On Music Row: Twitter users buy more music

Also: GAC partners to release new music, songwriter blasts RIAA, and more... [From our print edition in Monday's City Paper]

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A recent NPD Group study suggests Twitter users purchase 77 percent more digital music downloads than non-tweeting Web users.

“NPD’s latest music-acquisition study shows that there are segments of consumers who are more actively integrating Twitter as a key tool for communicating and networking,” said Russ Crupnick, entertainment industry analyst for NPD. “Based on their music-purchasing history, active Twitter users are simply worth more to record labels and music retailers than those who are not using Twitter.”

Awareness increased during the first quarter 2009 to 52 percent among U.S. Internet-users from 22 percent in fourth quarter 2008. NPD’s consumer tracking shows that a third of Twitter users reported purchasing a CD in the prior three months. A similar number bought a digital download.

Twitter users actually purchased 77 percent more digital downloads than those not using the 140-character-per-message social network. Twitter users also were twice as likely than average Web users to visit MySpace Music and Pandora.

“Twitter has the potential to help foster the discovery of new music, and improve targeted marketing of music to groups of highly-involved and technologically savvy consumers, but it has to be done right,” Crupnick said. “There must be a careful balance struck between entertainment and direct conversation on one hand, and marketing on the other.”

GAC partnership to release new music

Great American Country has entered a partnership with Original Signal Recordings to release Lane Turner’s new album, a self-titled EP made available to digital outlets earlier this month. Under terms of the joint venture, GAC will promote Turner’s music and videos on its television and radio programs, while Original Signal will spearhead the marketing and distribution efforts.

Turner’s traditional heritage and blue-collar roots made him a fan favorite as runner-up on 2008’s “The Next GAC Star.” The storytelling and simplicity-of-life found in classic country songs always resonated with Lane, who counts Conway Twitty and Waylon Jennings as influences.

iTunes will distribute 50,000 free download cards featuring Turner’s lead single “Where’s a Sunset” at two country music festival events this summer. He will also be on the road — he recently performed at CMA Music Fest — with an itinerary that includes a July 4 show at the Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta, Ga.

Marx blasts downloading verdict

Songwriter/artist Richard Marx last week vented over the recent verdict that found that music fan Jammie Thomas-Rasset owes $1.9 million for illegal downloading. Marx’s song “Now And Forever” was one of the tracks illegally downloaded.

“As a longtime professional songwriter, I have always objected to the practice of illegal downloading of music. I have also always, however, been sympathetic to the average music fan, who has been consistently financially abused by the greedy actions of major labels,” Marx said. “Holding Ms. Thomas-Rasset accountable for the continuing daily actions of hundreds of thousands of people is, at best, misguided and at worst, farcical. Her accountability itself is not in question, but this show of force posing as judicial come-uppance is clearly abusive.”

Evans has book deal

Sara Evans has entered a four-book deal with Thomas Nelson Publishing Co. and plans to release her first inspirational novel later this year. On her Web site, she describes it as “emotional, Southern-flavored, multi-generational tale, featuring a compelling love story.”

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