Linkin Park demands release from Warner

[LPFAdmin]

Claims label is not using enough resources to promote band
The Associated Press
Updated: 6:03 p.m. ET May 2, 2005

NEW YORK - Linkin Park demanded its release from Warner Music Group on Monday, claiming that the conglomerate, which is about to go public, is not devoting enough of its resources to promote the band.



“We feel a responsibility to get great music to our fans. Unfortunately, we believe that we can’t accomplish that effectively with the current Warner Music,” the rock-rap band said in a statement.

However, the group, which has sold more than 16 million albums in the United States, still owes label Warner Bros. four more albums. Warner Bros. Records dismissed the group’s contentions as a ploy.

“We value our relationship with Linkin Park, and we are proud of our work together since signing the band ... in 1999. While Linkin Park’s talent is without question, the band’s management is using fictitious numbers and making baseless charges and inflammatory threats in what is clearly a negotiating tactic,” the company said. “Warner Bros. Records has made significant investments in Linkin Park, and they have always been compensated generously for their outstanding worldwide success.”

The dispute comes as Warner prepares to go public. It was acquired last year for $2.6 billion from Time Warner Inc. by a private investor group led by Edgar Bronfman Jr., now its chairman and chief executive.

A source close to the band who spoke on condition of anonymity contends the group is upset because the company has not guaranteed how much they plan to spend to market the group’s next album, due to come out in 2006.

The source claims the group was offered a $3 million advance per album for five albums, which the band considered paltry given its sales. Linkin Park claims it has been responsible for 10 percent of Warner Music Group’s record sales over the past five years.

“The new owners of the Warner Music Group will be reaping a windfall of $1.4 billion from their $2.6 billion purchase a mere 18 months ago if their planned IPO moves forward,” the band’s statement said. “Linkin Park, their biggest act, will get nothing.”

But a source familiar with Warner’s negotiations with Linkin Park who also spoke on condition of anonymity contends the band made unrealistic demands, including asking for a $60 million advance and a 50-50 profit split.

Linkin Park, whose top albums include “Hybrid” and “Meteora,” said it’s looking into releasing music through the Internet since it does not plan to deliver a new album to Warner Bros. But the label could challenge any new music released if they remain under contract.

Linkin Park’s joint CD with Jay-Z, “Collision Course,” has sold 1.6 million copies since last fall, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

[Vash_the_Stampede]

That article is pretty interesting.




p.s. He speaks publicly! YAY! lol

[Hyper]

lmao. it says top albums "Hybrid" and "Meteora" LMAO. no theory apparently.

[LPGirl]

lol i saw that too hyper.. hmm.. very intesrting(sp?).. hmm. wonder what will happen?

[shadowfax1007]

very interesting.........it says they owe them 4 albums.......hope we get more lol

[Rusu_luvs_LP_4ever]

More like 2 proper albums...the others are like "others" (still kool though). Yes interesting...

[stupidsoul1]

hmmm...poor lp!!

that totally sucks

[twilightcrimson7]

I heard about that 2 days ago and I was like GO LP!! *dances*
lol I hope they win, and I hope other bands do that too...those greedy bastards at wb....

[Friðbjörn]

I hope this will be solved ASAP so LP can go on working on their next album. If this will be going on for long, that album will definately be postponed, or it will not be as good it might have been.

[Stenners]

hmmm so they might release there music through the internet :D

[o0SugaxNxSpice0o]

LPFAdmin? Whoa, is that ATLien or Phage on a different name lol?

I read this on the Linkin Times website. Warner Bro is mean with their money lol. I like the idea of them releasing their music on the internet, but I guess they wouldn't be as "mainstream" and popular as they are now. Very interesting yeah...

[Reflectionist]

I think this is a smart move for LP. Maybe they can finally bring back their darker side. My theory is that WB has been making them water down their lyrics for a long time, and I'm willing to bet it's their fault for the lyrical changes from the demos of songs we've heard in Hybrid Theory.

[Spike_1412]

LPFAdmin? Whoa, is that ATLien or Phage on a different name lol?
I noticed that. Hmmm.

Anyway,
Let LP go, or you will meet my friend-http://uploader.clausercorp.com/uploaded/bandit.gif
http://uploader.clausercorp.com/uploaded/rant.gif I HATE WARNER MUSIC!

[o0SugaxNxSpice0o]

I'd love to meet your friend! He seems... sweet. He can shoot me anyday lmao ^.^

I've always thought Warner did cartoons. You know, like Warner Brothers. Are they the same company? Or totally different?
If they're the same, they should be rich for all of the popular films and cartoons they've done. They should spare a little money to let LP promote themselves more! :( Mean people!

[UnhingedMouse0]

Very Interesting... Very much like the other article, but a bit longer. Hopefully LP wins!
Thanks for this... :D


[BTW, who is this new admin 'LPFAdmin'???]

[Black_Angel]

Thaanks for that... go them!

However, I don't think they should release their music over the internet... it will be harder to get it out to everyone

[Vash_the_Stampede]

Very Interesting... Very much like the other article, but a bit longer. Hopefully LP wins!
Thanks for this... :D


[BTW, who is this new admin 'LPFAdmin'???]
Well, All I get is that something was going on with Phage, so now we have LPFAdmin. I'm not sure if Phage will come back or not, but apperentlly, LPFA has some good thoughts of things to do for LPF.

[LPFAdmin]

Sorry, I guess I should have introduced myself in my post. My name is Jonathan, and I'm glad to be on board with you guys. We've got something exciting in the works for you guys, so stay tuned =)

[Heart_LP]

I heard about that 2 days ago and I was like GO LP!! *dances*
lol I hope they win, and I hope other bands do that too...those greedy bastards at wb....
lmao same here!!

btw welcome Jonathan! :thumbsup:

[Hahninator]

WOO! LP rules.

Screw Warner :D :D :D

[Vash_the_Stampede]

Sorry, I guess I should have introduced myself in my post. My name is Jonathan, and I'm glad to be on board with you guys. I've got something exciting in the works for you guys, so stay tuned =)

AHH! Don't do that. I am REALLY paranoid.
ANYWHO, don't you mean WE've got something exciting in the works?
This is a group effort, man!
There is no I in team! (Althogh there is a ME in it)
Tag, you're it!

[LPFAdmin]

You're right, WE. will edit post now =)

[UnhingedMouse0]

Sorry, I guess I should have introduced myself in my post. My name is Jonathan, and I'm glad to be on board with you guys. We've got something exciting in the works for you guys, so stay tuned =)

Like a [cough] LinkinParkForums Website? [/endcough] :p

Just speculation, cuz I know thats kinda what Phage was gonna help work on...

[[LP]GotLinkinPark?]

Hmmm.......Intresting. There was another article about that. If they release music on the internet, would you still have to pay for it? I wonder.

Btw, welcome LPFadmin new person. :thumbsup:

[Clogz]

So, thats who the mystery administrator is. Well, welcome Jonathon.
Back to topic:
So, I'm confused here someone help me out..This is my count of LP albums right now.

1. Hybrid Theory
2. ReAnimation
3. Meteora
4. LIT
5. Jay-Z//Linkin Park: Collision Course.

That is five albums. So whats all this "still owes more albums" crap?

[UnhingedMouse0]

So, thats who the mystery administrator is. Well, welcome Jonathon.
Back to topic:
So, I'm confused here someone help me out..This is my count of LP albums right now.

1. Hybrid Theory
2. ReAnimation
3. Meteora
4. LIT
5. Jay-Z//Linkin Park: Collision Course.

That is five albums. So whats all this "still owes more albums" crap?

I can tell you that most people only count Hybrid Theory and Meteora as 'real' albums...

Reanimation is a remix album, LIT is a live album, and the LPJZ collab was mashups - so basically no NEW songs...

Although I think you could definetly count Reanimation as an album... But thats jsut me...:rolleyes: ;)

[Suicide King]

That is five albums. So whats all this "still owes more albums" crap?

That could mean LP has a contract with them and it won't expire until they produce 5 more albums, not sure, but it could be.

And I'm happy LP is leaving WB. They are owned by AOL, so now I will be able to say I hate AOL and not feel bad because LP is part of ther label.

[dany]

Linkin Park has a bootleg to stand on
May 3, 2005


Bootleggers might not have to sneak tape recorders into Linkin Park concerts anymore.
The multimillion-selling rap-rock band, led by Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda, made veiled threats yesterday that it might allow fans to tape concerts for free as a way of forcing Warner Music Group to let the band out of its contract. In a press release issued yesterday through its management company, Linkin Park says it is unhappy with Warner's recent layoffs and is worried that Warner can't effectively market and promote albums.
"The band now wants off WMG and is weighing all of their options on how to best get new music to their fans," the release states.
How Linkin Park plans to wriggle out of its contract with Warner isn't exactly clear, but the release notes that "bands like The Grateful Dead and Phish have performed material live and let fans tape for free."
The band's announcement comes as Warner is preparing to make a $750-million initial public offering. Linkin Park is a popular touring band and one of Warner's biggest artists. Its latest album, "Meteora," has sold more than 4 million copies in the United States.
Representatives for the band declined to comment further. Calls to Warner weren't returned.

dany-romania :thumbsup:

[acdcrules04]

good find dany- thats pretty interesting, i don't know exactly how that'll work though, hmmm... good though

[dany]

Linkin Park Warned

Music industry executive John Shalit has warned Linkin Park that they may end up with nothing by attempting to be released from their contract at Warner Bros. Records. The band claims that Warner Music Group's new Initial Public Offering is a ploy for investors to get rich while artists, who are the product of the company, get no benefits. Shalit offered; "I think Linkin Park are being opportunistic. If I was their manager I would quietly be giving them a healthy warning. I'd be saying 'Don't be too clever - this marketplace moves very fast these days and you can fall off pretty quickly.' Linkin Park run the risk of being martyrs and martyrs often end up with nothing."
That's just another look at the many perspectives this controversy has heralded.
Source: ContactMusic.com
In related news, Warner's IPO fell 7.3% in it's first day (yesterday), which can be contributed in part to uncertainty over Linkin Park's further involvement with the company.

dany-romania :thumbsup:

[dany]

here is a new article about this

Who's being greedier, the rock band or the record company?

It's been a tough month for the Warner Music Group. Two weeks after the record label -- home to Rob Thomas, Green Day and Metallica -- initiated its public stock offering, prices hovered at sixteen dollars per share, about one-third less than company executives had hoped for. At the same time, the label is locked in a high-visibility battle with Linkin Park, one of its biggest bands.
The fight with Linkin Park became public on May 2nd via a press release from the group, demanding to be released from its contract. As the label was trying to persuade investors to pay twenty-two to twenty-four dollars per share for WMG stock, the band claimed that cost-cutting measures had left the label "unable to compete in today's global music marketplace, resulting in a failure to live up to WMG's fiduciary responsibility to market and promote Linkin Park." The implied boogeyman was Seagram's heir Edgar Bronfman Jr. and his group of investors, who purchased WMG from Time Warner in March 2004, then cut thirty percent of the artist roster and more than 1,000 employees worldwide.

Linkin Park also noted that Warner expected to raise $750 million from the IPO (the label ultimately raised about $550 million). "Linkin Park, their biggest act, will get nothing," read the release. "Only about $7 million will be put toward the company's own operations, with no money going to WMG artists." The Bronfman group repaid its own initial cash outlay of $1.2 billion and rewarded top executives handsomely; in December, credit-rating firm Standard and Poor's lowered Warner's outlook from "stable" to "negative" because these rewards led to company debt.

Sources at Warner say that Linkin Park were merely trying to extort money from the label. They claim that the group has sold fewer albums with each release since its 10-million-plus-selling Hybrid Theory, from 2000, yet wants a $60 million advance for its next record. Warner countered with an offer of $15 million and a fifty-fifty profit split for five albums, which the band rejected. "It was 'Here's what we want or we're going to issue this press release to screw your IPO,'" says a source familiar with communications between the group and the label, noting that the band's management sent the press release to WMG nine days before issuing it to the press. (Linkin Park management declined repeated interview requests to discuss their negotiations with WMG.)

Managers for seven different groups on Warner labels painted a picture of life at the company that differed from Linkin Park's assessment. Some offered criticism of the label's cost-cutting, but most gave a generally positive account of Bronfman's reign. "I haven't seen a difference at the label over the last few years," says Scott Booker, manager for the Flaming Lips, who have been signed to Warner Bros. since 1991. "The label gave us money to make our Christmas on Mars movie. You would think that would be one of the first projects they would say no to if they were really tightening the screws."

Warner executives are betting that growing digital sales will eventually offset the past four years' losses. But for now, investors aren't thrilled with WMG's prospects. "If Warner is unsuccessful, people will say it's because they cut too much," says Laura Martin, a media financial analyst with Soleil/Media Metrics. "Time will tell."

BILL WERDE
(Posted Qer 02, 2005)
dany-romania :thumbsup:

[Pheonix791989]

thats like really awesome that they r standing up to the greedy ppl. thats another lesson LP is trying to teach their fans I think. If you know somethings not right you have every responsibility to try and fix it. but of course like my dad always says, if somethings wrong, dont go to your boss, go to your bosses boss (if that makes sense) LP you rock for that!!

[azemkamikaze03]

Ok ok so if LP does split from wb who should they go to for a deal?

[Mizz Shinoda]

Thaanks for that... go them!

However, I don't think they should release their music over the internet... it will be harder to get it out to everyone

I agree cos I don't get good downloads from the interenet either and I hate computers. They just complain!

A bit of topic.

Lots of Love

[dany]

i hope they'll win the trial and i'm sure they find a way out of this
maybe someone will take care of their albums....

[Katey]

Sorry, but I'm kinda confused....

ARe they gonna make an actual CD?? Or just make new music and release it over the internet.........Oh no I hope they make a CD!! Grrr....sorry I"m confused about this

[dany]

well,no one really knows really well what's gonna happen but they'll handle it
there's no doubt about this