>> from the editor...

As many of you recall, RPM Direct began way back in 1997 as the industry's only printed producer/engineer directory. We put RPMDirect.com online in 1998 and our members and users have expanded exponentially in the years since. But we're heading back to the world of print, partnering with the Music Business Registry to once again publish our producer/engineer directory. Watch this space and the RPM site for more info about how to get your copy - we'll be set to take orders in a matter of weeks. Interested in a "name your price" ad to position your company, studio or service in front of our international audience? Send email to Advertise@rpmdirect.com. Meanwhile, if you have industry related press, news, announcements, client updates, music reviews or something else to contribute, send it here.

>> Executive Shuffle: LA Reid Lands as Chairman of the Island Def Jam Music Group

Universal Music Group has named Antonio 'L.A.' Reid to Chairman of The Island Def Jam Music Group, it was announced this week by UMG Chairman and CEO Doug Morris, and President Zach Horowitz. Reid's appointment is effective February 12, 2004. "We couldn't be happier to be working with an executive who has the range of talents that Antonio brings to the company," stated Morris. "He is a multidimensional music man and entrepreneur, whose hallmarks have been a deep love of music and an incredibly successful track record in building the careers of world-class artists. I am confident that we will have a smooth transition and begin a new era of growth and excitement for Island Def Jam." "This is an amazing opportunity to work with the most talented artists and executives in the recording industry, including Doug, Zach and Jimmy, who are the absolute best in the business," commented Reid. Reid, an award-winning producer, most recently served as President & CEO of Arista Records. While there, he scored commercial success with such artists as OutKast, whose album Speakerboxxx-The Love Below, recently earned three Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, and remains one of the best-selling albums in the country, as well as Sarah McLachlan, Dido, 2004 Grammy winner Pink and Avril Lavigne, among many others. His artists at Arista won five 2004 Grammy Awards and garnered a total of 31 nominations. Formerly, he served as Co-President of the highly successful LaFace Records, which he co-founded in 1989 with producer-songwriter Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds. Under Reid's leadership, LaFace had grown into one of the music industry's most successful record labels, dominating the pop and R&B charts with such top acts as TLC, Toni Braxton, Usher, Tony Rich, Pink, OutKast and others. In total, the Atlanta-based label had sold more than 50 million albums worldwide. Prior to founding LaFace Records, Reid garnered 33 No. 1 singles and three Grammy Awards with Babyface as the producing-songwriting duo behind such chart-topping acts as Whitney Houston, Boyz II Men, the Jacksons, Bobby Brown, Paula Abdul and Sheena Easton. Good luck dude.

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>> Film & TV Door Now Open to Unsigned Artists via 'Luke Hits'

Luke Eddins and his company Luke Hits link small-fry-only bands and songwriters with Hollywood blockbusters like The Ring (Dreamworks), Cheaper by the Dozen (Fox), and Kangaroo Jack (Bruckheimer). Other clients include Disney, MGM, Columbia Tri-Star, Miramax, and Warner Bros. Luke's unheard-of approach allows artists to retain rights to 100% of their publishing, songwriting, and masters. In addition, his placing your song is always non-exclusive. His only caveat: unsigned artists only (sorry Britney). An indisputable win-win for underdog bands: musicians garner exposure, add a feature film to their resumes, and make a hefty chunk of change. All for the price of one licked stamp addressed to Luke. If you are unsigned, he would love for you to mail him a CD or say hi at www.lukehits.com. Most surprising, Luke actually listens to every single CD he gets in the mail.

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>> SXSW Music and Media Conference, March 17-21 Austin, TX

The South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Conference and Festival, scheduled to take place Wednesday, March 17 - 21, 2004 in Austin, Texas, is pleased to announce two SXSW Interviews with notable artists Ani DiFranco and Wayne Coyne along with a partial list of bands. The SXSW Conference will host everyone's favorite psychedelic punk rocker from Oklahoma, Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips, who will be the subject of a SXSW Interview on Friday, March 19. The Flaming Lips' past two albums, "The Soft Bulletin" and "Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots" weave together whimsy, fantasy and sometimes tragic realism into a singular experience which is heightened at their surreal live shows. After two straight years of touring behind "Yoshimi," the Lips are currently working on their long promised film "Christmas On Mars." The interview with Coyne, to be conducted by writer Jason Cohen, will be a can't-miss event at this year's SXSW. Ani DiFranco exemplifies the independent musician in her creative and business endeavors. Building an audience with tireless touring, DiFranco energized the folk circuit when she emerged in the early nineties. Her audience grew beyond genre boundaries with her galvanizing live show and series of self-released recordings. Her songs are marked by an uncommonly frank voice and a singular musicality. A new album due on January 20, "Educated Guess," marks the first time that DiFranco has handled every aspect of the recording and mixing. This departure will certainly be one of the topics covered in this SXSW Interview scheduled to take place on Saturday, March 20. Many more speakers, panelists and session topics will be announced in the near future. More information can be found at: www.sxsw.com

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Studio City Sound capped off 2003 with a bang with Tom Weir mixing and Richard Feldman producing legendary reggae artists Toots And The Maytals who enlisted a who's-who of recording greats on their new V2 release: Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Ryan Adams, Trey Anastasio, Shaggy, Rahzel, No Doubt, Bootsy Collins and The Roots, Bunny Wailer, Keith Richards, Rachel Yamagata and others. Tom Weir also recorded and mixed Phantom Planet as well as Pete Yorn for NPR's "New Ground" hosted by Chris Douridas. SCS has also been busy with producers Steve Plunkett and Spencer Propher in recording songs for Britney Spears' as yet untitled movie for ABC's Family Channel. And this week, Studio City Sound welcomes renowned engineer David Bianco as he records and mixes V2 artists The Burning Brides, produced by George Drakoulias. For more information contact: Estelle Harrison (818) 505-9368

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>> Last Chance To Update Your Listing for RPM's 2004 Producer/Engineer Directory!

RPM Direct and The Music Business Registry have partnered to publish a print edition of RPM Direct's producer and producer management directory. NOTE: If you have a listing in our directory - producers, engineers, mixers, producer managers - MAKE SURE YOU UPDATE YOUR LISTING! We want to make sure your information is up to date before printing. Use your login and check if your listing needs an update - if so send email to Info@rpmdirect.com with any changes. Not listed? Go to our website and go to the "Get Listed" tab to add your information. Interested in advertising in this new directory? We're currently offering "name your price" advertising rates, if interested, please contact Advertise@rpmdirect.com. Visit RPM Direct online: www.rpmdirect.com Visit The Music Business Registry online www.musicregistry.com

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>> Multi-platinum Producer Paul O'Duffy Signs with Captive Audience Management

London-based multi-platinum producer Paul Stavely O'Duffy (producer/engineer/mixer/programmer/composer) has just signed on with Captive Audience Management for representation. O'Duffy recently completed P/E/M work and co-wrote all 12 tracks on the upcoming Swing Out Sister record "Where Our Love Grows" (Mercury/Japan). O'Duffy has worked on several SOS records including co-writing and producing the smash hit "Break Out". O'Duffy started his career at the age of 16 engineering sessions for WAR, Yes, and Marvin Gaye. His production skills can be heard on hit projects from numerous artists including: Amanda Ghost, Danny Wilson, Patti Labelle, Pearce and Levine, Culture Club, Lisa Stansfield, Curiosity Killed the Cat, The Beloved, Ebony, and Chage and Aska. O'Duffy's also worked on several TV and movie scores/soundtracks including work with legend John Barry on "Chaplin" and "Living Daylights" which featured the single "If There Was a Man" by the Pretenders. He also worked with Hans Zimmer on "Days of Thunder" starring Tom Cruise and was commissioned to produce and arrange the version of "All by Myself" for the movie "Bridget Jones Diary". Interested parties should contact Chris Perez at Captive Audience Management at (512) 805-9072.

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>> Study Online with Berklee College of Music

Berkleemusic.com is Berklee’s online music school, providing more than 25 instructor-led courses in production, music business, songwriting, performance and music education. Enrollment is now open for four brand-new online music courses offered for the February 16th semester. Arranging 2 teaches you how to write for smaller bands or larger ensembles; techniques that can be applied to both live instrumentation and sequenced/sampled sounds. Learn to create your own original grooves by writing and recording the rhythms and styles that have influenced western contemporary music in our Groove Writing course. Become a more effective songwriter with our Songwriting Workshop: Melody course, which instructs you on how to develop melodic ideas and create memorable melodies. Basic Ear Training 1 will help you build your confidence as a musician by teaching you how to really hear what is going on in the band while you are performing. To enroll in an online course, or to take a course demo, please visit: www.berkleemusic.com

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An unfortunate fact in the recording industry is that successful records result in audits by royalty participants. This is partly due to the entrenched distrust that artists have for record companies and partly to simple prudent business practices. If an artist sells hundreds of thousands or millions of units around the world, it would be the rare company that could move that many pieces of product without making a mistake. Sometimes the mistakes are just mistakes, and sometimes an audit holds up a mirror that reveals what happens under the record company hood, warts and all. And the "all" category can be very interesting. An audit is usually conducted by an accountant to verify the books and records of the record company that backup accounting statements. From the record company's point of view, audits are a necessary evil. At major labels, the administrative cost associated with an audit is usually much more burdensome than dealing with any subsequent payments generated by the audit itself. In fact, fiscally sound record companies will reserve funds on the contingent-liability side of their financials to deal with audits that they know are in progress or are likely to occur. This reserve includes an unsegregated amount to cover artist, producer, mixer and remixer royalty payments.

<<Read The Rest of This Feature Here>>

Solid State Logic, the world's largest manufacturer of professional analogue and digital audio consoles for music, broadcast, post production and film, received the 2004 Technical Grammy Award at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony. The award recognizes SSL for the design and production of industry-defining audio mixing consoles over the years. "We are delighted to receive this special award," says Colin Pringle, managing director of Solid State Logic. "The Grammy Awards recognize outstanding creative achievement in the music industry. This special Technical Grammy is therefore especially welcome as an acknowledgement of SSL's creative use of technology to aid better music production." Since the company's founding in 1969, SSL has pioneered advances in console technology. In the late 70's SSL introduced its legendary SL 4000 console. By combining the ergonomics of in-line design, with integrated computer automation and Total Recall, the SL 4000 became the standard music production console for the 1980's. The 1990's saw SSL introduce digital processing technology, with the launch of a range of revolutionary products that incorporated totally automated control surfaces offering instant recall and complete reset. In the Mid-1990's SSL launched it's next generation 'SuperAnalogue' console, the SL 9000. This introduced a new design of audio circuitry providing new levels of audio quality for music production. Today, SSL's XL 9000 K Series console provides leading international studios with a SuperAnalogue console for the surround audio formats of the future. Similarly, the C200 console provides a digital console for 5.1 surround production at 96KHz with complete automation and reset of all functions. With more than 3,000 SSL-equipped studios and facilities operational today, the unrivaled sonic quality, superb ergonomics and outstanding automation of SSL consoles is universally recognized. The majority of music in the Billboard Hot 100 charts over the past 15 years has been produced using SSL consoles. This includes recordings by this year's Grammy winners such as Beyonce and OutKast. For more information, visit www.solid-state-logic.com

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>> Americana Music Assoc. (AMA) Announces SXSW Showcase

In its ongoing quest to enhance the profile and audience for Americana music, the Americana Music Association (AMA) will once again host its annual Americana showcase at the 2004 South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival in Austin, Texas, in March. The showcase, an officially sanctioned SXSW event, will be held on Thursday, March 18th at Antone's, 5th & Lavaca Streets in Austin. Performers at the Americana Music Association SXSW showcase will include Adrienne Young and Little Sadie, BR549, the Subdudes, the Derailers, Slaid Cleaves and Reckless Kelly. The Americana genre continues to flourish thanks to an increased presence at radio, retail, events and record labels. More than 70 stations presently report to the weekly Americana Airplay chart which appears weekly in Radio & Records (R&R) magazine, while Americana specific programming has increased or been added onto major market stations in cities such as Denver and Los Angeles. Additionally, Merlefest, the nation's largest Americana festival, tallies nearly 80,000 attendees each year. The annual Americana Conference has grown each of its first four years, bringing artists and key industry figures together for three days of panels, seminars, performances and the annual Americana Awards Show. In its first two years, the Awards show has already included the likes of Johnny & June Carter Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Gillian Welch, Kathleen Edwards, Ricky Skaggs, Rodney Crowell, Allison Moorer, Buddy Milller, Jim Lauderdale and more. The Americana Music Association is a professional trade association with more than 950 members. The mission of the AMA is to provide a forum for the advocacy of Americana music and to promote public awareness of this genre to support the creative and economic viability of professionals in this field. More details on the AMA are available at www.americanamusic.org.

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>> AES-LA: Technical Workshop on High-Precision Digital Audio Feb. 21

The AES LA Section is hosting an all-day Technical Workshop, Developments in High-Precision Digital Audio, on Saturday, February 21 at the Beverly Garland Holiday Inn, North Hollywood. Presentations by leading industry experts will focus on state-of-the-technical-art for high bit-rate acquisition, production and distribution, ranging from 24/96 PCM to one-bit Direct Stream Digital. The Morning Session will consider theoretical aspects of high-precision audio, including \design of A-to-D and D-to-A converters, formats for hard-disk recorders, digital audio workstations and other elements in the all-digital production chain, while the Afternoon Session will spotlight the practical world of high-precision audio, including in-session experience of PCM/DSD recording, production, mastering and authoring, including accommodating emergent consumer release media, including DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD (SACD). Presenters scheduled so far include: Mark Waldrep of AIX Records, Lucas van der Mee, senior design engineer at Apogee Electronics, Kevin Brown, of Genex Audio, Craig Anderson, of Craigman Digital and Warner Brothers, Bob Michaels, president of 5.1 Production Services and co-chair of DVD Audio Council Technical and Production Committee, Herb Waltl, of Media Hyperium. A specially-organized Vendor Showcase will provide attendees with a unique opportunity to examine the latest offerings in high-precision audio components from leading manufacturers and their local distributors/dealers. Spotlighted products include Converters, Hard-disc Recorders, Digital Audio Workstations and Authoring Systems. Vendors scheduled so far include Dolby Laboratories, Minnetonka, dts, Bruel & Kjaer, Genex Audio, Merging Technologies, Apogee Electronics, and Audio Intervisual Design. Prices are $65 per attendee for AES members, $75 for non-members, and $55 for students. Prices include a buffet lunch and validated parking at the hotel. For details or to register, visit www.aes.org/sections/la. You can register by check through the mail, or on the section Web site with a credit card.

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>> Canada's Puretracks Sells One Million Songs Online

Puretracks, Canada's first paid digital music download service, has sold more than 1 million songs since its launch in October 2003. "Puretracks is all about delivering the best in online digital music, and this milestone demonstrates that hundreds of thousands of Canadian music fans and our business partners agree," said Alistair Mitchell, co-CEO and co-founder of Puretracks. The Canadian music industry seems to agree. "Every month more and more Canadians are recognizing the excellent value of a la carte access to high-quality, virus-free digital music files on Puretracks.com," said Randy Lennox, President, Universal Music Canada. With the addition of prepaid cards, Puretracks is providing a new way for music lovers to purchase digital tracks and albums from Puretracks.com. "Previously, Canadians without a credit card were unable to purchase music downloads, especially teens looking for a safe, high quality alternative to file-sharing sites," said Derek van der Plaat, co-CEO and co-founder of Puretracks. The cards, in denominations of $20 and $50, are available across Canada at retailers including Zellers, CD Plus, Nicholby's Express, Mac's Convenience Store Chain (incl. Becker's, Mac's and Mike's Mart), Avondale Food Stores and Relay. Puretracks produced the prepaid music cards in partnership with DataWave, a leader in stored-value programs. In addition to credit card and pre-paid card payment, Puretracks has also begun offering electronic gift certificates redeemable at Puretracks.com and partner sites. The Puretracks catalogue now exceeds 250,000 tracks from Canadian and international artists on both major and independent record labels.

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>> Recording Session Notes and Other Updates...

Producer/Remixer Dave Audé Pulls A Hat Trick With Third Consecutive #1 Billboard Dance Hit with Annie Lennox's "Wonderful". In the past few months alone, Audé has had #1 Billboard Dance chart success with his remixes of "Send Your Love" (Sting), "Not Gunna Get Us" (TaTu) and now an impressive third in a row, with "Wonderful" (Annie Lennox). Audé is currently in the studio working on remixes for "Go Your Own Way" (Fleetwood Mac, Warner Bros re-issue of remixes), and what could be his fourth consecutive #1 Billboard Dance hit, "I'm Not In Love" (Enrique Iglesias).

Song writer/producer, Donnie Skants (Aaliyah, Bubba Sparxx, Toni Braxton) has been busy in the ZAC B suite producing songs for State of Emergency, featuring Candipie . Skants is also slated to produce cuts on upcoming releases by Nelly, St. Lunatics and the Spike TV network. ZAC is the first Atlanta facility to offer a complete neighborhood of audio services. The multi-room complex hosts two unique recording studios, three Pro Tools digital suites and an equipment rental house, nestled on a quaint wooded lot in Upper Mid-Town Atlanta. For more information contact: Jim Zumpano 404-603-8040

The Reverend Horton Heat recently headlined the Third Annual Shure Musical Roots Concert, a benefit for hearing conservation charities, at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California, at Winter NAMM. Shure donated $50,000 to three charities as part of its Shure Bid For Hearing program, which helps educate the public about the dangers of noise- induced hearing loss while raising money for non-profit organizations to fund their activities. This year's grant recipients included the Kresge Hearing Research Laboratory at Louisiana State University, the House Ear Institute, and Hearing Education and Awareness for Rockers. For more information, go to: www.shure.com/hearing.

Matt Wallace produced and mixed Maroon 5 "Songs About Jane" which sold 42,700 copies last week (up from 35,900 copies the previous week). The album has just shipped platinum and is #26 on the Top 200. Matt recently finished producing and mixing an album for Squad Five-0. He's currently producing and mixing an album for Caleb Kane and he's scheduled to co-produce and mix Kyle Riabko later this year. For more information contact Frank McDonough at McDonough Management (805) 446-3370

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