Madonna is about to make a shitload of money. According to new reports, the singer is close to leaving her label, Warner Music Group, in favor of a $120 million deal with concert promoter Live Nation. Live Nation would take care of Madonna's recording, touring, promotion, licensing and merchandising, making this a groundbreaking deal. Also making this groundbreaking are the reports that Madonna will receive a general advance of $17.5 million, plus a $50-60 million advance to make three new studio albums.
That's enough money to feed, like, 900 African babies. Though Warner Music Group could lose Madonna as a client, the label would still hold on to the rights to Madonna's catalog (although I hear they might send Live Nation the rights to Madonna's "American Pie" cover as a joke).
While this arrangement could be a one-time thing, it could also represent a new trend in the music industry. Bands like Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails have been going it alone, without the help of record labels. This new deal would allow Madonna to have all her needs taken care of by one company instead of dealing with a record label, a concert promoter, a merchandiser, etc. It's basically equivalent to shopping at Walmart instead of going around to 5 different stores.
What this almost definitely means is this: We're about to get a ton of Madonna. If this deal happens, Live Nation has to make back that $120 mil, so that means it's time for a massive "Madonna: Reinvented Once Again World Tour" and a new album. And WMG, well, they'll be free to release 17 new Madonna Greatest Hits/Collector's Edition CDs, all of which will sell a million copies because girls love "Like a Prayer" (roughly 1 in every 7 girls considers "Like a Prayer" their favorite song).
Whatever happens with Madonna, it's pretty obvious we've reached a tipping point in the music industry. Someone -- record labels, concert promoters, shady guys in black vans, anyone -- needs to step up and figure out a new way to sell music in the Internet age. If only record labels could charge $1 every time a bar had "80s Night" and played "Like a Prayer," they'd be raking in the cash.
