Sony to set plans for Whitney Houston catalog

[applehead250609]

The music business moves even faster in death, especially a death that has the capability of fattening some pockets. To them, she wasn't a person - she represented an object that generated revenue  :x . Even if I had the voice of an angel, you couldn't get me to go within a gazillion feet of the music business.You know the words:
"Ain't no business....like show business" :( !!!!

Sony to set plans for Whitney Houston catalog
By Ronald Grover and Yinka Adegoke

LOS ANGELES, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Sony Music executives will meet this week in New York to determine a strategy for marketing the nine albums, soundtracks and compilations that feature Whitney Houston, the pop singer who died on Saturday at age 48, according to two people familiar with the plans.

Executives will also discuss stepping up marketing efforts for the upcoming film "Sparkle," a low-budget movie starring Houston that will be released in August, and for the accompanying soundtrack on which she sings two songs, added one of the people with knowledge of the conversations.

Houston's death is the second in three years for a top-tier Sony Music artist. In 2009, following Michael Jackson's death, the New York-based company aggressively marketed Jackson's prior albums, selling more than 8.2 million in the U.S. and more than 35 million worldwide, according to Billboard.

Sony executives are expected to wait until after the results of an autopsy are known before re-releasing albums or otherwise openly marketing the late singer, according to one of the people familiar with the conversations. A tribute concert featuring other Sony artists and those with whom Houston had worked in the past is also being contemplated, this person said.

"Michael Jackson's passing was the perfect storm for Sony because he was getting ready for a world tour that was already getting a lot of publicity," said Lance Grode, a former head of worldwide business affairs for MCA Records, now Universal Music. "You don't want to look too eager but you also want to capitalize on the attention the star is getting right now."  :?  :x

In 2010, Sony released a re-mastered 25-year anniversary edition of Houston's debut 1985 album "Whitney Houston," and the company will likely boost marketing of that record, said one of the people with knowledge of Sony.

Houston's Christmas album, "One Wish: The Holiday Album," currently listed on Amazon.com for $7.53, will almost certainly be re-issued this fall, said the person.

On Sunday, fans had already driven "Whitney Houston - The Greatest Hits" to the top of the charts on Amazon.com, and her signature hit single "I Will Always Love You," was the top download on iTunes.

NO LARGE REVENUE SHARE

Unlike Michael Jackson, who controlled much of his music, Houston did not enjoy a very large share of the revenues from her work. Sony's Legacy Records owns the catalog of her albums, and pays Houston, or her estate, royalties for her singing. Houston did not write her hit songs, and doesn't share in the revenues for publishing rights.

Clive Davis, Sony's chief creative officer and former CEO of Arista, stands to collect a share of the royalties as well for the three Houston albums on which he is credited as producer or executive producer. For those albums, he could get as much as 10 percent - or "points" - of the royalties, an accepted industry practice, according to one of the industry executives.

A Davis spokesman did not return calls. Sony would not comment beyond a statement in which the company said "Whitney Houston was an icon and a once-in-lifetime talent who influenced a generation of singers and brought joy to millions of fans around the world. She will be greatly missed."

Universal Music Group, a unit of Vivendi, will also share in the anticipated increase in Whitney Houston sales. In 2007, the company purchased the music publishing rights to songs such as "The Greatest Love of All," "Didn't We Have it All" and "Saving All My Love for You" from songwriter Michael Masser.

Singer Dolly Parton controls the publishing rights, which enables her to license music, to "I Will Always Love You." Parton wrote and recorded the song in 1973.

"When Whitney did it, I got all the money for the publishing and for the writing, and I bought a lot of cheap wigs," Parton told CNN's Anderson Cooper in an interview in January.

Warner Brothers, a unit of Time Warner, controls the rights for the 1992 film "The Bodyguard," which stars Houston as a singer and actress and Kevin Costner as her bodyguard and lover. The movie earned $121 million in U.S. theater ticket sales and $410 million worldwide, according to the Internet site Box Office Mojo.

Sony controls the rights to the soundtrack, which has sold more than 44 million copies worldwide, and it will almost certainly be re-released soon, said one of the people with knowledge of Sony's plans. Nielsen Soundscan says it is the best-selling soundtrack of the last 20 years and the sixth best-selling album since Soundscan began measuring sales in 1991.

"When a star first dies, fans are desperate for one last performance," said Mark Young, a University of Southern California business professor and author of the book "The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism is Seducing America."

[Andrea]

There's that mention of a 'perfect storm' when referring to Michael...

And there's something about Clive Davis that I don't trust, can't put my finger on it and I could be wrong but I just get this feeling.

[Grace]

Sony Legacy Recordings: Whitney Houston
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legacy_Recordings

Sony/ATV: Whitney Houston, acquired in 2007 from Viacom
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Sony/ATV_Music_Publishing_artists#cite_note-Sony.2FATV_Music_Publishing_Completes_Acquisition_of_Famous_Music_LLC_from_Viacom-6

:?:

[Grace]

On Sunday, fans had already driven "Whitney Houston - The Greatest Hits" to the top of the charts on Amazon.com, and her signature hit single "I Will Always Love You," was the top download on iTunes.

Itunes jacks up price of Whitney Houstons catalogue by 75% 45 minutes after she died
Houston's 2007 Ultimate Collection increased by £3 to £7.99 in the space of just 30 ...
By fataldawg -  Yesterday, 05:29 PM - Boxden > The Hip-Hop Spot
Houston's 2007 Ultimate Collection increased by £3 to £7.99 in the space of just 30 minutes, with iTunes users reporting that they were prevented from downloading the LP at its original advertised price while the update occurred.

Some accused Apple of "cashing in" on the tragedy, while others said that the company should be "ashamed" of their "shameless exploitation".

One customer, who claimed to have spent two hours trying to purchase the Ultimate Collection at its original price, added: "To say I am angry is an understatement and I feel it is just a case of iTunes cashing in on the singer's [rip], which in my opinion is totally parasitic.

"The album itself is great so please don't be put off purchasing it, just [realize] that you will merely be lining some fatcat's pocket before Whitney's lifeless body is cold."

Digital Spy readers have also registered their objection at the new prices, with Twitter user @CallumGriffiths describing the move as "d|sgusting".

He added: "Understandable that she would go up in the charts, but that's just making every last penny they can from her [rip]!"

Another, @InTheLittleWood, argued: "I'd say disgusted but maybe artists have agreements with their labels about it, to ensure their kids / family stay afloat?"

Despite the price increase, the Official Charts Company has said that they expect Houston to dominate the singles and album charts next week.

http://slumz.boxden.com/f87/itunes-jacks-up-price-whitney-houstons-catalogue-75-45-minutes-after-she-died-1704066/

[applehead250609]

On Sunday, fans had already driven "Whitney Houston - The Greatest Hits" to the top of the charts on Amazon.com, and her signature hit single "I Will Always Love You," was the top download on iTunes.

Itunes jacks up price of Whitney Houstons catalogue by 75% 45 minutes after she died
Houston's 2007 Ultimate Collection increased by £3 to £7.99 in the space of just 30 ...
By fataldawg -  Yesterday, 05:29 PM - Boxden > The Hip-Hop Spot
Houston's 2007 Ultimate Collection increased by £3 to £7.99 in the space of just 30 minutes, with iTunes users reporting that they were prevented from downloading the LP at its original advertised price while the update occurred.

Some accused Apple of "cashing in" on the tragedy, while others said that the company should be "ashamed" of their "shameless exploitation".

One customer, who claimed to have spent two hours trying to purchase the Ultimate Collection at its original price, added: "To say I am angry is an understatement and I feel it is just a case of iTunes cashing in on the singer's [rip], which in my opinion is totally parasitic.

"The album itself is great so please don't be put off purchasing it, just [realize] that you will merely be lining some fatcat's pocket before Whitney's lifeless body is cold."

Digital Spy readers have also registered their objection at the new prices, with Twitter user @CallumGriffiths describing the move as "d|sgusting".

He added: "Understandable that she would go up in the charts, but that's just making every last penny they can from her [rip]!"

Another, @InTheLittleWood, argued: "I'd say disgusted but maybe artists have agreements with their labels about it, to ensure their kids / family stay afloat?"

Despite the price increase, the Official Charts Company has said that they expect Houston to dominate the singles and album charts next week.

http://slumz.boxden.com/f87/itunes-jacks-up-price-whitney-houstons-catalogue-75-45-minutes-after-she-died-1704066/

Surprised Sony tried this? Hell to the naw  >:(.

Disgusted? Very  /woohoo/ .

Sony Apologizes for trying to profit off of Whitney Houston's death  :roll:

In a statement to Billboard.biz, Sony Music said: "Whitney Houston product was mistakenly mispriced on the UK iTunes store on Sunday. When discovered, the mistake was immediately corrected. We apologise for any offence caused."  :roll:

Fans of the singer who noticed the error took to Twitter to lambast Sony for what appeared to them as cashing in on Houston's death. And Wendy Day, the co-founder of a not-for-profit organisation that aims to keep artists from being unfairly exploited, wrote on Twitter:

@RapCoalition
Wendy Day
So Sony raised the prices on all of Whitney Houston's music overnight. I can't decide if I'm disgusted by them being vultures or expected it
February 13, 2012 8:49 pm via Echofon Reply Retweet Favorite

Meanwhile, Houston looks set to storm back into the top 10 following her death.

Early sales figures show the late star could have as many as seven singles in the top 40, with the highest - former chart-topper I Will Always Love You - on target to reach number 10.
__________________
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/02/15/whitney-houston-sony-album-prices_n_1278561.html

[everlastinglove_MJ]

Another article to fuel the anger a little more  :mrgreen: :

guardian.co.uk, Monday 13 February 2012 12.02 GMT
Article history

Whitney Houston album price hike sparks controversy

Sony Music under fire after cost of greatest hits set on iTunes rises by more than 60% after singer's death
Josh Halliday

guardian.co.uk, Monday 13 February 2012 12.02 GMT
Article history

Sony Music has come under fire after it increased the price of a Whitney Houston album on Apple's iTunes Store hours after the singer was found dead.

The music giant is understood to have lifted the wholesale price of Houston's greatest hits album, The Ultimate Collection, at about 4am California time on Sunday. This meant that the iTunes retail price of the album automatically increased from £4.99 to £7.99.

Houston's The Ultimate Collection, originally released in 1997, was the second top-selling album on iTunes on Monday morning. Apple returned the album to its original price late on Sunday.

Music fans described the move as a cynical attempt to capitalise on Houston's in-demand greatest hits records. The price hike came as tributes flooded in for the singer, whose catalogue includes hits such as I Wanna Dance With Somebody and I Will Always Love You. Houston was found dead in her Los Angeles hotel room on Saturday afternoon, local time, at the age of 48.

The change happened when Sony Music, which owns the rights to much of Houston's back catalogue, increased the wholesale price of The Ultimate Collection. This automatically boosted the retail price of the popular album, although Apple is responsible setting the price paid by music fans.

It is understood that the change occurred after Sony Music reviewed Houston's iTunes catalogue after the singer was pronounced dead.

One insider close to the situation said the price hike was not a "cynical" move – but that the wholesale price of Houston's The Ultimate Collection was wrong. The change in wholesale price boosted the album's retail price on iTunes.

Houston's The Ultimate Collection and Whitney – The Greatest Hits were in the top three albums on iTunes at noon on Monday.

Apple and Sony Music declined to comment.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/feb/13/whitney-houston-album-price

but that the wholesale price of Houston's The Ultimate Collection was wrong. 

Hmm sure, the wholesale price was not changed to the today's market value, which has been doubled I guess, of course they never admit this. How convenient... and respectless.

L.O.V.E.