Universal Music has confirmed that the take-over of EMI Records in Australia is now complete and that that Marketing, Promotions and A&R will continue to run separately but under Universal management.

Over 200 Australian venues have signed up for SLAM Day 2013 with new acts being added every day and today you can add Pete Murray and Jeff Martin to the list.

There are now three major music labels in Australia following the absorption of EMI into Universal Music this week.

Before Jimmy Little passed away in April, 2012 he set up a charity to help children and the indigenous people that will continue on in his name. That includes the announcement today of the Jimmy Little Grant.

Elvis Costello and The Imposters have thrown their support behind the National Slam Day 2013.

Lindy Morrison, drummer for The Go-Betweens from 1980-1989 and now board member of the Phonographic Performance Company of Australia (PPCA), was awarded the Order of Australia on Australia Day.

Bruno Mars stays atop the ARIA Albums chart this week with his “Unorthodox Jukebox” album.

Macklemore not only cements himself and Ryan Lewis at the top of the ARIA Singles Chart for a second week with their second consecutive No.1 song “Same Love”, the track also moves from gold to Platinum in sales.

Kenny Loggins will showcase his new band Blue Sky Riders at SXSW in March.

Australia’s The Rubens have signed with Warner Brothers Records in the USA.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds will showcase their new album ‘Push The Sky Away’ at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas.

A$AP Rocky will have the number one album in America by week’s end. ‘Long.Live.A$AP’ is outselling everything in its path in the US this week.

Music industry legend Clive Davies has been named as the featured speaker for South By Southwest (SXSW) 2013.

PPCA, the Australian organization representing the rights of artists and record labels, has distributed $29 million to artists earned from the 2011/2012 year.

The Rainbow Serpent Festival in western Victoria this long weekend will go ahead as planned and will have one new performer to be announced Tuesday.

Has Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ‘Thrift Shop’ already won the Triple J Hottest 100? Nick Drewe certainly thinks so.

Arts Minister Simon Crean has announced the appointment of Dr Ianto Ware, a founding director of Format Adelaide and CEO of Renew Adelaide, National Live Music Coordinator of Sounds Australia.

The Rainbow Serpent Festival is expected to go ahead this weekend if a positive resolution with Pyrenees Shire in western Victoria is achieved today.

Bruno Mars holds for a second week at No.1 on the ARIA Albums chart with “Unorthodox Jukebox”, but making a bid for the top spot is the “Les Miserables” soundtrack, which rises a place to No.2 this week, whilst the current (and last week) No.1 singles holder Macklemore and Ryan Lewis jump up five places to No.3 with “The Heist” album (now Gold ● in sales).

For only the second time this century, an artist has replaced themselves at the top of the ARIA Singles Chart, as Macklemore & Ryan Lewis leap up to the No.1 spot (from last weeks No.9) with the song “Same Love” (now Gold ● in sales) and it replaces the seven week running No.1 track “Thrift Shop” which drops to No.3 this week.

Billboard have announced today that music legend Prince will be honoured at their music awards this year, receiving the Billboard Icon Award and performing at the ceremony.

The Peats Ridge Festival north of Sydney has come to an end. Revenues from the recent event did not cover the costs of the event and the Festival’s accountants have advised that the company be wound up.

Collarts, the Australian College of the Arts, will have its next Open Day tomorrow (Saturday, January 18).

Mark Poston, EMI Music Australia’s Chairman & Senior Vice President of Marketing, is leaving the company.

The HMV retail chain in the UK has officially placed into administration as of opening trade today in London.

The Aussie BBQ is one of SXSW's main attractions and the 2013 date has been set for March 16 at Maggie Mae's in Austin, Texas.

UK retail institution HMV will close its doors. Administrators have been called in to shut 240 stores effecting 4000 employees.

The Beatles first single, Love Me Do / P.S. I Love You, has entered the public domain in Europe and small labels are already taking advantage of the situation.

Bruno Mars jumps up a couple of places to land the No.1 spot on the ARIA Albums chart with his second album “Unorthodox Jukebox” the album also gaining its second Top 10 single this week too, as “When I Was Your Man” jumped up to No.6, with the first single from the set “Locked Out of Heaven” (HP-4) dropping a few places to No.12.

Macklemore with his producer Ryan Lewis and rapper Wanz stays atop the ARIA Singles Chart for a seventh consecutive week with their now 5x(▲)Platinum certified track “Thrift Shop”.