Eagles To Play Newly Added Day At Stagecoach

By Mitchell Peters, L.A.
www.billboard.biz
2/21/08

The Eagles have been tapped to headline the newly added third day (May 2) of the second annual Stagecoach Country Music Festival, to be held May 2-4 at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, Calif.

As previously reported, the event will also feature a one-off performance from the Judds, who will be playing their first live show since 2000. Rounding out the Goldenvoice-produced Stagecoach bill are Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, Big & Rich, Carrie Underwood, Trisha Yearwood, Taylor Swift, Gretchen Wilson, Dwight Yoakam, John Fogerty, Shelby Lynne, Glen Campbell, Rissi Palmer, George Jones, Trace Adkins, Dierks Bentley, Earl Scruggs and Ralph Stanley.

The Eagles' newest album, "Long Road Out of Eden," which debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 in November 2007, has sold 2.8 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The group also snagged a Grammy Award on Sunday for best country performance by a duo or group with vocals for "How Long."

Also performing at the country festival are Kellie Pickler, Shooter Jennings, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Dan Tyminski, Ian Tyson, Jack Ingram, the Isaacs, Bucky Covington, Riders In The Sky, Kentucky Headhunters, Michael Martin Murphey, Cherryholmes, J.D. Crowe, Wylie & The Wild West, Red Steagall, Luke Bryan, Halfway To Hazard, Billy Joe Shaver, Ryan Bingham, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Waddie Mitchell, Crystal Shawanda, Jypsi and the Greencards.

The acts will be featured on four stages, and Stagecoach will also offer activities such as lasso and roping clinics, fiddling demonstrations, trail boss seminars, mechanical bull rides and a BBQ contest open to the public. Tickets went on sale Nov. 16 via Ticketmaster. Three-day general admission passes went on sale today (Feb. 13) for $249, plus applicable fees.



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Report: Digital To Lead Music Sales In Five Years

By Jennifer Netherby, L.A.
Digital and Mobile www.billboard.biz
February 19, 2008

Digital music sales will surpass CD sales in five years, according to a new report from Forrester Research ominously titled "The End of Music As We Know It."

Forrester predicts digital sales will grow by 23% a year through 2012, when they will reach $4.8 billion in annual sales. CD sales will slide to $3.8 billion in 2012, according to the report. However, digital growth won't make up for CD declines over the next five years.

Forrester surveyed 5,000 consumers in the U.S. and Canada. The company found that MP3 devices are being underutilized, with just 57% of their capacity filled. Forrester also predicts that DRM-free downloads will extend to Apple iTunes and other services and onto social networks, where friends could sell friends their favorite songs.

Forrester believes digital downloads will dominate sales in coming years, but sees some growth potential for online music subscription services, which it believes will grow to $459 million in revenues by 2012. Ad-supported downloads will fail to take off because of DRM-free music and on-demand streaming from sites like imeem.com, according to the report.

"The industry has to redefine what its product is," Forrester Research VP and principal analyst James L. McQuivey said in a statement.

"Music executives have spent years tracking CD sales," he continued. "But the artist is the product -- not just the source of it. New forms of revenue will come from unexpected sources. For example, the industry has failed to capitalize on the growing popularity of video games such as 'Guitar Hero' and 'Rock Band.' In a market where musicians are happy to sell a million copies of a CD, a videogame market where titles can sell five million copies is enough to motivate even the most depressed music executive."



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