All Access / Music Industry Info!

Kobalt Music Group has signed Pearl Jam to a long-term worldwide exclusive administration deal. Kobalt will immediately begin administration of Pearl Jam’s forthcoming new material, and assume administration of the band’s first two multi-million selling global smash albums, “Ten” and “Vs.”

In addition, Kobalt will administer all of lead singer/songwriter Eddie Vedder’s solo catalog including his critically-acclaimed soundtrack to “Into The Wild” and the song “Better Days,” from the “Eat Pray Love “soundtrack, plus new solo works. In 2012, the rest of Pearl Jam’s entire back catalog (featuring the albums “Vitalogy,” “No Code,” “Yield,” “Binaural,” “Riot Act,” “Pearl Jam” and “Backspacer”) will move to Kobalt.

As part of the new relationship, Kobalt will additionally handle synch licensing and promotion of Pearl Jam repertoire and Vedder solo repertoire for use in motion pictures, TV advertising, games, ringtones and other media.

Forthcoming releases from Pearl Jam include a new compilation album, “Live On Ten Legs” (Island Records), which is set for release internationally on Jan. 17, 2011. Also planned in 2011 are re-packaged, re-issues of “Vs.” and “Vitalogy.”

Kobalt senior VP of business development Merril Wasserman was instrumental in executing the deal, according to the announcement. Others involved in the deal included Ahdritz, Elliot J. Groffman of Carroll, Guido & Groffman, attorney for Pearl Jam; Kelly Curtis of Curtis Management, manager for Pearl Jam; Jamie Cheek of Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, and business manager for Pearl Jam; and Michele Anthony, consultant to Pearl Jam and their label, Monkeywrench Records.

By Ed Christman

Album sales are down 13% so far this year, but for a select few, there’s gold at the end of the tunnel.

The Recording Industry Association of America just released its latest list of album and single certifications. Justin Bieber tops the sales heap, moving more than 2 million copies of “My World,” good for a double-platinum plaque. Also passing the platinum mark: the “Glee Volume 1″ soundtrack.

On the gold side, Phoenix’s fourth and breakout album, 2009′s “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix,” was certified gold for sales of more than 500,000. Same for Ke$ha, whose debut, “Animal,” spawned no fewer than four hit singles, including “Tik-Tok,” which was certified as a five-times-platinum digital single, the double-platinum “Your Love Is My Drug” and “Blah Blah Blah” and “Take It Off,” both of which were certified gold.

Other noteworthy benchmarks include the Black Eyed Peas’ hit “I Gotta Feeling,” which is now six times platinum for digital sales, the highest digital song certification the RIAA has issued yet. Summer smashes like Katy Perry’s “California Gurls,” “Airplanes” by B.o.B featuring Paramore’s Haley Williams and Taio Cruz’s “Break Your Heart” also reached gold status.

Overall, in August, September and October combined, the RIAA awarded 91 digital singles and 28 albums.

By The Hollywood Reporter