Labels considering a grab for touring revenues

ABCNEWS.com : Concert Tours Are Where the Real Money Is:

Now the music labels, hungry for revenue from any source, are mulling over whether to make a grab for a piece of the tour biz. One company already has: In October EMI Recorded Music signed a deal with Brit singer Robbie Williams that gives the label a cut of the pop star’s merchandise, publishing, touring revenue and sponsorship.

This is in line with predictions that others have made and actions taken elsewhere in the world (like China). If the labels can start building non-CD revenue sources, they can eventually get out of the “number of copies sold” mindset and start making money regardless of the file sharing that’s going on.