DMW: Digital Music W...

It seems Terra Firma is truly cleaning house at EMI Music. So far, EMI Group chief exec Eric Nicoli has left and now UK & Ireland chairman and chief exec Tony Wadsworth has been shown the door. He served EMI for 26 years. It may have something to do with this. Ahhh, the "fruits & flowers" budget. I assume the UK division really exploited that budget. Roger Ames, head of EMI Music in the US, is expected to assume UK-based A&R duties.

This kinda explains the lack of confidence publicly displayed by EMI artists such as Coldplay and Robbie Williams. Both have threatened to leave the label due to these shifting circumstances.

And the drama doesn't end there. Reports continue surfacing that EMI (considered the smaller of the big labels - Warner Music, UMG, Sony BMG) is planning to pull out of the RIAA by March 31 if things don't improve on their end.

And the latest news to hit the wires -- about 2,000 jobs will be cut from EMI's workforce -- if Guy Hands' re-structuring proposal is accepted. He still needs to reveal those plans, which is slated for later this month. Included in the slash-and-burn approach is the dropping of EMI artists - which at last count numbers at 14,000 strong. I'm not sure if that's EMI proper or includes division/labels under EMI such as Capitol, Astralwerks, Mute or Parlophone.

Follow the EMI story this year. Your favorite artists will be affected one way or another. I have a feeling that Goldfrapp's marketing camp fell victim to this already. And they won't be the only ones.

To read the source of the news jump here.