Madonna To Sever Warner Bros Ties For New $120 Million Deal

AFP:

Madonna intends to sign a $120 million recording and touring deal with live entertainment promoter Live Nation Inc. and leave her longtime record label at Warner Music Group Corp., a person familiar with the contract negotiations said Wednesday.

The pop superstar's management informed Warner last week that she would accept Live Nation's offer after the record company refused to match the deal, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the confidential nature of the matter.

Read the whole story: AFP

Comments

[Birdlives]

Mediocrity is what the US is about-
Billie Holiday or Sarah Vaughan (Remember them?) could out sing this no-talented genius of self-promotion with their mouths closed. The US LOVES Macdonalds, Bush, Clarence Thomas and other mediocrities Sure the dummies need "music" too and the record companies are willing to oblige.Pigs eat swill and don't know any better but humans are supposed to be able to learn what is better than the garbage the music industry peddles.One only needs to see that Madonna makes more money than Mozart to realize how FU this country is.

Bird Lives!!!!!

[Paw1]

If the numbers being bandied about in various articles are correct, this is an insanely risky deal for Live Nation. According to the Journal, under these terms, she'd have to sell over 15 million records each of three releases for it to pay out. Also, Live Nation doesn't have a distribution system to get the records to the stores yet, but they've guaranteed her aminimum for each. Plus, Warner Bros gets to keep all the old shit! Clearly, this was done to keep her from using another live promoter when she tours. And she still keeps 90% of the box office receipts! Amazing businesswoman...

[LUNKHEAD]

Madonna exiting any label is good news. Her music is slop driven, pop culture garbage. She's just shifting her money to another bank. Big deal.
Why does anyone take this absolutely no talent zero seriously? She practically wanks on stage dressed in bondage leather, surrounded by queers and her lesbo sluts-worshipping her-adoring her. The way a no talent, over the hill and dale hack likes it.
Hey, like Brangelina, Primadonna has her own brood of boutique adoptions, so chic for the rich these days, ne'st ce pas? It's all so pathetic dudes and straight sisters!!
Madonna.
Get into the groove.
Prove your love to me.
Prove it.....
Prove it.....
Slam it in, Guy Ritchie.
(And baby face here is corralled by bitchy Ciccone like walnuts in a blender.....)
Prove your love to Sluttonna!!
Let the fantasy....set you free....
Rim shot

[expanse]

Bwhahahahahaha

That is great parody! You sound just like a real loon that waste's their energy posting meaningless insults at Madonna. Bravo( although it is fairly unoriginal). Madonna still has it if she inspires this much emotion!

[Truss]

I'd love to know who a toad like you likes? I bet you are a Clay Aiken fan!

[hip dibler]

she is way past her expiration date so more power to her for getting paid.

[MovingtoNorway]

She's an ugly over the hill hag. Too much steroids or HGH in the gym. I hope she disappears in a bulemic burn out

[StuCop]

actually i think ragga,cyguy and expanse are all the same madonna PR person...check out their profiles...nice...so thats certainly does bolster the other posters claims that madonna is more PR/marketing than talent...

[expanse]

Nice diversion but facts are facts. I doubt Madonna's PR people really care what a few dozen people on HuffPo think--lOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

What I find hysterical is the fact you troll every Madonna post just to post something nasty about her. That is more telling than anything! Hehe

[StuCop]

you've found me out...my life revolves around trolling for madonna post...

[Alvin4NY]

Here's a fact, she can't act her way out of a paper bag. Here's another fact, as a "live" performer, she can't and won't sing her entire set "LIVE" - she believes in charging people for a lip synched concert- and charging top price!
The day she gets up on stage, without a pre-recorded track and does 90 minutes of live singing, I'll give her a break and consider her talent. Otherwise, people are just going to have to realize that the only "brilliant" thing regarding Mo is her ability to market herself. In that way, she's almost as good as Bush/Cheney.

[PlanetKansas]

Madonna is a no talent ass clown. Any discerning musician can tell her vocals are enhanced and pitch corrected, and the guitar is only a prop.

Madonna does have an uncanny talent for self promotion and publicity, and created a whole genre for other mediocre talents like Britney Spears, but theirs is the same talent PT Barnum had. Anyone with money can buy the right consultants to put on a show, but realize the difference between entertainment and art.

This is at the root of why the music industry in failing, it is about the stunts and the money, not the music, and Madonna is their poster girl.

The same can be said for modern politics, which values money and power and no longer concerned with governance.

[expanse]

BORING. Is that ALL ya got? The same ol nonsense that has been thrown at her since day 1 by her critics?

If her vocals are enhanced, why is it that so many other singers, like Janet Jackson or Britney Spears, can't ever come to nearly the level Madonna's vocals do? If what you say is possible, everyone would sound wonderful. They don't. Check out that Madonna performance at the Oscars( totally live). No faking those awesome vocals.

Most music critics would totally disagree with you on her talent. She is widely critically acclaimed. Check out the book "Like an Icon" dealing solely with her work in the studio. ALL the musicians who have worked with her say she knows her stuff inside and out. Her fellow female musicians( 500 in all) ranked her as the #8 most talented female( #1 of her generation) in VH-1's survey. I think THEY know a tad bit more than YOU do about musical talent. If you care at all about facts, you will google it up.

Its so easy with you haters. You get put in your place on this issue time and again.

[rektruax]

I've already posted a complementary post for Madonna, but you go too far...

You keep making these grandiose claims about fellow musicians, critics, and ALL (sic) the musicians she's worked with but you provide no sources. I appreciate your being defensive about an artist you like, but you're coming off like a disgruntled teenager or something.

[rlk42]

"She is the most successful female singer of all time"...NOT. Try again. Barbra Streisand holds the USA record for best selling female artist while Mariah Carey holds it for world wide sales. Madonna is a mediocre talent who has a genius for a publicist. If Madonna was even half-interesting - she wouldn't have to reinvent herself.

[cyguy]

Wrong. Madonna is by far the top selling female singer worldwide. It is a easily proven fact. Its amazing how some people think if they type it, it will be taken as truth. Worldwide its: Madonna 1st, Celine Dion 2nd, Mariah Carey 3rd. In the USA, you are correct about Streisand selling more albums, Madonna is second. But including singles, Madonna is first. Please do some fact checking before posting! Thanks!

[expanse]

Wow, ignorance IS bliss. All the official organizations that list actual sales figures for musical artists list Madonna as the #1 female( 2nd in album in the USA only to Barbara S and will be ahead of her once Madonna's albums get recertified- some haven't been updated with current sales figures in 10-13 years).

Here are the sites: RIAA and the IFPI are just two reputable and OFFICIAL sites. Worldwide, Madonna is in a commanding lead unlikely to ever be overtaken( since she is still selling on average, 1-2 million CD's per year with no new CD, 8-10 million with a new release).

Its called FACTS people, look them up!

[StuCop]

god...madonna's pr people are always all over any huffpo post...expanse, cyguy and ragga...always always always appear when a madonna story is posted...seems to lend credence to the posters who are argueing she's more PR/Marketing than talent...

[expanse]

Two of us post at a Music forum at RollingStone. Its a general forum but there is a Madonna section. When misinformation is presented, some of us go to correct that. Again facts are facts. Ya can't hide them like opinions there StuCop( as much as you would love to). As for Ragga, I have no idea if she/he is posting with us at RollingStone.

[PlanetKansas]

I'm not doubting her sales figures, only making the distinction between an entertainer and an artist. Britney, Paris, Striesand and Menudo are entertainers, all show for dough, nice living if you can get it, but it's still PT Barnum. They make more in a single show than a living legend like Sonny Rollins makes in a year, but it's because of the T&A and marketing, not artistry.

It pisses me off that when the Ventures finally accept their induction into the Hall of Fame, they would share the stage with a sideshow like Madonna. I hope she has the humility and class to recongise that, but then, any reaction from her will be calculated and canned like everything else.

[expanse]

Oh give me a bleeping break. Its YOUR opinion she isnt worthy. So what? Madonna hasn't lasted because of T&A for THIS long! Spare me that nonsense.

Your a music snob who only thinks obscure, melody-free bands are "real" music and anything mainstream is evil and bad. Its boring. Go back to listening to XM all disgruntled that better artists know how to make great music that the majority of people actually like.

[curiousasheck]

Invest the money elsewhere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cGT-aBvkfc&mode=related&search=

[citizenofmars]

Playing a Les Paul? Hahahahahaha!!! She must have read the posts here about her Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction, and how she has nothing to do with real Rock at all. Picking up a Les Paul and playing two barre chords isn't going to make a damn bit of difference. Bonnie Raitt you ain't.

[Alvin4NY]

She's the new "Miss Subway of 1952" (wink....)

[cyguy]

You are a nitwit. She has played guitar since 1980 when she played BOTH drums and guitar in the band "The Breakfast Club". I love it when people post crap with no knowledge of anything just the hate swirling around their miserable existence.

[rektruax]

I would be very interested in seeing and hearing her "play" guitar and/or drums by herself. The only footage I can find has her strumming 1st position chords (newbie stuff) while another guitar player accompanies with actual parts.

If one of the uber fans here can help out with a link it would be appreciated. I'm not saying she can't, I'm just saying I haven't seen/heard it.

[curiousasheck]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cGT-aBvkfc&mode=related&search=

[rektruax]

While she certainly doesn't have the talent of David Bowie, like him she has the uncanny ability to re-invent herself as necessary. How forgotten would she be had she never given up the lace/paper doll look she started with.

Her staying power accounts for something.

[StuCop]

i wonder how much money radiohead could've received in a similar deal $150 mil/$180 mil...instead their giving their album away for free...or whatever you'd like to pay...great new model eh?

[Alvin4NY]

Radiohead is making music because they love to make music. Madonna is making music to support her lifestyle, and feed fans what they want. Her artistic integrity went out the window when she ditched "American Life" as soon as she saw which way the wind was blowing upon the release. She didn't even have the conviction of one Dixie Chick.

[UpstateNYMom]

Does Madonna still sing?

[Ragga]

Assinine comment alert......

[coyote4]

.
Madonna;
want to play coyote?

Call me.....

[ClaudiaJean]

The music industry is in disarray -- the standard idea of a major label is DYING.
The labels are hemoragging money - the corner office suits take bigger paychecks and have bigger yachts while the droves of workers in the trenches come back from a full schedule of meetings to find pink slips on their desks...
Money is made by artists who can draw big audiences to see them live in concert..
And more money is made by selling the merchandise to the fans.
The label does not share in this profit and instead of addressing how to move the industry foward, embrace new technology and create a new model, they're attempting to chase the money the artists are making without their involvement... silly rabbits.
If Live Nation has done this with Madonna and for this money, its only a matter of time before AEG tries to counterbalance by picking another relatively safe-bet artist and do the same. However, with the labels dying, this could be the new model... can't wait to see how it works.

[Ragga]

Well deserved. Her last CD sold 8 million copies worldwide and her last 3 tours were the highest grossing tours by a female each year( her last being of all time). Her next tour will easily bring in over $200 million alone. Warner has gotten very rich off her without giving much back. They are notorious for badly promoting her CD's( and those of most of their artists) and being stingy. She only made $5 million off her last CD while Warner made over $100 million from it( from 8 million copies sold, plus singles). Her income is primarily from touring. She is the most successful female singer of all time and had her most successful single with Hung Up in 2006. That CD broke records for hitting #1 in the most countries of any CD ever, breaking HER old record when True Blue did it. Hung Up also set the world record for hitting #1 in the most countries. She was recently lauded by fellow songwriters for her critically praised songwriting and google her 1991 Oscar performance and her Live Earth performance of Ray of Light and La Isla Bonita to see how truly a wonderful live performer she is. Her voice is stunning in that Oscar performance! Good for you Madonna!

[expanse]

OK Ragga, I googled the Oscar performance. Its of Sooner or Later. WOW. I mean, WOW. I mean,WOOOOOW. I have always like her voice but DAMN she blows the roof off the joint. Just, WOW.

[expanse]

I googled the Oscar performance. WOW. I mean, WOW. I mean WOOOOOOW. She blew the roof off the joint. WOW. I have a whole new appreciation for her.

[UpstateNYMom]

So does Micahel Jackson big whoop

[cyguy]

I google the Oscar performance as well. Very very impressed.