Australian home electronics retailer JB Hi-Fi Ltd said on Wednesday sales over the Christmas period were above expectations and beat those of a year earlier. pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/fOc2StM4omas3icTLRUIrwVFt_s/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/fOc2StM4omas3icTLRUIrwVFt_s/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

Internet retailers Amazon.co.uk and Play.com have both reported strong Christmas trading, led by home entertainment products, particularly sales of DVDs. pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/KdI0cEvg5VEtXyuZK8Fd1Xxx0PA/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/KdI0cEvg5VEtXyuZK8Fd1Xxx0PA/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

Taylor Swift notches her fifth non-consecutive week atop The Billboard 200 with "Fearless" (Big Machine), which moved 90,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/B8XJDSSX4L_BXUrmor1ca8tgFow/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/B8XJDSSX4L_BXUrmor1ca8tgFow/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

Obama selects a lawyer who formerly represented the RIAA for DOJ post; Trans World reports holiday sales; NIN tops bestselling list; and the Recording Academy and the Recording Artists' Coalition merge. pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/3ZtX34huKNR-6WtMVDS3Bv8sS0Q/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/3ZtX34huKNR-6WtMVDS3Bv8sS0Q/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

Overall Canadian music sales declined by 8.5% in 2008, according to the latest figures from Nielsen SoundScan Canada released today, as even an 58% increase in digital sales could not offset with a 6 million album drop in catalog sales. pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/3krn61Kz2kulDcIsyD5KbyqNrVM/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/3krn61Kz2kulDcIsyD5KbyqNrVM/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

Retailer Best Buy Co, seeking new ways to appeal to cost-conscious shoppers, said on Tuesday it is selling refurbished versions of Apple Inc's iPhone 3G at its stores that are priced about $50 less than new iPhones. pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/s9CHMgNvdCM2ENwRlb_4hVx7pnk/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/s9CHMgNvdCM2ENwRlb_4hVx7pnk/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

Sony/ATV Music Publishing chairman and CEO Martin Bandier has spoken of the longevity and current success of "Hallelujah," which is currently No. 1 in the U.K. singles chart. pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/YpfzEShRTIif3rCBlQ1b_mFOYws/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/YpfzEShRTIif3rCBlQ1b_mFOYws/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

The recorded music market in the U.K. benefited from a strong showing in the fourth quarter of 2008, contributing to an overall volume decline of 3.2% in album sales year-on-year. pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/b4-8AFAWegXT3epIjk0uf0rWGgQ/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/b4-8AFAWegXT3epIjk0uf0rWGgQ/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

More than half of the staff at Zavvi's London headquarters have been made redundant, a total of 69 jobs. pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/MhQPDZ-HUTBTPuCmq2DsqNaXLPQ/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/MhQPDZ-HUTBTPuCmq2DsqNaXLPQ/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

Universal Music Latin Entertainment and Universal Music Group Distribution emerged as the top Latin music label and distributor in the United States for 2008. pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/bfjLN0_t9cLxehJXvMvDWAM60Sc/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/bfjLN0_t9cLxehJXvMvDWAM60Sc/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

The fallout from the financial turmoil surrounding Quebec distributor Fusion 3 continues, with Universal Music Canada announcing a deal to distribute SPV. pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/_DF2pPfveByko4GepHHqxSedYsk/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/_DF2pPfveByko4GepHHqxSedYsk/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

Demand for the high-definition Blu-ray format drove U.K. DVD volumes up in 2008, according to new figures from trade body the British Video Association. pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/NwgqxfTmdmDI2BFEJ-VeMvASPyc/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/NwgqxfTmdmDI2BFEJ-VeMvASPyc/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

Beyonce begins 2009 with a fourth week atop the Billboard Hot 100 with "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)." pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/5YpK1OXTUeb-JbPSK7Q6KzzsSv0/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/5YpK1OXTUeb-JbPSK7Q6KzzsSv0/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

If flat is the new up, then the 2008 holiday shopping season was still a disappointment. pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/Cz01kT86sP2HN6VvbXjpi18cIkA/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/Cz01kT86sP2HN6VvbXjpi18cIkA/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

Abba's "Mamma Mia! The Movie" (Universal Pictures) has become the biggest-selling DVD of all time in the United Kingdom, after huge sales over the Christmas period. pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/e2tT5-k68x-zPM15SkN8HUGtPDI/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/e2tT5-k68x-zPM15SkN8HUGtPDI/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

Tribune Co. recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and National Amusements violated a debt covenant. The moves beg the question: Who, if anyone, could be next in the broader media and entertainment industry? pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/GYyzy7tG4oUAODFXslLxjL9Y6O0/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/GYyzy7tG4oUAODFXslLxjL9Y6O0/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

Rapper Lil Wayne's "Tha Carter III" (Cash Money/Universal) is far and away the top seller of 2008, netting 2.88 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/3QpkgVwBABMkQVHmCrWVNd3XGxo/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/3QpkgVwBABMkQVHmCrWVNd3XGxo/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

Taylor Swift's sophomore Big Machine album "Fearless" tops The Billboard 200 for a fourth non-consecutive week after selling 262,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, a 21% sales decline from last week. pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/BnwM1qdWpGvJC9ko_EJUIIagLao/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/BnwM1qdWpGvJC9ko_EJUIIagLao/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

Overall music sales hit a new record in 2008, with over 1.5 billion units sold, up 9% from 1.37 billion last year, according to Nielsen SoundScan. pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/rxt33i-71VIvSOKOxihDGQ-c8c8/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/rxt33i-71VIvSOKOxihDGQ-c8c8/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

U.K. retailer Woolworths is continuing its closure program, with its oldest store, based in south London, shutting its doors. pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/R-4rBJEpJhhzSNYl6LlkVdweW2g/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/R-4rBJEpJhhzSNYl6LlkVdweW2g/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

Market-leading U.K. entertainment retailer HMV has been piloting a reward scheme, with the aim of launching it nationwide in 2009. pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/AjDq2X6mzF6KZE4nsOYG6bbvCk4/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/AjDq2X6mzF6KZE4nsOYG6bbvCk4/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

U.K. entertainment retailer Zavvi's Irish stores have been put into provisional liquidation, in line with the situation in Britain. pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/n2kZlei86MAcn7peOhKFfB2Y6Hg/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/n2kZlei86MAcn7peOhKFfB2Y6Hg/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

Weekly digital track sales have set a new record, with 47.7 million sold in the U.S. between Dec. 22 – Dec. 28, according to Nielsen SoundScan. pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/2YMWUsjfmzMh6_-vMyHTQyljzMY/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/2YMWUsjfmzMh6_-vMyHTQyljzMY/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

Wal-Mart Stores Inc began selling Apple Inc's iPhone on Sunday, but the popular cell phones that can surf the Web are not priced as low as some anticipated. pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/dawrD34Y2Z8BnUiJ99r2jy9uDAo/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/dawrD34Y2Z8BnUiJ99r2jy9uDAo/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

Duffy has scored the biggest-selling album of 2008 in the U.K. with "Rockferry" (Aamp;M/Universal), according to the Official Charts Company. pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/kPr9DY2KIiviNQwdazzSs0TMTFk/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/kPr9DY2KIiviNQwdazzSs0TMTFk/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

Online retailer Amazon.com Inc reported its best holiday sales season yet, even as sales and traffic at U.S. store chains were the weakest in decades. pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/cpJbhlT4pyIAwavTPBx-4dNDTVk/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/cpJbhlT4pyIAwavTPBx-4dNDTVk/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

Customers holding gift vouchers for U.K. entertainment retailer Zavvi have been told to contact the joint administrators for a refund, although not all vouchers will be immediately exchanged for cash. pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/NgCPgZSm2JnJwEWjJF0IrX018q0/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/NgCPgZSm2JnJwEWjJF0IrX018q0/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

The U.K.'s final weekly sales charts of 2008, published yesterday (Dec. 28), saw Alexandra Burke and Take That retain their singles and album crowns, respectively. pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/1b-B19rn7Pak4iXOtuXU_i96Ju0/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/1b-B19rn7Pak4iXOtuXU_i96Ju0/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p