Discuss “Warner Brothers gives credit to the blogosphere”

Last week, major news sources, among them The New York Times, reported that infamous celebrity gossip mini-mogul Mario Lavandeira, also known as Perez Hilton, may receive his own imprint at Warner Brothers Records. This would allow him to discover and release artists through the label and hold onto a sizable chunk of the profits generated. The deal was borne of Lavandeira’s seemingly uncanny ability to identify new talent: The minute Lavandeira raves about a group or artist on his blog, downloads of that group or artist’s tracks skyrocket, often garnering them instant media attention.

Many gossip bloggers see the deal as representing not just Lavandeira, but the significance of the blog as an increasingly influential and increasingly credible...