Music News.pdf

Janet Jackson's "Together Again" tops European radio and sales charts, pulling her "Velvet Rope" LP to the top of the European album chart. The French music market saw a 7% increase in value and an 8.4% units rise in 1997, with singles sales reaching 42 million units. The European music industry's priorities in 1998 should be intellectual copyright and piracy, according to UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport Chris Smith.

BIEM accepted a lower mechanical royalty rate for continental Europe, with a 3% reduction. Elton John's new single "Recover Your Soul" is climbing airplay and sales charts, following the success of "Candle In The Wind 1997", which has sold 33 million units worldwide. Sony Music staff were briefed on the implications of digital radio, which will impact the record industry.

Sting's new single "Moon" features a Roger Sanchez mix, with his album "The Very Best of... Sting & The Police" selling over 1.5 million units worldwide. PolyGram is the market leader in France, with a 35.5% share of total sales in 1997, followed by Sony Music, EMI, Virgin, Warner/East West, BMG, and Universal. DMG Radio's offer for the Essex Radio Group was accepted by shareholders, making it the company's first wholly-owned British radio operation.