Performing-rights organization SESAC has named J.D. Connell vice president and counsel of new media licensing. SESAC Senior VP Bill Lee said Connell, who joined the company in 2005, is an "effective and forward-thinking executive, particularly in the digital licensing space."

Performing-right organization SESAC has hooked up with InGrooves, a San Francisco company that manages content delivered to more than 500 online and mobile platforms. The push strategy turns SESAC's traditional royalty collection model on its head a bit.

“In the age of DIY (do-it-yourself), it’s more important than ever that we use [our] position to provide complementary services to our affiliated artists and writers to help them meet their professional goals. The more opportunities SESAC can create for its artists and writers to distribute their content into the marketplace, the more opportunities it will present for SESAC to monetize that content in the licensing arena.”

“Clif’s ability to grow within the company continues to amaze me,” states Weingartz. “His heart lives in the place where art and commerce intersect. His skill-set and experience across multiple platforms of the entertainment industry serves the growth and development of AirPlay Direct very well.

Overall, the NPD Group’s research shows that 24 million fewer people bought music in 2009 compared to 2007 and that newer digital consumers were quickly losing interest, with the number of people who purchased downloads dropping to 34.6 million in 2009 from 35.2 million in 2008.

When it comes to the unit-sales volume of music sold at retail – including paid digital music downloads and CDs – Apple iTunes leads in the U.S. with 25 percent of music units sold, which is up from 21 percent in 2008 and 14 percent in 2007. Walmart (including Walmart.com) remains in second position with 14 percent of music volume sold. Best Buy ranked third.