Warner Music Group

Warner Music Group, in a sign that the struggling recorded music company is seeking to bolster its ranks of artists, has tapped producer Rob Cavallo for the newly created position of chief creative officer. In that role he will help develop acts across all of the Warner music labels including Atlantic, Asylum, Electra and Warner Bros. Cavallo, a multiple Grammy winner, has a strong track record with credits that include Green Day's "American Idiot," Kid Rock's "Rock N Roll Jesus" and most recently the top-10 release "Brand New Eyes" from the rock band Paramore.

Music videos from Green Day, Jay-Z and Linkin Park will begin reappearing on YouTube as soon as December, the result of a multiyear agreement reached with Warner Music Group Corp. The Internet's dominant video site and one of the world's largest music companies had been locked in a dispute over the value of music videos, some of the most popular content on YouTube, whose young viewers are coveted by advertisers. Licensing talks reached an impasse late last year, resulting in Warner's videos being pulled from the site.

Strong international sales and higher digital music revenue narrowed losses for Warner Music Group Corp. in the fiscal third quarter, surpassing analyst expectations in the face of the industry's rocky transition to digital distribution. The music company whose artists include rock bands R.E.

Warner Music Group's videos began disappearing from YouTube this weekend, the casualty of a contract impasse between the music company and the Internet's dominant video site. Negotiations broke down last week over licensing fees for Warner's music and videos, say people familiar with the discussions who were not authorized to speak publicly.

Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group Corp. said Tuesday that they had made investments in a company operating in China that develops technology for distributing music downloads and other content to mobile phones. The record companies declined to disclose how much they had invested in Access China Media Solutions, formed in early 2006 as a joint venture between Tokyo-based Access Co. and Seattle-based digital media firm Melodeo Inc.

Warner Music Group has signed a deal to allow its entire catalog to be played over the fast-growing social networking music service Last.fm. The deal with Warner is the first with one of the major labels, and the network's co-founder, Martin Stiksel, said it was in talks with the other three major labels and content holders. With more than 15 million active users per month, Last.

Warner Music Group Corp., home to recording artists such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, James Blunt and Daniel Powter, said Thursday that its fiscal first-quarter profit fell 74% because of fewer album releases and soft domestic and European sales. Its shares fell nearly 6%. The New York-based recording company said net income for the period that ended Dec. 31 declined to $18 million, or 12 cents a share, from $69 million, or 46 cents, a year earlier. Revenue fell 11% to $928 million.

It may sound like a broken record, but Warner Music Group on Tuesday again said it wanted to acquire struggling EMI Group. The prospective deal, which would put Madonna, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Beatles and Norah Jones under the same umbrella, marks the latest twist in a six-year mating dance between the two companies.

Britain's EMI Group has rejected a $4.1-billion takeover proposal from Warner Music Group, the latest in a tortuous, six-year courtship that has yet to be consummated. The prospective deal, which would have brought Metallica, Bjork, David Bowie and the Beastie Boys under the same umbrella, "is not in the best interests of EMI shareholders," according to a statement released by the company Friday.

In the wake of Don Imus' firing for his on-air slur about the Rutgers women's basketball team, a high-powered group of music industry executives met privately this week to discuss sexist and misogynistic rap lyrics. During the furor that led to Imus' fall last week from his talk-radio perch, many of his critics carped as well about offensive language in rap music.