SingSongsMusic.com

Polydor UK signs Haim

The next big pop thing? US-based Haim are three sisters who play a fusion of country, rock and r & b. They are without a record deal but after warmly received live shows, there’s a media frenzy to snap up publishing rights. Universal are reportedly close to a worldwide recording deal. The band release an ep ‘Forever’ on 2nd July 2012 through independent Rough Trade.

The Voice UK live tour scrapped

After a storming start, beating ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ in the Saturday night ratings battle, ‘The Voice’ juggernaut has come to a standstill. Scheduled to start in early September, ‘The Voice’ tour was going to take in Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Birmingham, Glasgow and London.

All dates have been cancelled and tickets can be refunded from point-of-sale outlets.

‘The Voice’ winner, Leanne Mitchell, released a single, ‘Run To You’, a Whitney Houston cover which failed to reach the UK charts. It will be interesting to see where the BBC/Universal sponsored talent showcase goes from here.

Backing tracks for songs performed on 'The Voice' are available at www.singsongs.com

Spotify To Take On Pandora

Personalised online internet radio stations have been a common feature of many music streaming sites. Spotify offered a desktop version late 2011 and has just released smartphone apps driven by technology from US company, ‘The Echo Nest’ . It’s free in the US to all Spotify users but only available to premium subscribers worldwide. Pandora who have the biggest piece of the pie in the US at over 50 million users will be worried.

Promoter Slams BBC Free Festivals

The BBC’s free music events such as the upcoming Hackney Weekend is starting to rattle private sector music promoters. Vince Power and Harvey Goldsmith are among critics claiming that the tax payer is footing the bill and subsidising events that are steering business away from the commercial equivalents. Could limited BBC commercial sponsorship be the next step for the corporation?