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Intriguing story in the L.A. Times’ Company Town section about Canadian electro-pop band Metric, whose first album in four years, the self-released Fantasies, has generated greater revenues off of 9k sales at iTunes and another 15k internationally than on its previous release in 2005, which sold 45k. Said co-manager Mathieu Drouin: "Talking gross numbers that come directly to the band, we have made more money already than we have on the last record in four years. Without any intermediary, we're making 77 cents on the dollar for every record we sell" on iTunes. Under a label deal, based on Drouin's estimate, Metric would have earned closer to 22 cents… Digital Music News, which has been monitoring YouTube in recent days, discovered that Warner Music Group content is “saturated across a broad range of video styles” on the massive site. The list included videos from Linkin Park ("In the End," WB), T.I. ("Dead and Gone," "Whatever You Like," "What You Know," Grand Hustle/Atlantic), Trey Songz ("Can't Help but Wait," Atlantic), Slipknot ("Before I Forget," Roadrunner), Serj Tankian ("Empty Walls," WB) and Plies ("Bust It Baby [Part 2]," "Who Hotter Than Me," Slip N Slide/Atlantic). The list of videos checked was not random, and based on a separate music video ranking on AOL. That methodology attempted to isolate the most popular videos from a non-disputed destination, a better gauge of demand. That said, in a search of well over 100 clips, nearly half produced the notice, "This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Warner Music Group." While the Bunny continues its standoff, the other majors are reaping revenues on all related content, official and otherwise. "You simply can't take your ball and go home on the internet," one digital executive told DMN… Indie digital distributor INgrooves has signed up the Shanachie, Fat Possum and SideOneDummy labels. These deals will bring in cutting-edge acts like the Black Keys, Gogol Bordello, Fiery Furnaces, Wavves and Robin Danar… Nokia's first-quarter net profit fell 90% to 122 million euros ($161 million) as sales volume and average selling prices both declined. Nokia sold 93.2 million handsets during the first quarter, down 19% from a year earlier, while its marketshare remained flat. The cellphone maker said it still expects 2009 cellphone volume to fall about 10% from last year across the industry, with most of the decline to happen in the first half of this year. But after CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, said that the smaller inventories maintained by retailers during the downturn would translate into stronger demand in the coming months for Nokia devices, Nokia shares rose more than 7% in European trading… In related news, marketing research firm In-Stat estimates in its latest report that worldwide shipments of mobile phones will drop 20.5% in 2009 from 2008, the N.Y. Times notes. “Although cellphone shipments and subscription numbers have held up relatively well during the global recession thus far, the outlook is more tumultuous,” the report says. “People that are unemployed are less likely to replace their cellphones, and businesses will not pay for cellphone subscriptions for employees they’ve let go,” said In-Stat analyst Allen Nogeein a company release. The report predicts that the number of new cellphone subscribers worldwide will grow 8.9% this year, and 6.3% in 2010. That’s a sharp drop-off from the 19.3% growth in 2009. With regard to handsets, the report says that robust growth—projected at 9.6%—will return in 2011.