesting the fruits of its landmark copy protection move today as "The Good, The Bad & The Queen" becomes the company's first album available in the new format.   The group, home to Robbie Williams and Coldplay, this week scrapped copy protection on all its digital tracks in a move that was immediately hailed by Apple chief executive Steve Jobs as "the next big step forward in the digital music revolution".   Today "The Good, The Bad & The Queen" by Damon Alba

Music company EMI Group PLC said Monday it lost about $127.4 million in its latest fiscal year as sales continued to fall, but added that the music market showed signs of improving.   EMI, whose artists include Norah Jones, Coldplay and Robbie Williams, posted a loss after tax and minority interests of 71.6 million pounds in the year to March 31, 2004 in contrast to a profit of 234.2 million pounds in the previous 12 months.Group sales for the year was 2.12 billion pounds ($3.77 billion), down 2

Music giant EMI fell sharply after a shock announcement that it had uncovered fraud in its Brazilian business. Senior management has been suspended.   A brief statement said the fraud resulted in an over statement of revenues by £12 million and operating profits by £9 million. The shares fell 8.75p to 272p.   The affair will cause huge embarrassment to EMI, best known for stars such as Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay and Robbie Williams. Profits of the recorded music division rose 15% to £145 million l

EMI has suffered a decline in its market share of US album sales in the second quarter, which could undermine its position in a £2.5bn two-way takeover battle with Warner Music.   EMI, which manages artists including Coldplay and Janet Jackson, has seen its album sales decline 8 per cent year-on-year, and the company has lost 0.4 percentage points to 10 per cent in US market share, according to data from Nielsen SoundScan.   By contrast, Warner Music's album sales in the US increased 11 per cent

Britain's EMI is keen to discuss valuations with bid target Warner Music Group, but will not pay as much as $5.6 billion, a source close to the company said on Friday.   The Times newspaper said earlier on Friday, in an unsourced report, that New York-based Warner Music (Charts) would consider selling itself for around $37.5 to $38.0 a share, or about $5.6 billion.   "EMI has for some time been keen to discuss valuation with Warner, but clearly believes $38 is a completely unrealistic valuation

LONDON (Reuters) - EMI Group , the world's third-largest music company, said on Monday it expected a 3 percent decline in first-half revenue, citing an album release schedule weighted towards the second half.   First-half underlying profit before tax is expected to fall 34 percent to about 27 million pounds. Full-year results are on track to meet expectations, EMI said.   The London-based company, home to artists such as Coldplay and Robbie Williams, said its recorded music division was on track

UK music giant EMI is considering raising its bid for US rival Warner Music to £2.6 billion as the takeover tug-of-war between the two groups continues.   The move would come just days after EMI - home to Coldplay, the Gorillaz and Robbie Williams - announced it had rejected a 320p-a-share offer from Warner, which valued the London-based company at £2.54bn.   The Warner bid itself came in response to an earlier £2.52bn offer from EMI, which the US firm rejected.Analysts expect the firms to rea

EMI Group Plc, the world's third-largest music company, said on Thursday it has agreed to pay $3.75 million to settle charges by New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer that it made secret payments to radio stations in exchange for airplay.   The music company behind such artists as the Rolling Stones and Coldplay is the last of the big four music groups to settle with the Attorney General's office over allegations of pay-for- play practices, also known as payola, in the music industry.  

EMI Group Plc, the world's third-largest music company, said on Thursday it has agreed to pay $3.75 million to settle charges by New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer that it made secret payments to radio stations in exchange for airplay.   The music company behind such artists as the Rolling Stones and Coldplay is the last of the big four music groups to settle with the Attorney General's office over allegations of pay-for- play practices, also known as payola, in the music industry.  

The music publisher EMI Group revealed it had unearthed an accounting fraud in its Brazilian business yesterday that caused an overstatement of revenues and profits.   Initial investigations suggested that revenues at its EMI Music recorded music business were overstated to the tune of about £12m and operating profits by about £9m. The impact of correcting its figures will be felt in results for the six months to September this year, due to be released on 5 November.   A statement from the comp

LONDON — Shares of EMI Group PLC, whose artists include Coldplay and Robbie Williams, dropped more than 8 percent Thursday after the music company said it had ended takeover talks with an unidentified suitor.   EMI, which revealed that it was in talks late last month, said it had not received an offer that "fully reflects the prospects for and value of the company" that could recommended to shareholders. EMI did not name the potential bidder, but it was widely believed to be European private equ

The takeover battle between two of the world’s biggest record labels intensified today amid reports that Warner Music is contemplating an improved £2.7bn (€3.9bn) bid for EMI.   The Times newspaper said United States giant Warner was looking at an offer worth 340p-a-share having had two earlier bids at 315p and 320p rejected.   Such a bid would raise the stakes in the tug-of-war between the two companies which has also seen EMI launch two unsuccessful bids for Warner, including one of £2.52bn (€

Shares of record company EMI Group PLC, whose artists include Coldplay and the Beatles, rose more than 10 percent Tuesday after the company said it received an approach about a possible takeover of the business.   EMI did not say who the potential bidder was.   The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the deal, said European private equity firm Permira Advisors Ltd. made a preliminary takeover offer. A spokesman for Permira of London declined to comment. Earlier the Financial Times,

Shares in music giant EMI tumbled today after a European court ruling cast doubt over a possible trans-Atlantic merger with US rival Warner.   The European Court of First Instance annulled previous EU approval of a 2004 tie-up between Sony and BMG which created the second largest music company in the world behind Universal.   The ruling sparked fears in the City today that a combination of London-based EMI and Warner could also be blocked. The pair are currently locked in a takeover tug-of-war a

Shares in EMI Group gained as much as 7.1 percent on Wednesday following a report that Warner Music Group Corp. was preparing a new bid to buy the world's third largest music company.   The Times, citing unnamed investors, said Warner Music's Chief Executive Edgar Bronfman had targeted the group's shareholders and emphasised the benefits of a future tie-up during a visit to London earlier this month. "He is not thought to have discussed a specific future bid for EMI," the report said.   EMI's sh